Every year, the NBA announces awards for some of the most outstanding players and staff in the Association for exceptional performance each season. With the awards coming out June 26th, and awards being mostly based on regualr season performance, here are my picks for MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year and Coach of the Year.

MVP

Candidates: James Harden, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook

Pick: James Harden

The MVP award is given to the player that shows the most excellence as an individual and pushes their team to the top, and nobody has shown more capability in that regard than James Harden. Leading the NBA with 30.4 points per game and a league-high 36.1% usage rate for anyone that has put in substantial minutes, Harden is the go-to for Houston’s offense, which has proved itself as one of, if not the best, team in the NBA. Factoring in 8.8 assists a game as a substantial boost from his career average of 5.9, Harden has done it all for Houston on the offensive end, and brought Houston to the number one seed in the best conference in the NBA. Harden’s season has been nothing short of putting his team on his back and bringing them to the top of the league, making him the clear choice for the MVP.

Rookie of the Year

Candidates: Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum

Pick: Donovan Mitchell

Everyone expects Ben Simmons to win this award, but the fact is that Donovan Mitchell has been the biggest explosion into the league, and the biggest surprise. Mitchell was drafted 13th overall, expected to come off the bench to develop his scoring, eventually reaching the starting lineup in a couple seasons. However, Mitchell has completely exceeded expectations, leading all rookies with 20.5 PPG. With the tools this year’s Jazz has, the rookie has been a massive part of giving the Thunder more than a fight in the first round, and has done so with less support around him than Simmons.

Defensive Player of the Year: Al Horford

Candidates: Rudy Gobert, Al Horford, Joel Embiid

Pick: Al Horford

After ending last season 12th in defensive rating and an abysmal 22nd in rebounding, the Celtics have shot up to the best team in terms of point prevention per 100 possessions, are seventh in the league in defensive rebounding percentage, and the key person to that performance has been Al Horford. Both Horford’s overall rebounding numbers and his rebounding percentage has improved to some of the best in his career, making Horford a defensive anchor in a Boston lineup that was supposed to decline on the defensive end with the loss of Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley. The strongest part of Horford’s play however, is how he props up those around him on the defensive end and it shows; when Horford is on the floor, the Celtics outscore their opponents by 16.3 points. Defense wins games, and Horford has brought the Celtics to top-tier contenders in that regard.

Most Improved

Candidates: Andre Drummond, Victor Oladipo, Clint Capela

Pick: Victor Oladipo

After he got traded from the Thunder to the Pacers, Oladipo has exploded into nothing less than a superstar player. Since his move to Indiana, Oladipo has seen an increase in every single major statistic across the board. Oladipo is now being looked to to be the key player in the Pacer’s offense, and he has seized his increased opportunities; his shooting percentage has gone up, and his PPG has improved from 15.9 to 23.1. Everyone was expecting that the Pacers would miss Paul George, but Oladipo has been outperforming last year’s George across the board, and with less support around him.

Sixth Man of the Year

Candidates: Lou Williams, Fred VanVleet, Will Barton

Pick: Lou Williams

Williams has received this award before, but this year is having one of the best seasons of his entire career, and is making the Sixth Man position even more glorious. Despite coming off the bench playing the most minutes at any point of his 13 seasons, Williams leads the Clippers in points and assists, something that no other sixth man is doing. If a team is looking for the best player to come off the bench and deliver, Williams is the man, and he just got locked up by LA for a contract extension that should keep him going on the Clippers for a few years to come.

Coach of the Year

Candidates: Dwane Casey (Raptors),  Brad Stevens (Celtics), Quin Snyder (Jazz)

Pick: Brad Stevens

While several coaches are in contention for this award, nobody has had to put up with the shake ups and issues that Brad Stevens has, and he’s kept the Celtics as a top-tier team even with these problems. After Gordon Hayward broke his leg in the opening minutes of the season opener, everyone expected the Celtics’ season to only go downhill from there. Instead, Stevens made the necessary adjustment, making the team one of the strongest defensive teams in the league and unlocking his young talent, putting the Celtics on top during a 16-game winning streak, the second highest streak this season. While the team has had their struggles, especially around the All-Star break, Stevens has managed to use his system to mold Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier III into breakout stars, filling gaps that these three should have been backups for. Whether or not you believe Boston’s hype, they earned their number two seed, and are going to be one of the scariest teams in the league when Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart return next season.