Coach of the Year: Scott Brooks
With the unpleasant way the Washington Wizards started the season, everyone was quick to point their fingers at Scott Brooks, who took over for Randy Wittman this season. However, the Wizards immediately turned things around and soared in the standings to clinch the fourth seed in the East. They also made history, clinching the biggest in-season turnaround after a 2-8 start. Coach Brooks deserves a ton of credit for essentially changing the culture in Washington.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert
The Defensive Player of the Year award will be a close one, but Rudy Gobert should be able to edge out the other candidates.
Gobert has paced the Utah Jazz to the third best defensive efficiency in the league. He ranks first in blocked shots, first in defensive win shares, second in defensive rating, and third in defensive box plus-minus. If that doesn't spell Defensive Player of the Year, then what does?
Most Improved Player: Myles Turner
It’s probably safe to say that the Indiana Pacers got a huge steal in the 2015 draft by selecting Myles Turner 11th overall. The big man has been having himself a wonderful year, averaging 14.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 1.3 assists on 51.1 percent shooting from the field. Statistically, he has improved in every single category this season, which should award him Most Improved Player.
Rookie of the Year: Dario Saric
Should Joel Embiid, who was actually a major producer when healthy, win Rookie of the Year after only logging 31 games? Because his teammate, Dario Saric, is equally deserving and has been healthy all year. Saric has cooled down of late but his averages of 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists is solid.
If the NBA doesn't believe Embiid has played enough games to win the award, Saric, who has been second in the rookie race for most of the season, should be able to take it.
Sixth Man: Lou Williams
It’s insane how the top two Sixth Man of the Year candidates play for the same team -- the Houston Rockets. Eric Gordon has been a healthy offensive producer all season but as has Lou Williams.
When Williams was in Los Angeles, he was the team’s leading scorer even though he was coming off the bench. He carried that mediocre team to multiple victories early in the season and even now with the Rockets, Williams is still putting up huge scoring numbers.
Most Valuable Player: Russell Westbrook
With a triple-double average and a record-breaking 42 triple-doubles for the season, Russell Westbrook is well on his way to winning his first-ever MVP award. Westbrook’s eye-popping stats have glorified the league enough to secure him the MVP trophy. Westbrook most recently capped off his campaign by recording his 42th triple-double and winning the game for the Oklahoma City Thunder with a long buzzer-beating three. He has carried mediocre talent into the playoffs, which also shouldn’t go unnoticed.
