In effort to provide some sense of normalcy to this season, the 2020 NBA Awards will go on. Usually, the media (sportswriters and broadcasters) vote based on an 82 game regular season. This year however, there were extenuating circumstances from the corona virus pandemic resulting in a break to the season. The “seeding games” that were played to kick off the NBA bubble will not be considered for these 2020 NBA Awards. Via NBA.com: “Awards voting will be based on games played from the start of the regular season through March 11.”
For this piece I’m enlisting the help of fellow NLJ staff members Rami Marinoff and Brandon Rosenthal. We’ll act as our own 3 person panel and make our 2020 NBA awards picks as the media members would. We’ll follow the same rules as the panel and also offer some insight into our decisions.
First, let’s get the the big one out of the way…
Big Bird nailed it except for MVP…. I’d give the MVP to LeBron as he lifted and carried a team flawed in shooting the three.
Big Bird’s picks…
MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo – easy pick, has taken a subpar Bucks team from 4 years ago to a strong championship contender this season – without him they would be an average team.
ROTY: Ja Morant – easily the most exciting rookie to watch this season as well as helping to lead his team to the playoffs (sorta)
DPOY: Giannis Antetokounmpo – I promise I’m not wet on this guy, but his length, speed, quickness and court IQ makes him a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end!
Sixth Man: Lou Williams – the seasoned veteran knows his role and embraces it every season…that role being a scoring machine and a tough defender.
MIP: Bam Adebayo – easy pick here, going from a little known player to a household name among nba fans with his versatile playing style and role playing on the Heat. He’s been helping them go up 3-0 on the Pacers!
COTY: Nick Nurse – the NBA champion last year hasn’t missed a beat this season and has put his team in a strong position to repeat with Leonard