By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The finalists for the NBA awards have been announced and two Europeans made their way into the bunch.
Nikola Jokic is the MVP candidate together with Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid while Rudy Gobert is in the race for the defensive honors with Draymond Green and Ben Simmons.
Per the NBA:
The NBA today announced the finalists for six awards that honor top performers for the 2020-21 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.
The three finalists for each annual award, based on voting results from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, are listed in alphabetical order below:
Kia NBA Most Valuable Player
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
Kia NBA Rookie of the Year
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings
Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
Kia NBA Most Improved Player
Jerami Grant, Detroit Pistons
Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
Julius Randle, New York Knicks
Kia NBA Sixth Man
Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz
Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz
Derrick Rose, New York Knicks
NBA Coach of the Year
Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz
Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks
Monty Williams, Phoenix Suns
TNT will announce the winner of each award during its coverage of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Each voter’s complete ballot for each award will be posted at pr.nba.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.