The NBA regular season wrapped up last night, and that means it's time to hand out some awards! Some races were decided a long while ago - it feels like James Harden has had the MVP award wrapped up since January - but others are really heating up (looking at you, Donovan Mitchell and Ben Simmons).
While the official awards won't be handed out until the NBA Awards Show on June 25, here are the award winners from Chat Sports:
MVP: James Harden, Houston Rockets
Stats: 30.8 ppg, 8.7 apg, 5.4 rpg, 29.92 PER
You know it is only a matter of time before this becomes official - no one else but Harden has a chance to win this award. The Rockets have the best record in the NBA largely thanks to Harden and he is the biggest reason why they're a legitimate threat to knock off the Warriors in the West. He leads the league in scoring and ranks third in assists. I don't think there's any way anyone else wins the award. Despite the addition of Chris Paul, this has been his year.
Rookie Of The Year: Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
Stats: 20.5 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.7 rpg, 16.74 PER
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You can't go wrong with either Mitchell or Simmons, but I'm giving the nod to Mitchell here. Why? Both players led their teams to surprisingly successful seasons, but Simmons was greatly helped by Joel Embiid, who is a Chat Sports All-NBA Second Team selection. Mitchell emerged as Utah's unquestioned leader in the middle of the season and they relied on him to carry the offensive load. We're splitting hairs here, but Mitchell's excellence with a worse supporting cast gives him the nod.
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Coach Of The Year: Brett Brown, Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 52-30
Brad Stevens and Mike D'Antoni are worthy candidates but I think everyone is overlooking the job Brett Brown has done with Philly. Yes, we all figured the 76ers would become really good, yet no one expected it to happen this quickly. Philadelphia improved their record by 24 games from last season, moving from 28-54 to 52-30. He has been through some tough times with the Sixers but deserves this award this year.
Defensive Player Of The Year: Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Stats: 13.5 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 20.71 PER
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Donovan Mitchell gets a lot of the credit for Utah's turnaround during the second half of the season - and rightfully so - but Gobert's defensive contributions during this run can't be ignored. The Jazz are 31-9 in the 40 games since Gobert returned from his knee injury. In a year without many true contenders for this award, Gobert has the best case.
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Sixth Man Of The Year: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers
Stats: 22.6 ppg, 5.3 apg, 2.5 rpg, 20.29 PER
There should be no real debate about this one. Even though LA didn't make the playoffs, Williams led the Clippers in scoring and posted career-highs in both points and assists. He emerged from just a bench player to a core piece for the Clippers and that will be rewarded with him winning this award for the second time in his career.
Most Improved Player: Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers
Stats: 23.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.3 apg, 23.12 PER
Oladipo had a huge breakout season and helped turn around the Pacers franchise, and is perhaps the biggest reason why Indiana is in the No. 5 seed in the East. He improved his scoring by over seven points per game - moving from role player to star - while also posting career-highs in rebounds and assists. He'll be the runaway winner of this award.
NEXT READ: Here Are The 2017-18 All-NBA Teams From Chat Sports
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