This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The NBA awards are finally here. Well, almost.
Russell Westbrook will probably win his first Most Valuable Player trophy on Monday night, when the awards are announced on TNT. The Utah Jazz will be represented by Rudy Gobert, who is a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player.
The Tribune had a ballot this year and while the awards will probably turn out different, here's who this reporter picked to win:
Most Valuable Player
1. James Harden, Houston Rockets
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Why: Westbrook had a historic season, averaging a triple-double. But Harden and James were just as good statistically in different ways. They also won a lot more than Westbrook and led their teams to greater heights. As Leonard's injury in the Western Conference finals showed, the Spurs were lost without him.
Rookie Of The Year
1. Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee Bucks
2. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
3. Dario Saric, Philadelphia 76ers
Why: Had Embiid stayed healthy, he would've won the award going away. But he simply didn't play in enough games. Brogdon stepped in and earned a starting spot right away. He'll never be more than a solid role player for his career, but he was good enough this year to be the NBA's top rookie.
Sixth Man Of The Year
1. Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors
2. Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers
3. Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
Why: Iguodala simply does it all. His statistics compared to Crawford and Gordon weren't great, but nobody in the league has a greater impact than Iggy. He scores, rebounds, defends, and completes Golden State's small lineup that can't be stopped. This is a case where a player's impact counts, and Iguodala's is enormous.
Coach Of The Year
1. Scott Brooks, Washington Wizards
2. Mike D'Antoni, Houston Rockets
3. Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz
Why: Brooks, in his first year in Washington, led the Wizards to their first division title in 38 years. He accomplished this with perhaps the worst bench in the NBA, and the Wizards still advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The Wizards usually are never good. This year, they were.
Most Improved Player
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
2. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
3. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Why: Antetokounmpo has blossomed into a top-10 overall player. He led the Bucks to the playoffs, and did this without his team's second-best player, Jabari Parker, who tore his ACL midway through the season. The man called 'Alphabet' one of the best small forwards in the NBA, and someone who can play all five positions on the floor, offensively and defensively.
Defensive Player Of The Year
1. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
2. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
3. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Why: Gobert led the NBA with 2.6 blocked shots per game and led the NBA in defensive win shares, defensive real plus/minus and block percentage. He finished third in the league in defensive rating, and was the only player in the league to finish top five in offensive and defensive rating. Simply put, Gobert was the best defender in the NBA this season.
Twitter: @tribjazz