Top Player: Joel Embiid (76ers)
Adding James Harden to the mix will almost certainly kill Embiid's bid to be the season-league MVP, but it's hard to dismiss what he did in the 1st half of the season. Garnering more defensive attention than ever before with the voluntary absence of Ben Simmons, Embiid not only upped his game (29.5 PPG, 49.5 FG%, 36.9 3P%, 81.3 FT%, 11.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.4 BPG, 1.0 SPG) but provided more opportunities for young players like Tyrese Maxey, Mattias Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz and Shake Milton to assert themselves-which subsequently made the 76ers a deeper, more balanced team than they were over the past few years when Simmons was on the floor.
Honorable Mentions: Steph Curry (Warriors), Demar DeRozan (Bulls), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Top Defensive Player: Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
While Jackson's shooting stroke hasn't fully come back since returning from a torn meniscus that cost him nearly all of the 2020-21 season, he's made up for it by solidifying himself as the Grizzlies defensive anchor. The versatile big man is currently averaging a career-high 2.2 blocks, posting 1.0 steal per game for the 1st time in a non-injury shortened season and has greatly improved as an on-ball defender away from the rim.
Honorable Mentions: Robert Williams (Celtics), Rudy Gobert (Jazz), Dejounte Murray (Spurs)
Most Improved: Darius Garland (Cavaliers)
There was some debate last season as to whether Garland's increases in statistical output were due to him actually improving as a player or simply a result of stat-padding from playing on a terrible team that routinely found themselves in non-competitive game situations. Since Garland is now an All-Star point guard on a legitimately good team, that debate has died a swift death. The 3rd year pro has been exceptional this season-averaging career highs in field goal percentage (47.7%), points (20.3) and assists (8.0) per game. Perhaps most impressively, he's done all this while being tasked with serving as the team's top scorer and facilitator and playing with 3 different starters alongside him in the backcourt (Collin Sexton, Ricky Rubio, Caris LaVert) since Opening Night in October.
Honorable Mentions: Miles Bridges (Hornets), Desmond Bane (Grizzlies), Anfernee Simons (Trail Blazars)
Top 6th Man: Tyler Herro (Heat)
The humbling disappointment of his 2020-21 campaign following his exceptional play in the 2020 Playoff Bubble seemed to be the best thing to happen to Herro. In year 3, Herro has accepted his role as the Heat's 6th man and really thrived in it by averaging 20 points while shooting 37.4% from deep on a career-high 6.7 attempts per game.
Honorable Mentions: Kelly Oubre Jr. (Hornets), Kevin Love (Cavaliers), Jordan Clarkson (Jazz)
Top Rookie: Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
Allowing Mobley to slip to the 3rd pick is something the Pistons and Rockets might end up spending the next 15 years regretting. Putting an imposing 7-foot athletic freak who can stretch the floor and swat shots at an elite level alongside a more traditional center in Jarrett Allen have given the Cavs a very dynamic big man pairing that is incredibly hard to match up against on both ends of the floor and that pairing has been instrumental to the Cavs shocking climb into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Giddey (Thunder), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
Top Coach: Taylor Jenkins (Grizzlies)
Everything seems to be finally coming together for the Grizzlies this season after back-to-back disappointing play-in tournament exits and Jenkins is a huge reason why this team has shot to the top tier of the Western Conference. From the increased defensive buy-in to the handling of the rotations to the near universal improvement of the roster headlined by star point guard Ja Morant blossoming into a top 15 player in the league, Jenkins has done an incredible job of shaping a cohesive, well-balanced team that can compete with any team in the league on any given night.
Honorable Mentions: Billy Donovan (Bulls), J.B. Bickerstaff (Cavaliers), Steve Kerr (Warriors)
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