2023-24 NBA Awards Race: Mid-season check in
As the NBA nears its midway point, let’s check in on the leaders for the NBA end-of-season awards. Of course, being halfway through a season means there is half a season (Ed: grabs calculator…yep, it checks out) left to run so there can and likely will be changes up and down this list. Nonetheless, we have more than enough data to make some educated decisions.
A little bit of housekeeping before we dive in. With the NBA limiting these awards to those players who appear in 65 games, we’ll list the number of games that each player has missed to this point, as well, remembering that 17 is the maximum.
Without further ado…
Michael Jordan Trophy (Most Valuable Player):
Leader: Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) 8 games
In the mix: Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) 1 game missed, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) 1 game
If Joel Embiid does win back-to-back MVPs, the first person he should thank is his mother. The second is new coach Nick Nurse. Despite losing James Harden, the man who led the NBA in assists last season and was a significant driver of their offense, Embiid had only improved since winning this award last season.
The Cameroonian has for the fifth year running improved his scoring average, this time to a league-leading 34.1 points per game, alongside 11.8 rebounds, six assists, 1.1 steals and a pair of blocks a night. Those blocks represent his best output since his rookie campaign, but I’d like to focus on the assists, by far a career-high.
Quite rightly, much of the Sixers offense last season had Harden as the starter and Embiid as the finisher. Nurse, however, has empowered Embiid’s playmaking creativity. He’s taking 27 percent less shots in isolation than a year ago yet was still able to average 40.2 points (no that is not a typo) through December.
Jokic is still doing Jokic things and in practically any other season would be running away with this trophy. He is the closest thing we have to Wilt Chamberlain – not stylistically, clearly – in that Jokic will dominate a game in precisely whatever way he feels he wants to on that night. If he wants to be an old-fashioned bruiser, he’ll go for 39 points and 11 boards without launching a three, as he did against San Antonio in late November. You want him to dissect you purely by moving the ball? How about 16 assists but only three shot attempts against the Pistons last week? Want him to reign fire from deep? I give you a three-game span prior to Christmas where he shot at a 60 percent clip from beyond the arc.
After a promising first month of the season, Denver’s mostly young bench units have reverted to type, meaning that the Joker will have to do even more to carry his Nuggets to a strong playoff seeding. No matter what Embiid does, this is a two-horse race.
A long way back but the best of the rest is the leader of the upstart Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 25-year-old’s two-way excellence is the catalyst for just about everything that is good about the Thunder. As if 31.4 points on 56 percent shooting, if you don’t mind, 5.9 boards and 6.3 assists isn’t enough, Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league in steals at 2.3 as well as leading the NBA in deflections. He’s second in loose ball gathers and contests more shots than any other guard.
Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy (Defensive Player of the Year):
Leader: Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves) 1 game missed
In the mix: Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers) 2 games, Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) 8 games
Let’s make this short and sharp. Of all the players with a minimum 2,000 minutes played, Rudy Gobert’s 103.7 individual defensive rating leads the NBA, with the 3.2 point gap to second the same as the distance between second and 12th. Most tellingly, third in that particular metric is Karl-Anthony Towns. That’s right, dear readers: KAT is now a statistically great defender. For that alone, Gobert doesn’t just deserve to win his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award, he deserves a fucking knighthood.
Whilst Gobert’s versatility as a defender has always been undersold, he’s no Anthony Davis in that regard. Now that the Lakers have their better perimeter defenders back in uniform, we’re seeing the Lakers start to show their best on defense. In the half-court over their past five outings, the Lakers rank 7th in half-court defense, per Basketball Reference. Sure, their anemic offense is gifting the opposition fast breaks that negatively impact their overall defensive numbers, but Davis can’t do too much about that.
In addition to leading the mid-season MVP race, Embiid is also in the running for the DPOY. He’s become more adept in defending out in space now that Nurse has opened up the Sixers game plans on both ends of the floor, yet he’s also contesting more shots both at the rim and overall than anyone bar Brook Lopez. The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that I failed to mention above who ranks second in individual defensive rating. Well, it’s Embiid at 106.5. He’s been stellar at both ends of the floor.
Wilt Chamberlain Trophy (Rookie of the Year):
Leader: Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) 4 games missed
In the mix: Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder) 0 games, Jaime Jaquez Jr (Miami Heat) 0 games
In the December edition of my Rookie Rankings, I had Chet Holmgren marginally ahead of Victor Wembanyama. Without wanting to give too much away, that order might just have flipped when the January rankings come out in a little less than a week.
Chet had undoubtedly taken the lead in this race after the first two months of the season, but when Spurs coach Gregg Popovich finally pulled the lever that moved Wemby to the centre position, all hell broke loose. His matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo is one we’ll be watching for decades.
Despite an ankle injury that saw him miss some time and play limited minutes upon his return, Wembanyama has put up 20 points, 11 rebounds and 3.9 blocks since moving to the five full-time. He’s also upped his assist average, dishing out 3.9 helpers since the move.
His height provides a natural advantage in seeing over the top of the defense but his timing and touch when finding cutters with the bounce pass is already elite. The flair that he shows in other parts of his game is also shining through in his passing. A young man of his size shouldn’t be able to do this:
Poor Chet Holmgren. He misses his actual rookie year through injury, giving him an inbuilt advantage for the award in year two…and he comes up against an alien. Chet (an aside, Holmgren is the first “Chet” to take to an NBA floor since Hall of Famer Chet Walker retired in 1975) is already an elite shot blocker with a precise understanding of angles whilst his 3-point shot and ability to play make off the bounce make him a prototypical modern stretch five.
Sure, he needs to add muscle but he’s not alone as a rookie in that department. Whilst I’m expecting Wemby to ease out his lead over Chet, this is a very tight race.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is a baller. The Heat wing sits on a rookie tier all his own, a way behind the top two, but with a clear gap to the field. Yes, Miami is renowned for its player development, but it usually takes a year or two for it to really take effect.
This man is ready to play serious playoff minutes right now. He was expected to be a serviceable role player right off the bat but scoring 13.9 points per game, good for fourth on the team (he’s second in total points) is a very pleasant surprise.
John Havlicek Trophy (6th Man of the Year):
Leader: Malik Monk (Sacramento Kings) 1 game missed
In the mix: Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers) 0 games, Tim Hardaway Jr (Dallas Mavericks) 3 games
As per usual, there are so many worthy recipients in this category that simply don’t play enough. Isaiah Joe is stating his case as the best shooter on the planet (non-Curry division) yet barely cracks the 20-minute-per-game barrier. On a per-minute basis, Jonathan Isaac might be the defensive player of the year but understandably only plays 12 minutes a night. It does thin out a crowded field, though.
Kings guard Malik Monk is the frontrunner for this award. He’s the spiritual heir to Lou Williams in that he never, ever starts and puts up good numbers (a career-high 15 points on 45/41/88 splits, 5.4 assists) whilst his clutch play means he usually finishes games. He can be maddeningly inconsistent but when he’s on he’s incredible to watch. Take this 37-point, nine-assist effort – in 46 minutes! – against Orlando where he scored from deep, at the hoop and continually drew contact:
Austin Reaves is seen by many as the leader for this award, though the fact that he has now superseded D’Angelo Russell as the full-time starting point guard will eventually see him ineligible for the Hondo. Even so, a poor start to the season would have placed him behind Monk in my estimation. A sixth man is supposed to be able to carry the second unit and fit seamlessly with the starters. Reaves wasn’t able to fulfill the first part of that brief. Despite his statistical case, he’s simply better as a starter.
Tim Hardaway Jr is going to turn 32-years-old in a couple of months. Where does the time go? Timbug Jr is a traditional bench scorer, launching a tonne of treys and not providing too much of anything else. That said, his 17.5 points per game and his status as the second-best clutch player on the Mavericks, behind Luka Doncic of course, see him do exactly what a good sixth man should: Be the primary option off the bench and supplement the starters when on the floor with them.
Hardaway just held off the likes of Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cole Anthony and the Knicks version of Immanuel Quickley for his spot on this awards ballot. Keep an eye on Trey Murphy III in New Orleans, as well. He’s rounding into form.
George Mikan Trophy (Most Improved Player):
Leader: Alperen Sengun (Houston Rockets) 0 games missed
In the mix: Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors) 0 games, Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers) 0 games
Always the most nebulous of the NBA awards, how you view these selections depends on the lens through which you view the award. Is this for the player that comes out of nowhere to make themselves a viable rotation piece? Is it rewarding the jump from regular player to star? Star to superstar? If it’s the first, then Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas might be your man. The latter? Clearly, the Pacers Tyrese Haliburton would be your choice. I’m going for that middle ground: the player who emerges from good to genuinely great.
All three of the selections for this award could and should be first-time All-Stars this season. Given the focus on his team, what with their huge trade and the fact that they field the MVP, Tyrese Maxey has received the most attention of my top three.
As the full-time point guard for the Sixers, Maxey is posting career-high numbers across the board, efficiency numbers aside. His sheer pace has brought out a different side of Joel Embiid, who doesn’t have to be as deliberate as he did with Harden as his sidekick. The only thing holding him back from winning this award is that he does have an MVP and a potential Auerbach winner to prop him up.
Yes, he might be the face of the league soon but Scottie Barnes doesn’t have those luxuries in Toronto, where they continue their soft rebuild. After a stereotypical sophomore slump, Barnes is starting to become the player that the greater NBA envisioned after his outstanding rookie campaign. Like Maxey, Barnes is putting up career-high numbers, including efficiency. He’s shooting 38 percent on his 5.7 3-point attempts per game, a full 9.2 percent above his career numbers heading into the season.
Though in a very tight race, Alperen Sengun gets the nod here. Why? Because unlike Maxey, he’s the genuine on-court focal point for his team and unlike Barnes, they’re winning. The 21-year-old Turk will never be a defensive force but his quick hands and excellent anticipation have made him passable on that end (growing a couple of inches didn’t hurt, either).
In turn, that has allowed Sengun the offensive freedom to shine as the hub of the Rockets offense. He has upped his scoring by seven points a game whilst averaging more assists and, 3-point shooting aside, has maintained his efficiency. Yes, he has an excellent new coach helping him to realise his potential, but given where he and his team were last season, Sengun currently leads the race. As an aside, imagine if Houston had managed to sign Brook Lopez?
Red Auerbach Trophy (Coach of the Year):
Leader: Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets)
In the mix: Jamahl Mosley (Orlando Magic), Nick Nurse (Philadelphia 76ers)
A good coach can draw up an elaborate X’s and O’s scheme, can put players in the best situations and can create the best rotations. A great coach creates a culture. Ime Udoka has done all of those things in the space of a single offseason. Houston was coming from one of the lowest floors we’ve seen in some time in the league. Yes, there was some young talent on the roster but it was all unrealised potential, aligned with a terrible scheme and absolutely no accountability.
Udoka has the help of a selection of handpicked veterans, brought in to set a professional standard, but the majority of the credit for the Rockets’ turnaround needs to go to their coach. As touched on above, he has Sengun playing at a borderline All-Star level; he’s helped Jabari Smith Jr from avoiding a sophomore slump; he’s cut the fat away from Jalen Green’s game; and, most impressively, he’s emphasised the best of Dillon Brooks whilst eliminating most of his … let’s call them eccentricities.
I took a deep dive into the Orlando Magic in an episode of The Point in December, touching on Jamahl Mosely’s coaching. He’s taking one of the youngest rosters in the league to a playoff berth and, most impressively, he’s doing it whilst managing a raft of injuries. Markelle Fultz goes down? No matter, we’ll just coax career-best ball from Jalen Suggs. Wendell Carter falls over? Goga Bitadze becomes a genuine NBA piece. Star Franz Wagner gets hurt? We’ll just plug Caleb Houstan in and let him cosplay as a skinny Dennis Scott. A brilliant coaching job from one of the best young coaches – and one of the nicest people – in the NBA.
Nick Nurse is a man who needs no introduction. The man had his own fashion label, for crying out loud! For all of his ostentatiousness, Nurse is a fabulous coach. Taking on a team full of expectations, Nurse has thrived. He’s leveraged the raw pace of Maxey to unleash a whole new side to Embiid. He’s restored Tobias Harris’ game to the point where he resembles the player who received that massive contract back in the day. Nicolas Batum, who came over as part of the haul for Harden, has turned back the years.
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