MVP: Joel Embiid (76ers)
Not even the arrival of the ball-dominant James Harden in Philly at the trade deadline could derail the magic of Embiid's unbelievable 2021-22 campaign. By posting 11.7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.1 steals, 4.5 assists (more than double his previous career best) and a league-leading 30.6 points per game while appearing in a career-high 68 games, Embiid was able to gracefully overcome playing on a team with questionable depth, a starting lineup that was in flux for most of the year and a full blown off-court circus courtesy of the Ben Simmons saga to have the best season of his career thus far and silence anyone that questioned his competitiveness/leadership ability.
Honorable Mentions: Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
Defensive Player of the Year: Robert Williams (Celtics)
Marcus Smart has been the best defensive guard in the league for about 5 years now, so his DPOTY win is long overdue and much deserved. That being said, I believe that Robert Williams was more integral to the Celtics defensive success this year. The constant switching system that Ime Udoka installed when he got to Boston was largely predicated on Williams' unicorn status as a center who possesses the wingspan, toughness and athleticism to guard guys from the perimeter to the paint. This sneak attack Swiss Army Knife role Udoka put him in led to him posting career-highs in blocks (2.2) and steals (0.9) per game and most importantly, gave the Celtics another widely feared defensive specialist to put alongside Smart.
Honorable Mentions: Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies), Marcus Smart (Celtics), Dejounte Murray (Spurs)
Most Improved Player: Dejounte Murray (Spurs)
Ja Morant won the real award by a wide margin and while he undeniably improved, I feel his star status was too solidified prior to this season and the Grizzlies played too well without him in the lineup (21-6 in the games that Morant missed) to qualify him for this honor. Murray, on the other hand, blossomed into a legit star on a Spurs team that otherwise doesn't have much in the way of real firepower. The long-awaited emergence of a consistent offensive game (21.1 PPG, 9.2 APG, 46.2 FG%- all new career highs) paired with his reliably elite defense (a league-high 2 steals per game) and terrific rebounding output for a 6'4 point guard (8.3 per game, which ranked #2 among guards and tied for #26 overall in the league) helped power him to his 1st career All-Star appearance.
Honorable Mentions: Darius Garland (Cavaliers), Desmond Bane (Grizzlies), Jordan Poole (Warriors)
Rookie of the Year: Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
Barnes emerging and contributing as a day 1 starter was a huge reason why the Raptors found themselves back in the playoffs after a very underwhelming 2020-21 campaign. As solid as his numbers were (15.3 PPG, 49.2 FG%, 7.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG), Barnes' most important contribution was his role in bringing a level of energy and physicality on both ends of the floor that helped the Raptors regain some of the vaunted wiry, hard-nosed presence that made them a fixture at the top of the Eastern Conference for much of the past decade.
Honorable Mentions: Evan Mobley (Cavaliers), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Jalen Green (Rockets)
Sixth Man of the Year: Tyler Herro (Heat)
With his career-best scoring output (20.9) on shooting percentages of 47.7% from the field and 39.9% from 3 (also both career-bests), Herro provided the steady, efficient scoring off the bench the sometimes bucket-challenged Heat needed to ensure they secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Honorable Mentions: Cameron Johnson (Suns), Kevin Love (Cavaliers), Jordan Clarkson (Jazz)
Coach of the Year: Taylor Jenkins (Grizzlies)
All of the potential that the Grizzlies have flashed over the past couple years when they finished on the wrong side of the playoff bubble finally materialized as the team shot up to the #2 seed in the Western Conference this season. While the lift that having Jaren Jackson Jr. back in the fold for an entire season and Ja Morant continuing his natural superstar progression brought them was undeniably significant, Jenkins' steady hand on the bench was at the forefront of their ascent. His belief that young players like Desmond Bane and Brandon Clarke could handle the challenge of increased roles, strong in-game adjustments and success in instilling a selfless, aggressive attitude on this team that allowed them to overcome adversity when it was presented to them (ex: going 21-6 without Morant in the regular season and taking the Warriors to 6 games in a series where they got absolutely eviscerated at times) helped make the Grizzlies truly great for the first time since the peak of the Conley/Gasol-era 7-8 years ago.
Honorable Mentions: Ime Udoka (Celtics), Monty Williams (Suns), Willie Green (Pelicans)
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