2026 Awards. Winners and Almost Winners.

https://www.nba.com/awards/2026

Looks like I'll have to find the announcement on demand on Peacock for today.

MVP-Jokic

ROY-Flagg. Made huge late push while Kon struggled in the final month

DPOY-Wemby

COY-Mazzula

6th Man-Tari Eason

Funny moment during the broadcast when Gary Payton announced the defensive player of the year winner, and first said "Gary Payton, Seattle Supersonics".

I'll never understand why Payton, Kidd, Stockton, and Pippen never won more or had more top 3 finishes in Defensive Player Of The Year.

Kidd's first year in New Jersey, he turned their defense from 23rd to 1st.

I am not going to take anything from Ben Wallace. But Kidd wasn't even a finalist. It was obvious Kobe Bryant should not have been a finalist in 2001 - 2002, or really any other year.

Also, I'll keep saying this. I think John Stockton's career steals is even harder to even tie than his career assists record. Because most players are either prolific for a while, but can't sustain it (Alvin Robertson / Allen Iverson types), or have longevity but never have peak seasons (LeBron James, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, Russell Westbrook types). No one is else has been prolific with longevity.

Thoughts on clutch player of the year? Predictions or your vote. That's today.

https://www.nba.com/stats/players/clutch-advanced?SeasonType=Regular+Season

Out of the finalists, Gilgeous-Alexander has the highest ORTG with 124.9 to Murray's 123.0.

Gilgeous-Alexander has the highest DRTG with 99.2, to Anthony Edwards 109.8.

Guess I'll go with Gilgeous-Alexander as my pick, as well as who I think will win.

I hate giving awards based on the ending, rather than someone that was good early on, as well as for a sustained period.

The 2006 MIP is one of the biggest examples. David West was good all year, but Boris Diaw got it because of the last few weeks or something.

Thoughts on clutch player of the year? Predictions or your vote. That's today.

SGA will win it but I'm gonna go with Brunson with my vote

I'm gonna go with Deni Avdija although I doubt he'll get the vote. Unlike the West and Diaw example, he was solid all season

I can't decide between Alexander-Walker or Avdija. Good thing I have a few more days to think about it.

I completely forgot that Kobe was a finalist. Kidd was definitely the better defender

Good point about Stockton. I wonder if Dyson Daniels will wind up top 10 in the all time steals list

I think Keldon Johnson wins, but I'd vote for Jaime Jaquez Jr.

I think Keldon Johnson wins, but I'd vote for Jaime Jaquez Jr.

You were right. I think if you had a comeback player of the year as well as most improved, those guys would be finalists for that too. I remember Johnson playing for Team USA in I believe the Tokyo Olympics but then his game fell off a bit. Good to see him playing well again

Same with JJJ. Great rookie year then he completely fell out of the rotation last season so good to see him impact winning again

Voting for Bickerstaff, but I think Mazzulla wins.

Voting for Bickerstaff, but I think Mazzulla wins.

Although if they take the post season into consideration, Bickerstaff probably gets knocked down a notch or two

Deadlines are usually before the playoffs start.

I don't like this reasoning below:

Deadlines are usually before the playoffs start.

I don't like this reasoning below:

But Kon slowed down a bit during the tail end of the regular season as well. Flagg just kept putting up better and better numbers

I know. I just think Knueppel probably had more good games than Flagg, over the course of the season.

And the beginning counts too.

Knueppel also played 81 games to Flagg's 70.

Then this:

2025�"26 Rookie Advanced Ratings

Statistic Cooper Flagg (DAL) Kon Knueppel (CHA)

Offensive Rating (ORTG) 109.1 119.4

Defensive Rating (DRTG) 114.7 112.9

Net Rating (NRtg) -5.6 +6.5

That's interesting. I wonder what those numbers are for the last 3 to 4 weeks of the season. If Flagg was a good deal higher than that probably had weight with the voters. Finish strong, get favorable votes

He accepted his award on the ESPN pre-game show today.