NBA Awards 2022 – Finalists And Winners

2022 NBA Awards Finalists Winners

The NBA has announced the NBA Awards Winners and Finalists for 2021-2022.

Take a look at the 2021 NBA Award winners here.

The six awards that honor top performers for the 2021-22 regular season: NBA Coach of the Year, Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Kia NBA Most Improved Player, Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

There are three finalists for each award. The winner for each is determined by voting results from sportswriters and broadcasters, are listed in alphabetical order below:

2022 NBA Most Valuable Player Finalists:

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

2021 NBA MVP – Nikola Jokic
2022 NBA MVP – Nikola Jokic

It’s back to back MVP awards for The Joker! Jokic is the 15th player in NBA history to win the MVP multiple times and the second straight winner to go back-to-back after Giannis Antetokounmpo won it in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

During the 2022 NBA season, Jokic became the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a single season.

2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Finalists:

Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
Mikal Bridges, Charlotte Hornets
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

2021 Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert
2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart became the first perimeter player to win the DPOY award since the Seattle Supersonics Gary Payton.

2022 NBA Rookie of the Year:

Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

2021 Rookie of the Year: LaMelo Ball
2022 Rookie of the Year: Scottie Barnes

Of all the 2022 NBA awards this was the one I was looking forward to the most. You could make a legitimate argument for any of these three players to win Rookie of the Year.

In the end, Barnes bested Mobley by a total of 15 points. Mobley had more 2nd and 3rd place votes, but the 5 more first place votes won it for Barnes. It was the smallest margin of victory since the NBA started using the current voting format 19 years ago.

If Evan Mobley would not have gotten hurt, the way him and Jarrett Allen teamed up to make CLE good again, was enough for me.

2022 NBA Sixth Man of the Year:

Tyler Herro, Miami Heat
Cam Johnson, Phoenix Suns
Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers

2021 Sixth Man of the Year: Julius Randle
2022 Sixth Man of the Year: Tyler Herro

When the finalists were announced, it was obvious that Herro was the most deserving.

2022 NBA Coach of the Year:

Monty Williams, Phoenix Suns
Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat
Taylor Jenkins, Memphis Grizzlies

2021 NBA Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau
2022 NBA Coach of the Year: Monty Williams

Congrats to Monty Williams but what in the world does Erik Spoelstra have to do to win one of these? Or has he entered Bill Belichick territory where people take how great a coach he is for granted and assume he has already won?

It honestly feels like Williams got this award because of how the Suns overachieved their way to the Finals last year.

Most Improved Player:

Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavs
Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

2021 Most Improved Player: Jordan Clarkson
2021 Most Improved Player: Ja Morant

The MVP race has been among the closest in recent history this season. Embiid and Jokic fought for pole position all season with Antetokounmpo, a two-time winner, looming in the background.

Jokic is expected to repeat as a winner this season, but we won’t know for certain until the awards are announced.

TNT will announce the winner of the 2022 NBA Awards during its coverage of the 2022 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. Each voter’s complete ballot for each award will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.

2022 NBA Awards Projected Winners:

MVP
1. Nikola Jokic (89.17 percent)
2. Joel Embiid (67.08 percent)
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (60 percent)
4. Devin Booker (22.92 percent)
5. Luka Doncic (14.58 percent)
6. Jayson Tatum (3.75 percent)
7. Ja Morant (1.25 percent)
8. Stephen Curry (0.42 percent)
8. Kevin Durant (0.42 percent)
8. DeMar DeRozan (0.42 percent)

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Marcus Smart (45 percent)
2. Mikal Bridges (42.50 percent)
3. Rudy Gobert (35 percent)
4. Bam Adebayo (22.50 percent)
5. Jaren Jackson Jr (19.17 percent)
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo (10 percent)
7. Robert Williams (4.17 percent)
8. Draymond Green (0.83 percent)
8. Matisse Thybulle (0.83 percent)

Rookie of the Year
1. Evan Mobley (78.33 percent)
2. Scottie Barnes (68.33 percent)
3. Cade Cunningham (33.33 percent)

Sixth Man of the Year
1. Tyler Herro (95.00 percent)
2. Kevin Love (46.67 percent)
3. Cameron Johnson (27.50 percent)
4. Bogdan Bogdanovic (2.50 percent)
4. Luke Kennard (2.50 percent)
4. Jordan Clarkson (2.50 percent)
7. Kelly Oubre Jr (1.67 percent)
8. Jordan Poole (0.83 percent)
8. De’Anthony Melton (0.83 percent)

Most Improved Player
1. Ja Morant (47.50 percent)
2. Darius Garland (36.67 percent)
3. Dejounte Murray (35 percent)
4. Jordan Poole (26.67 percent)
5. Tyrese Maxey (11.67 percent)
5. Desmond Bane (11.67 percent)
7. Miles Bridges (3.33 percent)
8. Robert Williams (2.50 percent)
8. Anfernee Simons (2.50 percent)
8. Jaren Jackson Jr (2.50 percent)

Coach of the Year
1. Monty Williams (85 percent)
2. Taylor Jenkins (60 percent)
3. Ime Udoka (13.33 percent)
4. JB Bickerstaff (11.67 percent)
5. Erik Spoelstra (7.50 percent)
6. Tyronn Lue (1.67 percent)
7. Chris Finch (0.83 percent)