While the NBA universe is currently focused on the first round of the NBA playoffs, a lot of controversy has sparked from who will win what, MVP, Rookie of the Year, etc. Here is Just the PHact’s predictions, who wins what and why.
Coach of the Year: Quin Synder Utah Jazz
Without question, what Quin Synder has been able to do with the Utah Jazz has been a miracle. His team consists of one upper echelon rookie. His coaching has earned the Jazz a five seed in arguably the most competitive western conference in the history of the league. There are a lot of solid option for Coach of the Year but when at how well the team performed given the talent on the roster, there must be a significant driving force other than the players.
Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis New Orleans Pelicans
Anthony Davis has had another impressive season on the defensive side of the ball for the Pelicans. After the loss of his fellow twin tower, Demarcus Cousins, Davis has had to step up for New Orleans and his 2.6 blocks per game to go along with just under 2 steals a game should earn him the 2018 Defensive Player of the Year.
Sixth Man of the Year: Lou Williams Los Angeles Clippers
It’s still very surprising that Lou Williams is coming off the bench. While his Clippers were just shy of the post season, he was able to average just under 23 points per game along with about 5 assists as well. Considering this is Lou’s 15th season in such a tiring league like the NBA, it’s very impressive that he continues to have such an impact on the game coming off the bench.
Rookie of the Year: Ben Simmons Philadelphia 76ers
There has been a lot of speculation this season over who deserves the rookie of the year trophy, Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz or Ben Simmons of the 76ers. While Mitchell has certainly impressed the NBA averaging just over 20 PPG, his game is very one sided relative to Simmons. Simmons has averaged 5 less points than Mitchell but scoring isn’t the only measure of a player. Along with the 15 PPG which is an impressive mark for a rookie, Simmons has also grabbed an average of 8.1 rebounds per game and assisted 8.2 buckets per game. Both of those statistics are significantly better than Mitchell’s and they stand as the reason why Simmons deserves the rookie of the year.
Most Valuable Player: LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers
While LeBron James is the most scrutinized player in the entire association, he deserves this year’s NBA MVP. Imagine the Cavaliers without LeBron, maybe an 8 seed? LeBron James has single handedly carried the Cavs to where they are right now, 4 seed in a surprisingly competitive Eastern Conference. Throughout LeBron’s career, he’s averaged 27.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 7.2 APG, this season, LeBron has averaged just a little more points, 27.5, but he’s averaging 2 more rebounds and assists per game. A true testament to the king’s game which has certainly been at an MVP level this season.
Just The Phacts 