Brett Siegel's 2022-23 NBA Awards Final Picks
The 2022-23 NBA regular season has come to an end, which not only means it is time for the postseason, but that means it is time for everyone to debate each awards race until their face turns blue!
This NBA season was one of the most competitive years we have ever seen and many of these races came down to the final few days or final week of the regular season for most voters.
To start things off, I am a big believer that the media should not be voting on the awards and All-NBA teams, especially since some of these honors result in players seeing more or less money on their next contracts, but hey, I am not in charge of deciding that!
Each voter has their own criteria and opinions on who should and who should receive each recognition, but here is my official and final awards ballot for the 2022-23 NBA season including my picks for each of the six major awards, as well as the All-NBA teams, All-Defensive teams and All-Rookie teams.
Most Valuable Player Award:
- Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)
- Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
I have been a huge supporter of Nikola Jokic all season long and pretty much since December, I have been calling him this season's MVP. The reason I picked Joel Embiid for MVP over Jokic this season though is because of how Embiid elevated his play during the final few months of the regular season and how he impacted the Philadelphia 76ers.
Look, you really cannot go wrong here with Embiid, Jokic or Antetokounmpo, but to me, the biggest thing that sticks out is that Joel Embiid won his second straight scoring title, he improved drastically on the defensive-end of the floor, which has gone severely unnoticed, and if you take Embiid off the 76ers, they are a Play-In team has best. Joel Embiid is the sole reason why the 76ers have a chance to win a title this season and his 52-point performance near the end of the season against the Boston Celtics was enough for me to crown him the league's MVP.
Rookie of the Year Award:
- Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
- Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Keegan Murray (Sacramento Kings)
Paolo Banchero had himself a stellar rookie season with the Orlando Magic and led all rookies in almost every offensive category. He is going to be an All-Star one day in this league and this award truly was Banchero's to lose every week of the season.
Jalen Williams was fantastic with the Oklahoma City Thunder and he is a big reason why they have a chance to make the playoffs in the Western Conference via the Play-In Tournament. I've been on the Williams hype train for quite some time now and I truly believe that he has a chance to be an All-Star quality player for many years to come as well.
Banchero will get a vast majority of the first-place votes for Rookie of the Year followed by Williams, but I would also be perfectly fine with Keegan Murray receiving recognition for this award as well. Murray broke the rookie record for threes made in a season this year and has been instrumental in the success of the 3-seeded Sacramento Kings.
Most Improved Player Award:
- Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
- Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
The thing about the Most Improved Player award for me is that we knew both Jalen Brunson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were terrific talents a year ago and we expected them to take a big step forward during the 2022-23 season, which they did.
However, I am not sure anyone saw Lauri Markkanen having the season he did with the Utah Jazz. Markkanen not only earned All-Star honors for the first-time in his career, but he led the Jazz, who many thought would be tanking for the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, to 37 wins this year and they were in playoff contention entering the final week of the regular season!
Markkanen is the guy the Jazz will build around for many years to come and he truly was the most improved player in the league this season when you look back to impact and style of play during the 2021-22 season.
Coach of the Year Award:
- Mike Brown (Sacramento Kings)
- Joe Mazzulla (Boston Celtics)
- J.B. Bickerstaff (Cleveland Cavaliers)
This award is not up for debate. Mike Brown is this season's Coach of the Year and if he does not receive 100 percent of the votes, that right there should prove to everyone that the media should not be voting on these awards! In fact, anyone who does not vote Brown as this season's Coach of the Year has no right ever voting for these awards again. There is no argument you can make against the Sacramento Kings and their head coach here.
Sixth Man Of The Year Award:
- Malcolm Brogdon (Boston Celtics)
- Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks)
- Malik Monk (Sacramento Kings)
Both Malcolm Brogdon and Immanuel Quickley are both deserving of the Sixth Man of the Year award this season. However, Brogdon's impact off-the-bench is exactly what the Boston Celtics were lacking a season ago and he is a big reason why they not only have a chance to get back to the NBA Finals, but win a title. Brogdon is the best bench player on the second-best team in the league, which is why he gets the bump over Quickley for me.
This is not saying that Quickley didn't have a good season though, as he is very deserving of such an honor and has had a tremendous season for the Knicks. As for Malik Monk, he led the league in bench scoring this season with 1,041 total points scored off-the-bench. Monk proved to be an essential part of the Kings' success as well.
Defensive Player of the Year Award:
- Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Just like the MVP award, I have no problem with either of these three guys winning Defensive Player of the Year. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the league in blocks per game, Brook Lopez blocked the most shots out of anyone this season and Evan Mobley may have had the biggest impact as a defender in the paint in terms of altering shots.
For me, the fact that Lopez played all but four games for the Milwaukee Bucks says a lot, especially compared to Jackson who missed 19 total games and only played 1,787 total minutes this year. The argument of Mobley vs. Lopez is very 50-50, but Brook Lopez's ability to change his style of play and go from a low-post scorer to a defensive anchor for the Bucks is extremely impressive. That is why he gets my vote for Defensive Player of the Year.
All-NBA First Team
G - Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
G - Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)
F - Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
F/C - Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
C - Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
All-NBA Second Team
G - Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
G - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
F - Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
F - Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
C - Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings)
All-NBA Third Team
G - De'Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings)
G - Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
F - Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
F - LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
C - Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
All-Defensive First Team
G - Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
G - Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics)
F - Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)
F - Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
C - Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)
All-Defensive Second Team
G - De'Anthony Melton (Memphis Grizzlies)
G - OG Anunoby (Toronto Raptors)
F - Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves)
F - Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
C - Nicolas Claxton (Brooklyn Nets)
All-Rookie First Team
G - Jaden Ivey (Detroit Pistons)
G - Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder)
F - Bennedict Mathurin (Indiana Pacers)
F - Keegan Murray (Sacramento Kings)
F - Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
All-Rookie Second Team
G - Andrew Nembhard (Indiana Pacers)
F - Jeremy Sochan (San Antonio Spurs)
F - Jabari Smith Jr. (Houston Rockets)
C - Jalen Duren (Detroit Pistons)
C - Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz)
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
