NBA end-of-the-season awards: Joel Embiid vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo in the MVP race; plus votes for individual superlatives

The most difficult ballot ever.

Not because the Most Valuable Player award became such a muck of a conversation involving history, race, race and history that performance and precedent almost took a backseat. The way Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo played was overshadowed by some unnecessary conversations even though the subjects were valid.

That said, as tough as the MVP ballot was, it was a microcosm of the rest of the awards the NBA gave the media for selection. Trying to determine what metrics or criteria was best often leads to different answers — deciding which answer one is more comfortable with is the task. Does one consider the salary implications? Some had as much as $40 million on the line if they were to get on the All-NBA teams (no bribes were taken, just to be clear). Does one consider how this fits in the context of history? It was certainly the case in the MVP vote, although not nearly the determining factor if there was a tiebreaker — kinda.

The back end of ballots was just as nerve-wracking as whose name was going first — particularly on the All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive selections.

Nothing was easy.

Without further ado, the ballot sent from this writer to the NBA went as follows:

Most Valuable Player

1. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
3. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
5. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

This award was going to break a mold regardless of who went 1-2-3. Bill Walton won MVP in 1978 playing 58 games and Allen Iverson played 71 in winning in 2001. The three top contenders, clearly head and shoulders above the rest, played 63, 66 and 69, respectively. There’s no wrong answer here and no downing of other candidates simply by putting Embiid first.

Antetokounmpo, by all accounts, is the best player in the game, the most irresistible force and the reason why the Bucks look like favorites to come out on top two months from now. It’s very rare a player like this powers a team to 60 wins and doesn’t win the award — especially considering the Bucks spent most of the season managing Khris Middleton’s absence. No reason not to vote for him.

Jokić was a monster, again, finally getting Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray back for a full season. He was as efficient as any center in NBA history yet again and showed why he’s perhaps the best passing big man of all time. He shot a ridiculous 68% on 2s!

Embiid got the first-place vote because he went for it. It was clear it mattered to him on the floor, and he took every opportunity he could when the spotlight was on him to give voters a reason why to pick him or second thoughts if they weren’t. Destroying Boston for 52 not too long ago. Giving Jokić something to think about in their first meeting with 47. When he sensed it was in reach, he poured his all into his performances. That, along with him being an absolute monster on defense, took it over the top.

Tatum and Sabonis deserve more than perfunctory mentions, with Tatum elevating his game yet again, particularly on defense and Sabonis helping turn the Kings into a top seed in the West to erase plenty of ineptitude and bad decisions for that franchise, were chief reasons for ending up on the ballot.

Would Jokić have had to do a little more to go into that Bird-Chamberlain-Russell room? Perhaps. If Antetokounmpo had played a few more games, perhaps the vote swings fully his way as opposed to the last second change. But Embiid is deserving, as they all are. And we’ll all have to answer to Antetokounmpo in June.

Most Improved Player

1. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Trey Murphy, New Orleans Pelicans

Markkanen could very well have won this award last season, going from being an afterthought in Cleveland to an impact player while being slightly out of position. But he took it to another level in Utah as part of the Donovan Mitchell trade. He showed why the Chicago Bulls coveted him so much as part of that Jimmy Butler trade in 2017 (yes, it was six years ago). He not only made the All-Star team but flirted with 50-40-90 territory on a better-than-expected Jazz squad that will have something to say in the very future. Always a solid player, he was someone who drove winning for the first time in his career.

Gilgeous-Alexander was a star who made a leap into possible superstar territory, even though it felt like he was trending there last season. The Thunder have improved and are in the play-in, largely due to SGA. He could’ve gone on the “go for mine” plan but played within the construct of OKC and still managed to improve from last season, taking smarter shots and becoming more efficient and durable; 31-5-5 will put you somewhere else on these ballots, too.

Murphy is the classic second-year case that’s tough to judge. He was seemingly coming along all season, just humming. But it always felt like he had more to give, especially with injuries to Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Then he really exploded after the break, and the Pelicans streaked back into the playoff picture. He’s had plenty to say with his performances, and the trajectory is moving up, mightily.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
2. Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
3. Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

Blocks and steals are counting stats that only affect the game so much, but Jackson was an all-around beast on that end this season. You have to know where he is at all times — a benefit of leading the league in blocked shots. Even when he’s not around, you’re flinching and pump-faking. He defends at all three levels — fouls at all three levels, too, which makes his production that much more astounding. He can play at every level of perimeter screen-roll and although it looks lumbering, can cover a lot of space in a short time.

Speaking of lumbering, Lopez has turned himself into yet another version — this one a massive slab of unmovable weight that’s not easy to drive by either. Lopez allows Antetokounmpo to roam and Jrue Holiday to gamble because he fills in the gaps and makes himself bigger than even his 282-pound frame. And after missing nearly all of last season with injury, he’s returned to being a swatting machine at the rim and an annoyance on high pick-and-rolls.

Adebayo is younger than Lopez and plays the cat-and-mouse game better than Jackson; he’s everywhere because Miami’s defense calls for it. And although he’s not as massive as either, he finds a way to disrupt everything offenses have going. His value isn’t in the raw defensive stats, but he just feels like he’s everywhere.

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Malcolm Brogdon, Boston Celtics
2. Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks
3. Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks

Brogdon isn’t a super traditional, old-school point guard, but you can transport him to last June when the Celtics were melting down ever-so-slightly and see how his calm hand could’ve helped them in the Finals. He wasn’t as explosive as your traditional sixth man, but he was remarkably stable — exactly what the Celtics needed. Do what you can in the time you have; 48-44-87 will do it.

Portis received strong consideration for first. His transformation, at least in terms of reputation, has been remarkable. He’s indispensable for the Bucks and is a matchup nightmare while not being a liability defensively, which is what many believed he was coming into the league. He rebounds at a great rate (which will fare well in the postseason) and hits 3s. Not much more to ask for.

Quickley had the late push and gave the Knicks a different look with his style, he honestly could’ve been on the MIP ballot. Most of his scoring explosions happened when thrust into a starting role (22.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists in 22 starts), which slightly inflated his numbers but not his effect on the Knicks.

Rookie of the Year

1. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
2. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings

Banchero looked like the best rookie from the moment he stepped on an NBA floor. No, his game wasn’t too polished for college and not sophisticated enough for the pros. No, he wasn’t gonna have trouble getting his own shot against 3s and 4s. And does carrying a heavy load for a bad team matter more than winning? It does here. Not much can be expected as far as reasonable immediate impact, for this particular award. His shooting suffered as time went on, but fatigue and the rigors of playing 34 minutes a night tends to do that.

Williams was an outright revelation for the Thunder. He found his place alongside Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey and really hit his stride after the break — the only thing stopping him was Banchero’s early lead in the ROY race.

Both Williams and Murray playing on winning teams and contributing to winning put them over Bennedict Mathurin and Jaden Ivey — one who started strong and one who finished with a flurry. Murray cannot be left alone on the perimeter, as he hoisted up the 3s but knocked them down at a wild rate for a rookie (41%). The rest of his game will come along nicely.

Coach of the Year

1. Mike Brown, Sacramento Kings
2. J.B. Bickerstaff, Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder

This was the easiest first- and second-place vote one could’ve had on his or her ballot. People thought Brown was getting his last good NBA check by going to the league’s version of Siberia before realizing he picked up a lot along the way and can change culture by force and work. He embraced the Kings’ desperation as opposed to running from it, and the so-called “defensive coach” adjusted to the personnel, taking the Kings to one of the best offenses in league history in terms of efficiency.

Bickerstaff had a decent team last season that added a true star in Mitchell. Making that work while still fostering the growth of Evan Mobley (it will be said again here: he will change lives when operating at full bloom) and Darius Garland is not an easy task. Cleveland has the second-best net rating behind Boston, which would usually spell for a long playoff run. The East is a gauntlet and Bickerstaff has them within future striking distance of becoming a true power with Boston and Milwaukee.

Daigneault may still have people mispronouncing his name, but he took a team nobody expected anything from this season, especially with the loss of Chet Holmgren, and made the Thunder a team that gave hell to everyone they faced in the regular season. There’s a reason general manager Sam Presti believes in his plan with his players and future draft picks, but Daigneault has been critical in player development. He gets a nod slightly over Jacque Vaughn, who took over a mess in Brooklyn and Joe Mazzulla (same description, albeit a different mess).

Coming soon: Clutch Player of the Year ballot and All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie ballots.