Rapid Fire (Bold) NBA Award Predictions
Most Valuable Player: Chris Paul
The heart and soul of the Clippers and his team always plays terrible when he's out.
Most Improved Player: Jeremy Lin
After making a name for himself as a sixth man for the Charlotte Hornets, Lin will get ever opportunity to play his best basketball of his career. As Carmelo Anthony mentioned, Lin is the "face of the franchise" in Brooklyn.
Rookie of the Year: Joel Embiid
Embiid shows flashes of stardom in pre-season and with a team and culture like the 76ers right now, Embiid will get every opportunity to pile on the stats and inflate his resume for Rookie of the Year.
Defensive Player of the Year: DeAndre Jordan
Jordan is the epitome of what a big men has to be in this era of basketball. He's mobile, he can block shots, he can run the floor, he's a destructive defensive force, he gobbles up rebounds, and he's the catalyst of the Clippers at all times. Looks like he checks all the boxes for Defensive Player of the Year to me. There was a reason why he was third in the NBA for Defensive Win Shares.
Sixth Man of the Year: Zach Randolph
A declining player and has fallen off at this point in this career but this new bench role should revitalize his career. He will get more opportunities for isolated post-ups off the bench and can be a genuine presence on the perimeter with his mid-range game.
Executive of the Year: Dennis Lindsey
Lindsey and the Utah Jazz are poised to take the next step. After years of barely missing out on the playoffs, this should be their year with many teams also poised to fall off. Lindsey also made some savvy moves in the offseason, so the Jazz should be rearing to go on opening night.
Coach of the Year: Frank Vogel
Vogel and the Magic will somehow make it work and do well this season. Although the Magic made many questionable trades over the offseason, the Magic have many pieces that fits Vogel's system. It will be interesting to see how the different assets the Magic have perform under Vogel.
