By the end of this week, every team in the NBA will have played at least 50 games (waiting on you Sacramento, Chicago, and Philly), a landmark in a season that’s flown by.
The 2023 season is defined by parity, with 25 teams still jockeying for playoff positioning: The 12th-seeded Raptors are 2.5 games back of 8th place and the 13th-seeded Lakers are four games back of the 4th seed in the West.
With multiple dominant seasons, stellar play across the board, and an enticing spring ahead, who has stood out amongst the rest?
MVP: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Embiid’s MVP odds: +260
Through the roughly halfway point of the season, I would give my vote to Joel Embiid for MVP. Nikola Jokic would follow closely behind with a slight fall off before a tier with Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Steph Curry, and Luka Doncic (in no order).
Embiid leads the league in scoring, a career high 33.6 points per game on 64.1% true-shooting (6% above league average), also a career high. He’s shooting the best he ever has on two-pointers (56.7%), a byproduct of his synergy with co-star James Harden.
But, what has made his scoring all the more impressive is his control. The level of composure he’s displayed operating out of the high post in the middle of the floor, cutting apart double teams, cutting swaths in the defense with loping drives that defy physics, and pulling up at an absurd clip, nailing 47.3% of his 6 pull-up 2’s per game (also a career high).
His defense is game-changing, particularly when he ratchets up to that extra gear in close games. Philadelphia has empowered him more as a back line roamer, cross-matching he and P.J. Tucker to allow him to have a greater impact around the basket, something we saw in the recent heavyweight showdown with Denver and the aforementioned Jokic.
Jokic is also having a career year with respect to efficiency. Nightly, I watch him and am mesmerized. You cannot go wrong voting either as Most Valuable Player. Rather than making a case against him, or against Embiid, I implore analysts and fans alike to simply admire and appreciate the duo.
They’re always going to be tied, drafted in the same year with their prime years coinciding, but they have no ill will towards one another. The mutual respect they share and reverence with which they speak about one another ought to be how we approach the game.
Based on the heavy-lifting that Embiid has done time and time again, much like Jokic did last year (and still does this year, but hey, the team is healthy now so he doesn’t have to do so to the same level!) I ended up going with him. You can’t go wrong either way.
Defensive Player of the Year: Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
Jackson’s DPOY Odds: -175
Jaren Jackson Jr. is an easy selection for me for Defensive Player of the Year, followed by Brook Lopez, Bam Adebayo, Nic Claxton, and Jarrett Allen in that order.
The Grizzlies have been the best defense in the league this season, and that’s largely due to Jackson’s continued development into an all-around force. It’s not just the interior alteration at the rim, which has been budding and present since he entered the league. He’s improved his balance and core strength, which has made him even more capable of absorbing contact on drives. That in turn has allowed him to do even more as a switch defender and blitzing ball screens.
There is nowhere to hide Jackson. You can’t just try to involve him in an action and hope to keep him away from a play: he’s found that extra heightened awareness, seeing plays develop before they happen, arguably his biggest growth over the past year of play. So many of his altering plays occur because of the work he does in covering ground to be in the right place rather than covering ground because he was tripped up.
While fouls have hurt him again in the last week, they’ve been more tenable this season. His minutes are rarely low due to fouling, but because the Grizzlies are blowing teams out, a regular occurrence this season. He’s played 34 of a possible 50 games, so I get the minutes played hang-up, but he’s comfortably been the best defender in the game when he’s been on the court. That’s what DPOY is to me, so that’s where I lean.
Rookie of the Year: Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
Banchero’s ROY odds: -650
There is no contest here. Paolo Banchero is Rookie of the Year.
The immediate scoring bag and gravity he brought have impressed off rip, averaging over 20 points per game on the season with decent efficiency considering the environment. But, it’s the playmaking that has absolutely popped the past few months.
I was a believer in Banchero as the top pick in the draft, and largely because I felt he had the kind of live dribble playmaking and feel at 6’10 that you just rarely find. He routinely commands doubles already as a rookie and has started to grow more comfortable in picking them apart. His late clock and isolation scoring has been a boon for this Magic team in close game, and shines a spotlight on where his future may lie as a big moments player.
Drawing fouls the way he does as well as he does is relatively unheard of, currently 9th in the NBA in free throw rate amongst qualifying players. He hasn’t even really dipped into foul grifting yet, it’s mostly been through his own sheer force of will and power drives into the paint that he’s overwhelmed into nearly 8 free throws per game.
Over 50% of his field goal attempts draw free throws!!! That’s wild.
The sky’s the limit for Banchero and his rookie season has been a showcase of greatness to come.
Most Improved Player: Lauri Markannen, Utah Jazz
Markannen’s MIP odds: -150
My brother and sisters in hoop, the NBA’s Most Improved Player is Lauri Markkanen without a second guess.
In 11 games in January, he’s averaging 28.5 points and 9 rebounds on 49.7/44/89.4 splits
After his role dwindled and declined since his second season in the league, Markkanen has blossomed as a 6th year player with his third franchise. Despite being a 7-footer, Markkanen has never quite played like one, struggling to routinely capitalize on his size. This year is a remarkable change in that regard.
Markkanen has noticeably added muscle mass, and has been able to wield his frame into more strength-based craft, first showcased during Eurobasket at the end of summer. He’s always had a penchant for where to be and how to move without the basketball, but he lacked the footspeed to create separation.
Now, with improved footwork, getting the most out of his strides, the Jazz have deployed him in every which way to become a multi-faceted play finisher. He’s finishing through contact with regularity. 11.7% of his shot attempts are dunks, a career high mark. Leveraging his strength, he’s created cleaner shooting pockets and opened up his sky high release point.
Jalen Brunson and Nic Claxton deserve mention, but Markkanen’s career trajectory has gone off in an unforeseen way due to his improvements, and that cements his status in my mind.
Sixth Man of the Year: Malcolm Brogdon, Boston Celtics
Brogdon’s Sixth Man odds: +175
As soon as the trade was announced for Malcolm Brogdon, I was excited about his fit with the Celtics. He’s brought everything I imagined and then some, and feels like a lock for Sixth Man of the Year.
Averaging 14.5 points, 4.3 boards, and 3.7 assists with career high efficiency (61.6% TS) while shooting 44.7% from deep, Brogdon has been a revelation for the Celtics. While their league-leading offense has regressed a bit since their hot start, Brogdon has arguably become more important and shown his value.
He’s brought an extra oomph for Boston as a halfcourt driver, capable of generating paint touches with ferocity either starting plays, or adding punch on the second side. He’s slotted in well to their defense, capable of playing physically and guarding up while also not being expected to guard smaller players often.
Rookie Bennedict Mathurin deserves mention, as he’s dazzled with his shot-making and finishing as a driver. Naji Marshall has been exemplary for the Pelicans, operating well as secondary playmaker and energy inducer for New Orleans as they’ve dealt with numerous injuries. Russell Westbrook of course will be deserving of placement depending on how he and the Lakers finish out the season. If Tyrese Maxey remains on the bench for the rest of the season and meets the games played threshold to be counted for the award, he certainly is worthy of recognition.
