NEW YORK – The NBA announced the finalists for six awards that honor top performers for the 2020-21 regular season: NBA Coach of the Year, Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Kia NBA Most Improved Player, Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and Kia NBA Sixth Man.
The three finalists for each annual award, based on voting results from a global panel of sports media and sports/game broadcasters, are listed in alphabetical order below:
NBA Coach of the Year
Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz
Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks
Monty Williams, Phoenix Suns
Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
Kia NBA Most Improved Player
Jerami Grant, Detroit Pistons
Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
Julius Randle, New York Knicks
Kia NBA Most Valuable Player
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
Kia NBA Rookie of the Year
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings
Kia NBA Sixth Man
Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz
Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz
Derrick Rose, New York Knicks
The NBA on TNT studio and game crew will announce the winner of each award during coverage of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.