Tonight's NBA Award Finalists Are:

Tonight is NBA Awards Night!! June 26th, 2017 @ 9PM EST/6PM PST

Above are your TOP 3 finalists of this year's regular season awards - based on votes from media and other parties. 

I'm curious to hear your picks for these awards. Comment below and let me know your picks! 

Here's my list:

MVP - Russell Westbrook

ROY - Malcolm Brogdon 

MIP - Nikola Jokic

Defensive Player of the Year - Kawhi Leonard

6th Man of the Year - Eric Gordon

Analysis

1. MVP - Russ was an absolute beast this season. His motor's on 100% all the time! Of course his stats speak for itself; but, he just lost Kevin Durant to the Warriors, and he basically did not have a 2nd option on the team. It's A1 and A2 with him and Harden this season though because they both had spectacular seasons. I would say Harden's the more efficient player (except turnovers), but Russell's the more valuable player on his team. If either player got the nod, I would be content. He literally does everything for them! He feeds people the ball. He can get his own shot off at any time. He's explosive to the rim, and he's definitely a smarter player. Kudos to Russell for a great season. 
2. ROY - Malcolm simply played more games, and came out of nowhere! We all had certain expectations of "The Process" in Philly. Even though he had good games, he was limited with playing time and didn't provide a long enough season for me to get the  nod. He did play spectacular in the small sample size; but, I think Malcolm played big games in the playoffs, was fearless going to the rim (see this), and has such an IQ. He gets my nod. 
3. MIP - the Joker! Oh man, did he breakout this season or what? I initially had my vote for the Greek Freak, but you cannot discount what Nikola Jokic did this season. I did not expect him to be this good. I honestly knew the potential of Giannis given his physical features and work ethic, but Jokic surprised me completely. Running point guard, getting triple doubles, behind the backs, fearless, extremely smart, playing in the All-Star USA vs. World game, and most of all, being literally helping the Nuggets be only 1 game away from the 8th spot in the Western conference playoffs. Crazy! 
4. DPOY - Kawhi Leonard. The humble assassin. He does everything on the court! He defends, blocks timely shots, steals the ball right out of people's hands, and pester's people with his physicality, strength, and great body control. You see his impact on both floors when he's not on the court (Game 1 against the Warriors). I would choose Kawhi over Draymond to defend all five positions because he's both agile and strong to cover them all effectively. I do think that Draymond has a slight edge in his IQ on defense, but Kawhi's just been dominant in the regular season. Draymond did have a memorable triple double with steals, an impressive feat, but I'd still pick Kawhi at this point. 
5. Sixth man - Eric Gordon. Great shooter. He added spark and energy off the bench, and provided Harden with an extra ball handler. He could create his shoot and was deadly behind the ark. He torched opponent's 2nd units. After all, he was a starter with the Pelicans! 

So there you have it! My picks, and quick explanations for each pick. Looking forward to watching it later tonight. And of course, representing the 6ix himself, Drake will be hosting the 1st ever NBA award show! 

Don't forget to upvote, resteem, and comment below! Who is Who is Your NBA MVP, ROY, MIP, DPOY, 6th Man?!

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