From The Sports Desk: NBA award picks - BERITAJA

The NBA regular play is complete and the Beritaja sports unit had immoderate thoughts connected the awesome awards races. We skipped the Defensive Player of the Year grant — Victor Wembenyama seems to person that 1 wrapped up. But our teams dove into the tightly contested MVP, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved races below.

We person much NBA Play-In Tournament games tonight, too. Throughout the NBA playoffs, we’ll person you covered present and, arsenic always, connected the Beritaja website.

MVP

Denver Nuggets halfway Nikola Jokic successful San Antonio connected April 12.Scott Wachter / Imagn Images

By Rohan Nadkarni, Beritaja sports reporter

I wonderment if Denver’s Nikola Jokić would beryllium moving distant pinch this grant had he not already won 3 MVPs. Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is simply a worthy prime here. So is the Lakers’ Luka Doncic. (I deliberation Victor Wembenyama has played excessively fewer minutes.)

But I deliberation nary subordinate successful the convention carries much work than the “Joker,” who surely plays pinch talented teammates, but isn’t flanked by aggregate All-Stars aliases aggregate All-NBA level defenders for illustration Gilgeous-Alexander.

For the 2nd consecutive season, Jokić belongs to a nine that he created and of which he is the only member: Scoring astatine slightest 27 points per game, shooting complete 55% from the field, while averaging astatine slightest 10 assists a night. He’s doing each that while starring the convention successful assists and rebounds. SGA surely has a case, but successful my opinion, not arsenic beardown of a lawsuit arsenic Jokic.

Andrew Greif: Nikola Jokic

Tim Rohan: Nikola Jokic

Greg Rosenstein: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Rookie of the Year

Charlotte Hornets defender Kon Knueppel drives the shot against Boston Celtics defender Jaylen Brown successful boston connected April 7, 2026.David Butler II / Imagn Images

By Andrew Greif, Beritaja sports reporter

For years, NBA insiders pegged the ‘25 draught people arsenic uniquely heavy and talented. It turns retired the hype was deserved. Picking a victor betwixt Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel, No. 1 wide prime Cooper Flagg of Dallas and Philadelphia’s V.J. Edgecombe is an workout successful splitting the finest of hairs.

Flagg — the only subordinate this play to lead his squad successful points, rebounds, assists and steals — and Edgecombe showed their franchises that their futures are successful bully hands.

Yet, Knueppel should triumph because his play instantly helped Charlotte leap from perennially moribund to 1 of the season’s revelations. His 273 3-pointers led the NBA and are a rookie grounds by 66. His effective section extremity percent this play was a staggering 60.1%.

Rohan Nadkarni: Cooper Flagg

Tim Rohan: Cooper Flagg

Greg Rosenstein: Cooper Flagg

Sixth Man of the Year

Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the handbasket during the crippled against the Dallas Mavericks connected April 10, 2026, successful San Antonio.Michael Gonzales / NBAE via Getty Images

By Tim Rohan, Beritaja sports editor and reporter

The Sixth Man of the Year title has been whittled down successful caller weeks to 2 candidates: Miami guardant Jaime Jaquez Jr. and San Antonio guardant Keldon Johnson.

Jaquez Jr. put up large numbers for a reserve subordinate — 15.4 points, 5 rebounds and about 5 assists per game. But the Heat faded down the agelong and mislaid past nighttime successful the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Meanwhile, Johnson is the “heart and soul” of the Spurs, who amazed the convention and won 62 games. Johnson averaged 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 36.3% from 3-point range, and providing tons of power disconnected the bench.

He’s besides the Spurs’ longest-tenured player. He wears cowboy hats to games and serves arsenic unofficial squad DJ. He’s the amended communicative connected the amended squad — and conscionable edges retired Jaquez Jr. for the award.

Rohan Nadkarni: Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Andrew Greif: Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Greg Rosenstein: Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Most Improved

Atlanta Hawks defender Nickeil Alexander-Walker successful Cleveland, Ohio, connected April 8, 2026.David Richard / Imagn Images

By Greg Rosenstein, Beritaja sports editor

Nickeil Alexander-Walker has thrived since joining the Atlanta Hawks this season. He much than doubled his points per crippled mean (20.8 compared to 9.4 a twelvemonth agone pinch the Minnesota Timberwolves) and has career-highs successful minutes, steals, assists, rebounds and 3-pointers. You besides can’t foul him, arsenic he’s shooting 90.2% from the free-throw line.

Alexander-Walker is 1 of the premier defenders successful the convention and is simply a cardinal logic why Atlanta was 1 of the hottest teams successful the NBA down the stretch. He’s the no-brainer prime for this award.

Rohan Nadkarni: Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Andrew Greif: Jalen Duren

Tim Rohan: Jalen Duren

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What We're Reading

After the Pittsburgh Pirates signed apical imaginable Konnor Griffin to a $140 cardinal deal, our Tim Rohan examined the inclination of MLB teams signing young players to immense contracts. Super supplier Scott Boras, players Corbin Carroll and Luis Robert Jr. and ex-GM Sandy Alderson each weighed in.

Right connected cue, the Detroit Tigers announced coming they had agreed to an eight-year, $150 cardinal deal pinch rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle.

The Athletic newsman Dianna Russini resigned complete photos of her and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and the news outlet says its investigation will continue.

LaMelo Ball should person been ejected for tripping Bam Adebayo past night, Heat coach says.

Former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore avoids jailhouse clip after pleading nary title to misdemeanors related to an incident astatine a staffer’s home.

Draymond Green gives a telling consequence about Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s early pinch the team.

Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran made an obscene motion to a fan who he says ‘told maine to termination myself.’

Matt Crocker quit arsenic the sporting head for the U.S. Soccer Federation conscionable 2 months earlier the World Cup.

What We're Watching

The NBA Play-In Tournament continues tonight. The victor of the first game, betwixt the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic, will beryllium the No. 7 seed successful the East and gain a first-round matchup pinch the No. 2-seeded Boston Celtics. The loser will play the Charlotte Hornets connected Friday for the correct to beryllium the No. 8 seed and look the No. 1 Detroit Pistons.

In the later game, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors are playing to stave disconnected elimination. The victor will play the Phoenix Suns connected Friday for the No. 8 seed successful the Western Conference, which will play the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder successful information one.

All times are Eastern:

• 7:30 p.m.: No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic, connected Amazon Prime
• 10 p.m.: No. 9 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 10 Golden State Warriors, connected Amazon Prime

That’s it for now! We’ll beryllium backmost tomorrow.