This season's major NBA awards won't be announced until after the Finals, during the third annual awards show on June 24 in Los Angeles. But here at CBS Sports, we'll be sharing our picks right now.
The most anticipated honor this season is also the most important: MVP. Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden have engaged in a fantastic, season-long duel. The voting margin will be razor thin, and it wasn't an easy pick for our panel.
Antetokounmpo isn't the only man in Milwaukee deserving of an award in the eyes of our panel, as coach Mike Budenholzer is its unanimous choice for Coach of the Year. Our pick for Rookie of the Year, Luka Doncic, also received 100 percent support, despite a late charge from Trae Young.
Here are all of our award picks, with explanations from panel members:
| Most Valuable Player | Rookie of Year | Defensive Player of Year | Sixth Man of Year | Most Improved Player | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raja Bell | |||||
| Bill Reiter | |||||
| Reid Forgrave | |||||
| James Herbert | |||||
| Brad Botkin | |||||
| Colin Ward-Henninger | |||||
| Jack Maloney | |||||
| DJ Siddiqi | |||||
| Chris Bengel | |||||
| Michael Kaskey-Blomain | |||||
| Michael Bohlin |
2018-19 NBA Coach/Executive of the Year Picks
| Expert | Coach of the Year | Executive of the Year |
|---|---|---|
Raja Bell | Mike Budenholzer, Bucks | Masai Ujiri, Raptors |
Bill Reiter | Mike Budenholzer, Bucks | Masai Ujiri, Raptors |
Reid Forgrave | Mike Budenholzer, Bucks | Masai Ujiri, Raptors |
James Herbert | Mike Budenholzer, Bucks | Masai Ujiri, Raptors |
Brad Botkin | Mike Budenholzer, Bucks | Jon Horst, Bucks |
Colin Ward-Henninger | Mike Budenholzer, Bucks | Masai Ujiri, Raptors |
Jack Maloney | Mike Budenholzer, Bucks | Masai Ujiri, Raptors |
DJ Siddiqi | Mike Budenholzer, Bucks | Masai Ujiri, Raptors |
Chris Bengel | Mike Budenholzer, Bucks | Masai Ujiri, Raptors |
Michael Kaskey-Blomain | Mike Budenholzer, Bucks | Elton Brand, 76ers |
Michael Bohlin | Mike Budenholzer, Bucks | Masai Ujiri, Raptors |
Most Valuable Player
Why Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves MVP: If ever there were a time to pick co-MVPs, this year might be it. There are no holes to poke in the case of either Harden or Antetokounmpo -- Giannis gets the edge for me for two simple reasons. First is the traditional and meaningful best-player-on-the-best-team argument. I'm not sure if people fully realize that the Bucks, metrically speaking, have been historically great this year, as has Giannis individually. Yes, Harden is producing at a rate we've never seen, but so is Giannis, and in a more versatile and rounded way. Giannis is the only player in history to average 27 points, 12 rebounds, 5.5 assists, one steal and one block. The latter two stats point to the second leg of Giannis' case: He does it on both ends, not just at a good, impactful level, but at an elite level. The rim protection. The versatility. He is a legit Defensive Player of the Year candidate on the team with the best defense in the league. There's just too much to deny here. Giannis wins, and Harden's season goes down as the greatest non-MVP season in history, and those are just the breaks of playing in an era of unprecedented collective talent. -- Brad Botkin
Rookie of the Year
Why Luka Doncic deserves ROY: Doncic was hyped as the best international NBA prospect of all time prior to his first game -- lofty expectations, to say the least -- and he did nothing to diminish that notion in a spectacular rookie season. He became the only rookie in NBA history besides Oscar Robertson to average 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game, and his consistency, clutch ability and star quality were even more impressive than his stats. Doncic established himself as the post-Dirk Nowitzki face of the Mavericks, and, despite a late push from Trae Young, is our Rookie of the Year. -- Colin Ward-Henninger
Defensive Player of the Year
Why Rudy Gobert deserves DPOY: The Jazz big man has a ridiculous job. For 32 minutes a game, Gobert patrols the paint, head on a swivel, trying to intimidate opponents who are considering the idea of venturing in. When they challenge him, they might be able to gain an advantage, if only because the Jazz aren't particularly worried about that scenario. Their game plan rests on the idea that Gobert can erase advantages in an instant with his 7-foot-9 wingspan -- and his stellar timing, discipline and awareness. This isn't the first year that Utah has had a first-rate defense because of his rim protection, and it's about time his work is validated with some hardware. -- James Herbert
Sixth Man of the Year
Why Lou Williams deserves 6MOY: The Clippers seemed to be shifting their focus toward a rebuild of sorts when they traded Tobias Harris to the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline. They wound up qualifying for the playoffs, thanks largely to Williams, the veteran guard who deserves to become the first player since Detlef Schrempf (1990-91, 1991-92) to win this award in back-to-back seasons. If it happens, it would be Williams' third Sixth Man of the Year award in five seasons. Sweet Lou has steadily provided instant offense off the bench, and you can't argue with rewarding a guy who routinely wills his team to wins. -- Chris Bengel
Most Improved Player
Why Pascal Siakam deserves MIP: The main storyline in Toronto this season has been Kawhi Leonard. And to be fair, how could it not be? Perhaps just as important, however, especially in terms of their hopes for a deep playoff run, has been the exponential growth of Siakam. After piquing the interest of NBA diehards last season as an intriguing role player, the 25-year-old has outpaced the expectations of even his most bullish supporters. An elite defender who can guard multiple positions, Siakam has also blossomed on the offensive end, where he's a menace in transition and now shoots over 36 percent from 3-point range. With Leonard often missing games for load management, there have been many nights over the course of the season where Siakam has put the Raptors on his back. This time a year ago, there was no expectation he could, nor would ever be able to do that. -- Jack Maloney
Coach of the Year
Why Mike Budenholzer deserves COY: The Bucks transformed into an absolute juggernaut once Budenholzer took over and overhauled their offensive and defensive systems. This group catapulted to the top of the Eastern Conference under his tutelage after underachieving last season. Milwaukee had talent before Budenholzer arrived, but it is now a cohesive team with a strong identity, and it has the potential to make a deep postseason run. Its new coach has a whole lot to do with that. -- Bengel
Executive of the Year
Why Masai Ujiri deserves EOY: The Raptors president has a track record of success as an NBA executive. He has already won Executive of the Year once, in 2013 with the Nuggets. A big reason for Denver's turnaround that year was Ujiri's work in the offseason to acquire Andre Iguodala in the blockbuster Dwight Howard trade. Coincidentally enough, another bold, late-summer trade has him on the short list for the award again. In July, Ujiri swung for the fences by sending franchise hero DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio in a package for Kawhi Leonard. And if that wasn't enough, he somehow got the Spurs to throw in Danny Green, who has been indispensable on both ends. The move's long-term implications are unclear, as Leonard and Green are both soon-to-be free agents, but it has been a smashing success this season. Toronto will finish second in the East and has a real shot at its first Finals appearance. -- Maloney
