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The 95th edition of The Academy Awards are being held in Hollywood, California Sunday night. It is the biggest night of the year for motion pictures and movie fans alike. This year is a bit unprecedented as there are 16 first-time nominations in acting categories alone. As entertaining as it would be to dive into The Oscars for this piece, it also got us thinking about the NBA.
Who are the NBA's biggest winners of the season? Who will win league MVP as our Best Actor category? How about NBA's 6th Man of the Year as Best Supporting Actor? There's a lot of fun to be had relating it to the big event. So, let's get to it and reveal who are the NBA's Oscars winners.
The Oscars: NBA Edition
Best Actor: NBA MVP
For much of the season, Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic has been considered a lock to win his third consecutive MVP award. It's easy to see why. Jokic is having arguably the best year of his career, averaging a triple double this season. He is dropping 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 10 assists per game.
He has helped the Nuggets all but lock up the top seed in the Western Conference.
But Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has been garnering MVP chatter in his own right. He has put the Sixers on his back at times, whether it's through Embiid's sheer force or the will to take over a game late.
Embiid leads the league in scoring at over 33 points per game. He's similarly a rebounding machine but has been much better than Jokic defensively, swatting 1.6 shots per game. Most importantly, Embiid has helped the Sixers climb within one game of the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division.
This very likely is going to come down to the wire. But Denver's recent struggles, along with the Sixers' ascension, I am going to take Joel Embiid to take home the hardware in a slight upset.
Best Supporting Actor: NBA 6th Man of the Year
The Oscar for the league's 6th Man of the Year is a two-player race as well. Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon has held the top spot all season long after being acquired via trade last offseason from the Indiana Pacers.
But over the last month, New York Knicks backup point guard Immanuel Quickley has quickly gained ground. See what I did there!
Quickley had the best game of his pro career recently in a double overtime win at Boston. He dropped 38 points with Jalen Brunson out of the lineup. That's something both he and Brogdon have in common; filling in for injured stars.
Brogdon has got more run with Marcus Smart's injury-plagued season as well. Ultimately, there is too much distance between the Celtics and Knicks, with Brogdon doing too much for the Celtics to lose this award though.
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Best Director: NBA Coach of the Year
The NBA Coach of the Year Oscar should be very interesting. This year there are a number of deserving candidates.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has done an incredible job. He took over for Ime Udoka, who was fired for inappropriate behavior. That move shook the NBA up, and left many to believe the Celtics will take a step back. They have not.
The Nuggets have been dominating the West for most of the season. Jokic might not be my NBA MVP Oscar winner, but Michael Malone very well could win this award.
But the favorite with a few weeks left in the season is Sacramento Kings' head coach Mike Brown. The Kings have not made the playoffs in nearly two decades. Not only are they about to snap that dreadful streak, they are currently the #2 seed in the West alongside the Memphis Grizzlies.
As much as both Malone and Mazzulla are deserving, it will be Brown who comes away with the Oscar.
Best Picture: NBA Champion
When Kevin Durant was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns, the NBA championship odds shifted drastically. But with his ankle injury, things have shifted once again. He very well might miss the rest of the regular season, making it difficult to develop a rhythm with his new teammates.
That could open up the West. The East had been considered a two-team race with the Milwaukee Bucks and Celtics. However, the Sixers have earned the right to be in that discussion. The Knicks have shown they can play with anyone. Even the Cleveland Cavaliers have the top-end talent to compete.
But ultimately, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will prevail to reach the NBA Finals. They will square off against the Suns in a rematch from two seasons ago. Just like that series, I believe Giannis and the Bucks will be too much. Durant and the Suns very likely will have their time atop the league. But just like when LeBron James joined the Miami Heat in South Beach, it didn't quite work as planned in year one.
