The NBA will finally resume after months of hiatus caused by the coronavirus. Teams will play eight more regular-season games before the playoffs begin. However, these eight games will affect playoff seeding only. The NBA has announced that the eight games played in Orlando will not be taken into account while voting for these awards. Only the games before the suspension will be taken into account. So based on the games played till March, here are predictions for the regular season awards.

Rookie of the Year

With Zion Williamson out of the race due to him playing only 19 games, Ja Morant is the clear favorite to win the award. The 2nd overall pick from Murray State has been explosive since his arrival at Memphis. On the offense, he has all the fundamentals of an elite point guard. He is averaging 17.6 points and 6.9 assists per game. His ball-handling, passing, and athleticism have drawn comparisons to a young Russell Westbrook. Defense is his major drawback right now, but he’s still a rookie with a long way to go.

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Sixth Man of the Year

After two successive years of winning the award, a third win looks unlikely for Lou Williams. After a brilliant season with the Thunder, Dennis Schroder looks set to nab the title. He has been their main scorer off the bench, averaging 19 points per game at a career-best FG% of 46.8%. After ESPN gave the Thunder a 0.2% chance to make it to the NBA playoffs, Schroder has been at the fore for their playoff charge and has helped them to qualify convincingly.

Defensive Player of the Year

Only Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon have won the NBA MVP and DPOY in the same season. Giannis Antetokounmpo could be on his way to join that exclusive club. After being the runner-up last season, Giannis has stepped up his defense even further. His blocks per game may have gone down, but he has stepped up with his rebounds and is leading the league in defensive rebounds. Finally, he also leads the league in defensive rating, with 96.3.

Most Valuable Player

LeBron James has had an excellent season at 35, but the King may see his crown go to the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo. After winning the award last season, Giannis has only become better. This season, he has averaged a career-high 29.6 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. After being criticized for his shooting from beyond the arc, he has been improving that slowly too. His athleticism, despite being a seven-footer, is unnatural. He makes the most out of it as he powers through defenses and scores at his will. Still only 25, Giannis’ potential doesn’t have any limits.