With the regular season over and the playoffs approaching, the NBA will begin to designate the winners of its various individual trophies. In the meantime, we invite you to discover our predictions and give us yours, including two French people well placed in our predictions: Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert.
MVP: Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
The competition is there, notably with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, but we remain – like our last race – on the metronome Nikola Jokic. History of consolidating for good the status of best basketball player on the planet of the MVP of the Finals and reigning champion, but also because his record is identical to that of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (57-25) and his stats (26/12 /9/1/1 average) are no less impressive than those of Luka Doncic. The third trophy is getting closer for the “Joker”, dethroned by Joel Embiid last year, and this will be enough to already strengthen his place among the best pivots in history…
Outsider : Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic…
Rookie Of The Year: Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
Who else than Victor Wembanyama to be named Rookie of the Year, as he will have splashed the NBA with all his talent from his first weeks of competition, already establishing himself as one of the attractions of the league, at only 20 years ?
Despite good competition from Chet Holmgren, who would undoubtedly have been rewarded if such a phenomenon had not overshadowed him, “Wemby” quite simply signed one of the finest individual campaigns in the history of NBA rookies . His stats are dizzying (21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 interceptions…), he hasn't stopped progressing every month and, the craziest thing, is that he still has weak points to improve. Spurs' opponents have been warned…
Outsiders : Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller…
Best defender of the year: Rudy Gobert (Wolves)
If Victor Wembanyama has everything to get his hands on this trophy in the future, Rudy Gobert maintains the lead in his distance duel with his compatriot.
Quite simply because he qualified for the playoffs, in the Top 3 of the West incidentally, and his team has the most efficient defense in the NBA (108.4 points conceded over 100 possessions).
So, even if the influence of Victor Wembanyama on the defensive level of the Spurs is undoubtedly more important than that of his counterpart from the Wolves, better surrounded, it nevertheless seems difficult to us to see him win the bet while his franchise is 14th in the West and 21st in the ranking of the most effective defenses (115.6 points conceded over 100 possessions). Even more so when, on the other side, Rudy Gobert has regained his best level, to remain one of the best defense captains in the league…
Outsiders : Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Herb Jones…
Most Improved Player: Coby White (Bulls)
Recently, the NBA has gotten into the habit of designating a neo-All Star as Proof of the Year, and Tyrese Maxey is therefore an extremely credible candidate, his change in status with the Sixers obviously being able to be rewarded. However, Coby White is undoubtedly the most impressive and surprising “explosion”.
Because, even if he remains a former 7th draft choice (2019), Coby White surprised everyone at the Bulls, extending there for three years and in anonymity last summer, for “only” 36 million dollars, after a 2022/23 exercise with 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists over 23 minutes, 44% shooting, 37% 3-pointers and 87% free throws. Far from his 19.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds over 36 minutes, 45% shooting, 38% 3-pointers and 84% free throws, in the shadow of DeMar DeRozan…
Outsiders : Tyrese Maxey, Cam Thomas, Jonathan Kuminga, Jalen Williams…
Best sixth man: Naz Reid (Wolves)
In addition to Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid undoubtedly forms the best interior trio in the league and his contribution is essential for the Wolves during the visits to the bench of Towns and/or Gobert, or even their absences. for rest and/or injury.
Capable of playing 4 as well as 5, because he can move behind the line as well as push his opposite number into the racket, the 24-year-old is Minnesota's ultimate energizer and, even if he scores less than Malik Monk for example, his defensive progress gives him a slight advantage, in our eyes, compared to the Kings' rear.
Outsiders : Malik Monk, Bobby Portis, Norman Powell, Bogdan Bogdanovic…
Coach Of The Year: Mark Daigneault (Thunder)
Already elected by his peers, Mark Daigneault should logically be elected by the journalists, for having led his Thunder to a very surprising first place in the Western Conference! Simply breathtaking, when we know that his group has an average age of barely 24 years, constituting a new precocity record for a conference leader.
The hardest part now will be to confirm the promises of the regular season but, even before the playoffs begin, the young coach (39 years old) deserves to be saluted for having made Oklahoma City one of the two teams Top 5 in offensive and defensive efficiency (with Boston).
Outsiders : Joe Mazzulla, Chris Finch, Tom Thibodeau, Michael Malone, Jamahl Mosley…
CLUTCH: DeMar DeRozan (Bulls)
DeMar DeRozan or Stephen Curry? Stephen Curry or DeMar DeRozan? Everything suggests that the successor to De'Aaron Fox as the most decisive player in the league will come to us either from Chicago or San Francisco.
Both candidates are equal, but we opt instead for that of DeMar DeRozan who, with a total of 182 points and an average of 4.4 points in these so-called “clutch” situations (= last five minutes of a match where the gap is less than or equal to 5 points), was the great architect of keeping the Bulls in the Top 10 of the East, since they posted a nice record of 24-16 in the “clutch-time”. “King of the Fourth!” »
Outsiders : Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Damian Lillard, Nikola Jokic…
