Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmo repeat as MVP finalists

The award winners for the league’s top seven individual awards, which are voted on by members of the media, are announced on TNT’s “Inside The NBA” prior to Friday night’s Eastern Conference game in Miami between the Heat and Chicago Bulls. Polling is scheduled for Monday night.

Jokic, Embiid and Antetokounmpo finished with that ranking in last season’s MVP voting and in three of the top four in the 2021 MVP voting.

Jokic would become just the fourth player in NBA history to win three in a row, joining Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell. He’s coming off the season becoming just the third player and first average player to hit a triple-double and lead Denver to the top seed in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, Embiid led the league in scoring for the second straight season, the first center to do so since Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo in the 1970s, and he finished second to Jokic in the last two MVP ballots.

Antetokounmpo has led the Milwaukee Bucks to the best record in the NBA as they look to capture their third MVP award.

The league’s top defensive honor will be given to Grizzlies forward Yaren Jackson Jr., who leads the league in blocks per game (3.0) for the second straight season, along with Bucks center Brock Lopez and Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley. Lopez helped Milwaukee post the best record in the NBA and the fourth-best defense this season, while Mobley helped solidify the best defense in the league this season.

The race for Rookie of the Year was topped by the top pick in this year’s draft, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Panchero, along with two other draft picks who fell outside the top 10: Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams. Project last June. draft pick, and Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, who was selected 22nd overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves before being included in the Rudy Gobert trade.

For Sixth Man of the Year, the two top contenders for the award, Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon and New York Knicks guard Emmanuel Kwikley, are joined by Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr.

Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown, who has already won the National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year award, has been named one of three finalists for the NBA Coaching of the Year award after a stellar season in his first year in Sacramento, bringing the Kings back to center the first. He joined the playoffs for the first time since 2006. He was joined by Thunder head coach Mark Dino and Celtics head coach Joe Mazzola, who was in his first year on the job after taking over before the start of Emi Odoka’s training camp.

Also for the Kings, guard De’Aaron Fox was named one of three finalists for Clutch’s first Player of the Year award, after his late heroics helped the Kings finish third in the West. He was joined as finalists for that award by Jamie Butler of Miami and DeMar DeRozan of Miami.

Finally, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, who made his first All-Star team this season after his acquisition from the Cavaliers in the Donovan Mitchell trade last summer, and Thunder guard Shay Gilgos-Alexander, who was named an All-Star for the first time. And expected to be an All-NBA selection this year, they were also two of three finalists for the MVP award. They are joined by Knicks guard Jalen Bronson, who shone in New York after signing with the franchise as a free agent from the Dallas Mavericks last summer.

The NBA will announce the winners in the coming weeks as the playoffs that begin this weekend will also reveal All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie Team selections. They were all voted on by a panel of 100 members of the media.