Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By Ethan Hou

April 19, 2024

After a cinematic NBA season, it is now the perfect opportunity to honour a handful of players for their outstanding performances. Take a look at my predictions for who will win this year’s most important NBA awards:

MVP

Without a doubt, Nikola Jokić will be in for his second MVP award. This season, he tallied an efficient 27 points, along with 12 rebounds and 9 assists per game (NBA Player). He also led the NBA in player efficiency and box plus-minus (+684). Jokic’s offensive abilities and leadership has guided the Denver Nuggets to the second seed in the Western Conference.

ROTY

Coming into this season, 7′ 4″ Wembanyama was touted as the greatest prospect since LeBron James. And to no surprise, he has lived up to the hype, averaging an excellent 21 points, 4 assists, and 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game each game (NBA Player). Wemby’s exceptional ability to handle the ball like an all-star guard, score anywhere on the floor, and make seemingly impossible defensive plays has caused all of his opponents to fear him. Most analysts recognize him as one of the greatest NBA rookies ever. 

DPOY

This season has certainly been on par with Rudy Gobert’s typical defensive output. As a defensive anchor, Gobert led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a league leading defensive rating of 108.4 (8 points better than the league average). He has also accumulated 2 blocks per game, and has held opponents to only score 48% of their shots within 6 feet of the rim when guarded by him (Players Defense Dash). If Gobert wins the DPOY award this season, it would mark the fourth time he has received this award. 

Works Cited

“NBA Player Stats.” Basketball Reference, 2024, https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2024_per_game.html. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.

“Players Defense Dash < 6FT.” NBA, https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defense-dash-lt6. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.