2021-22 NBA Awards midseason: Experts favor Nikola Jokic in crowded MVP race; Evan Mobley unanimous top rookie

2021-22 NBA Awards midseason: Experts favor Nikola Jokic in crowded MVP race;  Evan Mobley unanimous top rookie
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Depending on your point of view, the first half of the 2021-22 NBA season went either too fast or too slowly, like the past two years for most of us. COVID protocols and the omicron variant caused a nightly roulette game that sometimes left fans wondering who is even on the field for their favorite team.

This has made the annual award races more complex and simpler at the same time. On the other hand, it is difficult to measure a player’s performance when teammates – and sometimes the players themselves – are unable to trap due to all the absences. On the other hand, you don’t really have to worry about players being penalized for the few games they’ve played, because they’ve all missed a few competitions during this odd season.

As a result, the selection of the best mid-season player among CBS Sports NBA experts varied widely, with four different players receiving votes: Nikola JokicAnd Stephen CurryAnd Giannis Antikonmo And Demar DeRozan. It speaks to the vacillating nature of the race as two of our experts (who will remain anonymous) understandably changed their MVP vote at the last second. With the new tally, Jokic ended up as our mid-season pick, as he was perhaps the most consistent superstar in the NBA, leading the league in every meaningful measure of efficiency while holding short stints. nuggets to a record above .500.

The Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year races weren’t even close, with Cleveland Cavaliers phenomenon Evan Mobley It was unanimously chosen by our experts and Miami Heat Protect Tyler Hero He garnered all but one vote for the sixth man amid the breakout season. Golden State Warriors Veterinarian Dr Draymond Green He was also one vote away from sweeping the DPOY category, with a three-time winner Rudy Gobert His only opposition.

The votes for Player of the Year and Coach of the Year were so close that it ended in a draw. Desmond BenAnd Darius Garland And Miles Bridges They each got two votes for MIP, while Chicago Bulls Head coach Billy Donovan and Cleveland Cavaliers main man JB Bickerstaff tied for Coach of the Year by three votes each after leading their teams to renewed seasons.

Keep in mind that these awards look back at the first half of the season, and are not predictions of who will be the winner when all is said and done. A lot could change between now and mid-April, and we know better than to assume that anything will be as planned this NBA season.

Head coach GB Bickerstaff and rookie Evan Mobley were key factors in the Cavaliers’ comeback.

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Bill Rider

JB Bickerstaff

Arturas Karnichovas

Brad Botkin

JB Bickerstaff

Arturas Karnichovas

Jasmine Wembish

Billy Donovan

Arturas Karnichovas

Michael Caskey Blumen

Billy Donovan

Arturas Karnichovas

Colin Ward Henninger

Steve Care

Arturas Karnichovas

Jack Maloney

JB Bickerstaff

Arturas Karnichovas

James Herbert

Eric Spoelstra

Arturas Karnichovas

Sam Quinn

Billy Donovan

Arturas Karnichovas

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