Way Too Early 2022-23 NBA Awards Preview

Safe bet: Giannis Antetokounmpo

• The best basketball player in the world
• Playing on a title contending team
• 2 years removed from his last MVP Award (which should be enough to avoid any voter fatigue)

Bold bet: Zion Williamson

• The last time we saw him play, he was scoring at a rate (in quantity and efficiency) that we had never seen before
• He looks like he is in the best shape of his career
• His team is primed for surprising a lot of people with their performance

Safe bet: Bam Adebayo

• The anchor of a Top 5 defense last season
• He is the prototypical modern big, making an impact inside the paint, as well as in the perimeter
• Seems to be healthy and ready to make an even greater impact this season

Bold bet: Evan Mobley

• As a rookie, his team had one of the very best defenses in the NBA when he played
• With the addition of another great scorer to the Cavs, he should be able to focus even more on the defensive end
• Showed KG-like skills and instincts as a rookie, he should be that much better in his second season in the NBA

Safe bet: RJ Barrett

• Playing with a true PG for the first time in his professional career
• Will play as many minutes as he possibly can under Thibs
• The Knicks lack a clear #1 option, which gives him plenty of opportunities to take over

Bold bet: Precious Achiuwa

• After being given consistent minutes in his second season, he is primed for a breakout year
• His scoring should improve just from more 3-point shots alone, based on his 36% accuracy from 21-22
• He is the ideal Center for the unique lineups the Raptors put on the floor

Safe bet: Paolo Banchero

• In a full-mode rebuilding team, expect Paolo to play heavy minutes and to have a lot of shots available to him
• Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs likely improvement should free up Banchero even more, with opposing Ds focusing on the team"s sophomores
• The Magic are bound to play a lot of opposing team"s benches – once good teams open a large lead – which will make it easier on the rookie to adjust to the pro-level

Bold bet: Bennedict Mathurin

• Unlike the vast majority of rookies, he is joining a team with a top level PG to set him up
• The Pacers are all about the next Draft, therefore Mathurin should have green-light as often as any other rookie
• If preseason is any indicator, his performance was impressive, scoring nearly 20 points per game, playing a shade over 23 minutes per contest

Safe bet: Ty Lue

• The award is usually given to coaches who get their teams to a higher level than their expectations, following a regrouping season and with their 2 stars back, the Clippers will bounce back
• As a former role player, expect Lue to keep everyone engaged – even if in this deep squad they don"t always get as much playing time as they deserve

Bold bet: Willie Green

• It cannot be overstated how impressive of a job Green did last season, keeping a young and ailing team engaged and competitive after a horrendous start, without their best player for the entire season
• With Zion back and a full season with CJ to add to their All-Star wing in Ingram, the Pelicans will surprise a lot of people in how high their Playoff seed will be, as they won"t need the Play-In this time around

What are your NBA Awards predictions? Let us know in the comments below!