Fadeaway World Staff Picks 2024 NBA Award Winners

As the NBA season ends, anticipation builds around the coveted NBA awards. The staff at Fadeaway World have weighed in with our predictions, offering insights into which players are leading the race for these prestigious honors.     

Here's a glimpse into Fadeaway World's analysis and forecasts for the season's standout performers. 

Nemanja Vukasinovic - Owner

- Kia MVP - Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

- Kia Rookie of the Year - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

- Kia Defensive Player of the Year - Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Kia Sixth Man of the Year - Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings

- Kia Most Improved Player - Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

- Kia Clutch Player of the Year - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

- NBA Coach of the Year - Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder

This year was a very interesting race for almost every award. For the MVP, I think the situation is very clear. Nikola Jokic deserves his 3rd MVP award, and I would give him the edge over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Even though the Thunder are the best team in the West, they have the same record as Denver, and Nikola Jokic has better stats than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If the OKC Thunder is again the best team next season, the narrative will be changed in favor of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

For the ROY, Victor Wembanyama has an advantage over Chet Holmgren. Still, for DPOY, Rudy Gobert has an advantage over Wembanyama because the Wolves are one of the best teams in the league.

Nico Martinez - Writer

- Kia MVP - Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

- Kia Rookie of the Year - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

- Kia Defensive Player of the Year - Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Kia Sixth Man of the Year - Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Kia Most Improved Player - Coby White, Chicago Bulls

- Kia Clutch Player of the Year - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

- NBA Coach of the Year - Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder

It was a close call for MVP between Luka Doncic and Denver’s Nikola Jokic, as both are more than worthy of the award. In the end, however, Luka’s heroics in Dallas proved too much to ignore.

He finished the season at 33.9 points per game, the best in the league, and led the Mavericks to a 50-win season. The rest of the picks were pretty clear-cut.

Victor Wembamyama and Rudy Gobert were the best in their categories by far, and Naz Reid was an easy choice for Sixth Man. The only close call was Stephen Curry over DeMar DeRozan for Clutch Player of the Year.

Vishwesha Kumar - Writer 

- Kia MVP - Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

- Kia Rookie of the Year - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

- Kia Defensive Player of the Year - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

- Kia Sixth Man of the Year - Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings

- Kia Most Improved Player - Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

- Kia Clutch Player of the Year - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

- NBA Coach of the Year - Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder

In my view, Luka Doncic stands head and shoulders above the rest as the Kia MVP. His impact on the game goes far beyond statistics, as he orchestrates the offense with a mastery that few possess.

Doncic's ability to control the tempo, find the open man, and score at will makes him the most valuable player in the league. Whether he hits game-winning shots or delivers triple-doubles on a nightly basis, Doncic's presence on the court elevates his team to new heights, making him a worthy recipient of the MVP award.

My pick for the Kia Rookie of the Year is Victor Wembanyama, and it's not even close. From the moment he stepped onto the NBA hardwood, Wembanyama has commanded attention with his defensive prowess.

His shot-blocking ability and defensive instincts, reminiscent of seasoned veterans, make him a force to be reckoned with in the paint. Moreover, as the season progressed, Wembanyama showcased glimpses of offensive brilliance, hinting at a bright future ahead. His impact on both ends of the floor makes him the clear choice for Rookie of the Year.

Regarding defense, Victor Wembanyama is in a league of his own. His ability to protect the rim and alter opponents' shots is simply unmatched, earning him the title of Kia Defensive Player of the Year in my book.

Wembanyama's presence in the paint strikes fear into the hearts of opposing players, forcing them to reconsider their approach. Whether it's blocking shots, snagging rebounds, or disrupting passing lanes, Wembanyama's defensive impact transcends traditional statistics, making him the anchor of any defense fortunate enough to have him.

Malik Monk gets my vote for the Kia Sixth Man of the Year Award due to his invaluable contributions off the bench. When Monk enters the game, he brings an instant spark to the team, igniting the offense with his scoring prowess and playmaking ability.

His knack for hitting timely shots and providing a much-needed boost in energy has been instrumental in the Kings' success. Whether it's providing a scoring punch or making key defensive plays, Monk's impact off the bench can not be overstated, making him a deserving recipient of this award.

Tyrese Maxey's transformation from a promising prospect to an All-Star caliber player has been nothing short of remarkable. His dedication to improving his game in all facets has paid dividends, as he's emerged as a cornerstone player for his team.

Maxey's growth as a scorer, playmaker, and defender has been evident throughout the season, earning him recognition as the Kia Most Improved Player. His rapid development and impact on the court make him a player to watch for years to come.

Stephen Curry's ability to deliver in clutch situations is unparalleled, making him my pick for Kia Clutch Player of the Year. When the game is on the line, Curry embraces the moment, knocking down big shots with ice water in his veins.

Curry's shooting prowess and confidence under pressure make him a nightmare for opposing defenses in crunch time. Whether he hits game-winners or leads his team back from deficits, Curry's clutch performances have been a defining aspect of his legendary career.

Mark Daigneault's impact on the Thunder can not be overstated, making him my choice for NBA Coach of the Year. Despite working with one of the league's youngest rosters, Daigneault has instilled a winning culture and fostered player development at every turn.

His ability to maximize the potential of his players and devise strategic game plans has led to the Thunder's surprising success. Under Daigneault's guidance, the team has exceeded expectations and emerged as a legitimate contender, making him a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.

Eddie Bitar - Writer 

- Kia MVP - Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

- Kia Rookie of the Year - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

- Kia Defensive Player of the Year - Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Kia Sixth Man of the Year - Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings

- Kia Most Improved Player - Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

- Kia Clutch Player of the Year - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

- NBA Coach of the Year - Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder

Joel Embiid was on track to win his second-straight MVP award (and third-straight scoring title), but his injury ultimately means Nikola Jokic is the frontrunner for his third MVP trophy. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and LeBron James have won more than three MVPs.

Victor Wembanyama has run away with the ROY award over the last few months as the season’s leading shot-blocker, although Rudy Gobert deserves his fourth DPOY trophy after guiding Minnesota to the first-ranked defense in the NBA. The other award winners are no-brainers this season, although there was tight competition for Mark Daigneault from Chris Finch.

Gautam Varier - Writer

- Kia MVP - Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

- Kia Rookie of the Year - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

- Kia Defensive Player of the Year - Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Kia Sixth Man of the Year - Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings

- Kia Most Improved Player - Coby White, Chicago Bulls

- Kia Clutch Player of the Year - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

- NBA Coach of the Year - Mike Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder

The only award for me with a clear winner this season was ROY, as Victor Wembanyama had that locked up. I have him losing out to his countryman Rudy Gobert for DPOY, though.

As for MVP, I strongly considered Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Nikola Jokic would get my vote. Elsewhere, Coby White edges out Tyrese Maxey for MIP after seeing a jump of nearly 10 PPG in his scoring (9.7 to 19.1) from last season to this.

I have Stephen Curry winning CPOY as he led the league in clutch points and shot 45.7% from three in those situations. It was very close, though, as DeMar DeRozan and Gilgeous-Alexander have strong cases, too.

Ishaan Bhattacharya - Writer 

- Kia MVP - Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

- Kia Rookie of the Year - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

- Kia Defensive Player of the Year - Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Kia Sixth Man of the Year - Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Kia Most Improved Player - Coby White, Chicago Bulls

- Kia Clutch Player of the Year - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

- NBA Coach of the Year - Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder

Jokic's continued brilliance over the NBA has been incredible to watch. His statistical dominance doesn't compare to what Luka Doncic and Shai have achieved, but his ranking first in major advanced statistics such as win shares, player efficiency rating, and value over replacement player shows he's once again the MVP.

Wembanyama's rookie dominance will be remembered by the history books, as he has already shown his capability as a top-20 player in the NBA. Chet Holmgren is also a generational prospect, but Wembanyama has lived up to his GOAT potential as one of the greatest rookie defenders in NBA history.

Gobert's continued impact on team defense is unquestionable. He's marshaled the best defense in the NBA once again, ranking as the leader in defensive win shares and defensive rating this season. If Wemby or AD had better overall records, they would have a case, but Gobert's defensive impact is hard to match.

While Malik Monk is the prohibitive favorite, I believe Naz Reid has been a transformational sixth man for the Wolves. He's effortlessly plugging in after KAT and Gobert, providing great optionality across the front line. The Wolves' recipe for success has had a special ingredient all season, and Naz Reid deserved recognition.

Tyrese Maxey has been heralded as the MIP, but his emergence was a matter of time after what he achieved last season. Coby White was being written off by fans and analysts alike and emerged as the solidified starting point guard for the Bulls.

White's improvement is the sole reason the Bulls have stayed remotely competitive; otherwise, their season could have tailspinned after the Zach LaVine injury.

Curry's clutch stats are beyond compare, and the Warriors would've been lottery fodder without his ability to create offense unilaterally when the team needed him most. 

The perfect storm for the Thunder was created by Mark Daigneault as he shepherded the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history. He's developed players perfectly and identified the perfect roles, helping OKC turn a bright future into winning success. 

Fran Leiva - Writer

- Kia MVP - Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

- Kia Rookie of the Year - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

- Kia Defensive Player of the Year - Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Kia Sixth Man of the Year - Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Kia Most Improved Player - Coby White, Chicago Bulls

- Kia Clutch Player of the Year - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

- NBA Coach of the Year - Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder

The NBA regular season featured a battle that is still wide open for anyone to claim the MVP title. Nikola Jokic led Denver to the second spot in the West with ridiculous statistics, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a complete revelation, guiding OKC to the top seed as the youngest team to achieve such a feat.

Nevertheless, my choice is Luka Doncic, who had the best season of his career, propelled Dallas into the Top 5 with very limited help and broke records like never before as the clear-cut‌ , most unstoppable player so far.

For the Rookie of the Year, I think the decision was made long ago, with Victor Wembanyama having a season where he even went head-to-head with Rudy Gobert for the DPOY award as a mere teenager, averaging over 21 points per game in the process and excelling on both ends of the floor.

Titan Frey - Editor-In-Chief 

- Kia MVP - Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

- Kia Rookie of the Year - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

- Kia Defensive Player of the Year - Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Kia Sixth Man of the Year - Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Kia Most Improved Player - Coby White, Chicago Bulls

- Kia Clutch Player of the Year - DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls

- NBA Coach of the Year - Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder

The MVP Race this year wasn't as clear-cut as other years. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an incredible year. He led the Thunder to the number one seed in the West while joining Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry as the only players to average 30 points per game and 2 steals per game on 50% shooting in a single season.

Luka Doncic also had a career year, leading the league in scoring with 33.9 points per game, which included a 73-point outburst. Still, these players fall short of what Nikola Jokic continues to do in Denver.

Jokic led the Nuggets to the same record as the Thunder, 57-25, while averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists while shooting 58.3% from the field. What separates Jokic from the pack is when you look deeper into his numbers.

This season, Jokic is first in total plus-minus (664), second in total assists (691), third in total rebounds (954), and fifth in total points (2,048). He also led the league in PER with 31.0.

The Rookie of the Year Award does have a clear winner. That would be Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. Despite his team only winning 22 games, Wembanyama made history. 

Wembanyama led all rookies in blocks (254), steals (88), rebounds (755), field goals made (551) and total points (1,522), while leading the entire league in blocks per game with 3.6. He also became the first player in NBA history to record 1,500 points (1,522), block 250 shots (254), and make 100 3-point shots (128) in a single season.

Many people have Wembanyama as the Defensive Player of the Year as well, but it's hard to look past Rudy Gobert's performance on that side of the ball. Gobert averaged 0.7 steals, 2.1 blocks, and 12.9 rebounds per game, but this doesn't tell the entire story for Gobert.

When you dive deeper into the numbers, you can see Gobert's dominance on the defensive end. Gobert led the NBA in Defensive Win Shares with 5.8 and was first in Defensive Rating with 104.5. This, along with his team's far superior record than Wembanyama's, is why I give the edge to Gobert.

To me, the Sixth Man of the Year has to be Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Reid averaged 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 47.7 shooting.

The reason why I'm voting for Reid as Sixth Man of the Year is because of his impressive performance when his teammate, Karl-Anthony Towns, got injured. During Towns' absence, Reid stepped up and played really well, which helped the Timberwolves to stay competitive and maintain their position towards the top of the Western Conference standings.

Coby White of the Chicago Bulls earns my vote for the Most Improved Player this season. This is pretty obvious when you compare White's performance this season to last year.

In the 2022-23 season, White averaged 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 44.3% shooting. He also played just 23.4 minutes per game.

This season, White averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on 44.7% shooting while playing 36.5 minutes per game. The Bulls trusted White to step up when the roster was hit with injuries, and he delivered, earning my vote for the Sixth Man Award.

For the Clutch Player of the Year Award, I'll choose DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls over the consensus pick of Stephen Curry. It's true; Curry led the league in clutch points with 189, but DeRozan was second with 182.

I give DeRozan the slight edge over Curry based on team stats and the overall effect of being on the floor during clutch situations. DeRozan was a plus 94 in the clutch, while Curry was just a plus 21.

The Bulls went 24-16 in clutch games with DeRozan on the floor, while the Warriors were 23-20 in such moments with Curry playing. Without DeRozan, the Bulls would have easily missed the Play-In Tournament.

One last measurement was drawing fouls. A smart player will always try to draw fouls in clutch situations, and no player did this better than DeRozan. He attempted 13 more free throws in the clutch than any other player this season.

The NBA's Coach of the Year Award was the easiest award to choose from this year, along with the Rookie of the Year Award. Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder should be the only coach considered to win the award.  

Daigneault took a team with an average age of 23.4 and won 57 games. This makes the Thunder the youngest team ever to earn a number-one spot in the playoffs.

Daigneault successfully united his young players to execute a seamless team game. The Thunder's season performance was reflected in their top-four rankings in both offense and defense.

Fadeaway World's Voting

This is a breakdown of how Fadeaway World voted for every NBA award:

Kia MVP:

1. Nikola Jokic - 5 Votes

2. Luka Doncic - 3 Votes

Kia Rookie of the Year:

1. Victor Wembamyama - 8 Votes

Kia Defensive Player of the Year:

1. Rudy Gobert - 7 Votes

2. Victor Wembamyama - 1 Vote

Kia Sixth Man of the Year:

T1. Malik Monk - 4 Votes

T1. Naz Reid - 4 Votes

Kia Most Improved Player:

1. Coby White - 5 Votes

2. Tyrese Maxey - 3 Votes

Kia Clutch Player of the Year:

1. Stephen Curry - 7 Votes

2. DeMar DeRozan - 1 Vote

NBA Coach of the Year:

1. Mark Daigneault - 8 Votes

As we can see here, Fadeaway World's staff has selected only Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic as the MVP winners. Jokic has five votes, while Luka Doncic has three, which means Jokic has a slight advantage here.

Everything is clear for the Rookie of the Year Award. Victor Wembanyama has 100% of the votes and is the consensus frontrunner to win this award.

When you look at the Defensive Player of the Year Award, you see it's a similar case. Gobert has seven votes, while Wembanyama managed to grab one vote.

The only category to earn a tie is the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Both Malik Monk and Naz Reid received four votes each. This goes to show how great both Monk and Reid have played off the bench for their respective teams.

The Most Improved Player Award also has a tight race, but we've determined a winner. Coby White of the Chicago Bulls stepped up enough for his team to earn five votes.

There's not much you can say about Tyrese Maxey other than he's the real deal. With Joel Embiid out, Maxey came up big, keeping his Philadelphia 76ers in the hunt for the Play-In Tournament. This is why Maxey received three votes from the Fadeaway World staff.

The Clutch Player of the Year Award almost had a unanimous winner in Stephen Curry, who received seven votes. However, thanks to his consistent stellar play in the clutch, only DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls was able to steal a vote away from Curry.

Mark Daigneault will be the NBA's Coach of the Year winner. He led the youngest team in league history to a top seed in the playoffs. The staff at Fadeaway World agrees with this, as every member voted for Daigneault.

As we await the announcement of the NBA's awards, we can review each selection to see how many of our staff made the correct prediction. This season has been fantastic, and the playoffs are shaping up to be even more exciting.

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