Utah Jazz leads in nominees for the finalists in the NBA awards.

Utah Jazz leads the NBA teams with the most nominees in the NBA end of 2020/21 season awards.

May 21, 2021 - 20:56 Updated: May 21, 2021 - 21:09

Utah Jazz leads in nominees for the finalists in the NBA awards.

This is according to the list released by the League just as it is moving to postseason and currently in play-offs. The major six awards constitutes three finalists each.

The nominees in the list are from the following teams; Utah Jazz, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons.

Utah Jazz leads with four nominees followed by Knicks with three, Nuggets and 76ers with two each.

Tom Thibodeau (Knicks), Quin Snyder (Utah Jazz) and Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns) will contest in the category of Coach of the Year.

Stephen Curry, Rudy Gobert and Thibodeau are expected to win their awards for the second year in a row. If Gobert wins, it will be his third time to get the Defensive Player of the Year award. This will make him have the same number of awards with Dwight Howard who plays for 76ers. Former Houston Rockets player Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace (former player Detroit Pistons) are leading with four awards each.

The favorite player to win the Most Valuable Player award is Nikola Jokic against Curry and Joel Embiid. He is seen to be the favourite because of him being the only All-Star player to play in all 72 of his team’s games.

Jokic is the first player in the League history to average 26 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists better than 52 percent shooting ( a mark he raced past by making 56.6% of his field goal attempts). If he emerges the winner, he will be the first second-round pick in NBA history ever to win the award.

Team mates Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson will battle to become the Sixth Man of the Year in that award category. Ingles is poised to win the award this time defeating Clarkson who has been the favourite for the most of the season.

The Knicks are expected to scoop two whooping major trophies which include, Coach of the Year and Most Improved Player. Thibodeau is yearning for the coach while Julius Randle for the Improved Player.

Rookie of the Year award will be tight race between LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton since Ball has been leading for the most of the season while Edwards and Haliburton have gained ground on voters.

The only award which the finalists were not named is the Executive of the Year because the voters are executives. Voting in the awards is conducted by the media.

Here is the list of the awards and their nominees.

1. Most Valuable Player.

• Nikola Jokic.

• Stephen Curry.

• Joe Embiid.

2. Defensive Player of the Year.

• Rudy Gobert.

• Ben Simmons.

• Draymond Green.

3. Rookie of the Year.

• LaMelo Ball.

• Anthony Edwards.