Way Too Early NSL Award Candidates � MVP, DPOY, 6^th Man

 

Most Valuable Player:

 

 

 

-          Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Greek Freak is a perennial MVP candidate, the difference this year is he�s going to be fighting for top seed in the west, further strengthening his legitimacy as an MVP candidate.  He�s a top 5 player in any engine and the Spurs will be riding their shiny new toy into the post season without a doubt.

 

-          LeBron James

The King, arguably the best player in any 2k engine.  With defensive ratings that are way overblown at this point, he is one of the most elite 2-way players we have in the game.  LeBron will be joining the mighty Portland Trailblazers, forming a formidable pairing with Kevin Durant.  Wins will be a plenty in Portland providing health, therefore making LeBron a prime candidate for the MVP award, but will he be penalised by voters for jumping ship mid-season?

 

-          Nikola Jokic

The Joker might actually be toward the top of my list for favourite to win the MVP this coming season.  He�s going to be 2k gassed up to the gills coming off back-to-back mvp seasons in the NBA, his supporting cast is very friendly to his skillset and he has two young studs who will be further along in their 2k development in Tyrese Haliburton and Tyrese Maxey, this sounds like the perfect recipe for them to push further up the west standings off the back of the Jokers outstanding play.

 

-          Luka Doncic

Luka is arguably the most desirable player to have in the league, I think it�d be a coin flip between him and Giannis personally.  Luka is a nightly triple double threat with all of it being meaningful, no empty calories here! Luka led the Hornets to the #1 seed in the east last season and will have a great shot at doing so again this season making him an MVP candidate.  I think he�s going to put up some gaudy numbers this season.

 

Side Note: Aside from LeBron, the other candidates here will likely be the front runners for the next 5-8 years.  They�re also all not American! What a time to be a basketball fan in the NBA and NSL

 

Honourable Mentions: Ja Morant, Joel Embiid, Stephen Curry, LaMelo Ball

 

 

 

 

 

 

Defensive Player of The Year:

 

-          Rudy Gobert

Rudy is a perennial DPOY candidate, Rudy defensive ability in 2k is absolutely gassed up to make him the defensive force he is.  Last year the Timberwolves finished top 10 in Deff and this year they have added Rudy Gobert and Jrue Holiday, which you�d imagine would push them further up the defensive rating standings.  Rudy is in a great position to take home this award.

 

 

-          Joel Embiid

Joel is another one of those who have an argument at being the best 2-way player in the game.  Although Embiid may not be as dominant on the offensive end in 2k as he is in the NBA, he�s certainly a stellar defender and one of the premier rim protectors in the game.  The Wizards have built a fantastic roster that will compete at a high level, a lot of this will be off the back of Joel�s defence.

 

-          Jimmy Butler

The knicks are one of the deepest teams in the league, but they�re also incredibly deep with 2-way talent.  Jimmy will be the engine that makes the knicks tick on both ends of the court.  His ability to pick the pocket of opposing players or lock down the other team�s best player is top 5 in the league in any engine.  Jimmy gets the edge over Kawhi here for the knicks, purely because I think Jimmy will play more games.

 

-          Marcus Smart

Coming off a season where he won Defensive Player of The Year honours in the NBA, Smart is poised for a great season in the NSL.  He�s got all the defensive badges you�d want for a defensive guard, including a couple of Hall of Fame ones.  He was already one of the better defenders in game, with the addition of some new badges and ratings boosts you�d imagine he is going to wreak havoc on the defensive end for the Grizzlies this year.  Rootsey would be salivating to see what he can do for his defence first squad.

 

Honourable Mentions: Paul George, Jrue Holiday, Steven Adams, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dejounte Murray

 

6^th Man of The Year

 

-          Tyler Herro

Tyler will have a sizeable role for the Grizzlies off the bench, coming off a 6^th man of the year campaign in the NBA, you�d imagine 2k have pumped his tyres up a little to make him even more of a scoring threat this coming year.  Herro has all the skills needed to be a spark plug scorer off the bench or a good starter at the 2 for the Grizz, he will be in the running for this award as long as he doesn�t hit the games threshold!

 

 

-          Terry Rozier

Scary Terry is another player with a clear role carved out for him, backing up JA Morant.  He�s a perennial 6^th Man candidate and has put up some tasty numbers his whole NSL career.  Coming off a season where he just won the 6^th man of the year award, it makes sense he�s once again a favourite.  The pelicans run deep and will be fighting for home court in the west, but the bench success is largely due to Terry!

 

-          Jonas Valanciunas

This might give you a bit of insight into wear you�ll find JV in the Wolves rotation this year.  Jonas was a HUGE factor to the Wolves success last year and is a top 25 player in the NSL.  With the addition of Rudy, it makes sense he finds his way to the bench where he can be an offensive powerhouse for the Timberwolves!  On any given night he�s going to walk into a double double on elite efficiency while also playing decent defence!

 

Honourable Mentions: Collin Sexton, Kevin Love, Ivica Zubac