Final Predictions for all 2023-24 NBA Award Winners: MVP, DPOY, ROY and more
As the playoffs continue, the NBA will announce each winner for the top seasonal awards. This began Tuesday night, with Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey winning Most Improved Player.
There are still a handful of awards to be given out, with Most Valuable Player being the most notable. Other awards include Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
Over the next few days, the NBA will announce a handful of winners. On Wednesday night, Sixth Man of the Year will be announced. The following day, the league will give out Clutch Player of the Year.
Before all the official winners are announced, here are the final predictions for each remaining award.
Final predictions for 2023-24 NBA awards:
Sixth Man of the Year: Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
Kicking things off with Sixth Man of the Year, Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves has been on an impressive campaign. He was one of the top reserve players in the NBA this year and was in the lineup almost every night.
Across 81 games, Reid averaged 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He did this while shooting 47.7% from the field and 41.4% from beyond the arc. Bobby Portis also had a strong year, but the Timberwolves being atop the West for a majority of the season should put Reid over the hump.
Clutch Player of the Year: Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
This might be one of the closer votes among the NBA awards, but Steph Curry should walk away with Clutch Player of the Year. This season, no player scored more than him in close games down the stretch.
Curry notched 189 clutch points, barely edging out DeMar DeRozan who had 182. The Golden State Warriors star was also more efficient and on a higher volume of shots. In the clutch this year, Curry shot 49.6% from the field and 45.7% from beyond the arc.
Rookie of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
At the start of the year, it looked like the Rookie of the Year race would be close. However, one player set themselves apart from the pack in the final months of the season.
Chet Holmgren had an impressive first season, but Victor Wembanyama is the runaway favorite for ROY. The San Antonio Spurs big man finished the year with averages of 21.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG and a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
The second Minnesota Timberwolves player who should come away with an award this season is Rudy Gobert. After struggling his first year with the Wolves, the All-Star center returned to form in 2024.
Minnesota had the NBA's top defense all year, largely because of Gobert. He's been the clear favorite all season, likely resulting in him taking home the award for a fourth time.
Coach of the Year: Mark Daigneault, OKC Thunder
All three finalists for Coach of the Year have strong cases, but Mark Daigneault should end up being named the winner. His work with the OKC Thunder over the past year has been nothing short of impressive.
For starters, Daigneault led OKC to almost 20 more wins than last season. On top of this massive increase in wins, the Thunder also finished the season atop the Western Conference. As the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history, Daigneault has a strong case for COY.
Most Valuable Player: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserves a very honorable mention, but Nikola Jokic is likely on his way to his third MVP award. The Denver Nuggets center has solidified himself as one of the top stars of this generation, and arguably of all time.
Jokic fell just shy of being the first big man in history to average a triple-double for a season. In 79 games, he posted averages of 26.4 PPG, 12.4 RPG and 9.0 APG. Jokic also had his most efficient season, shooting nearly 60% from the field.
As the focal point of one of the top teams in the league, Jokic has built up another undeniable MVP resumé this season.