When it comes to the dog days of summer, that period of the NBA calendar sometimes referred to as the “doldrums,” the focus of the NBA media turns toward ranking teams and players and projecting how the looming season will pan out.
When it comes to the major hardware handed out at the end of the 2022-23 season, the folks over at ESPN have some players in mind. A number of Boston Celtics make the cut for several awards as projected by the ESPN panel.
While there are a few categories without any Celtics presence — it seems fairly unlikely, for example, JD Davison would be in the running for Rookie of the Year — Boston is still well represented.
The Celtics are even seen as likely to win one of the major season awards, so let’s take a look at how Boston was rated by the panel.
The Boston Celtics are likely at the top of the heap after their own moves to bolster their bench. https://t.co/YxTVbSEpsv
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 13, 2022
Most Valuable Player
Jayson Tatum came in tied with the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic (4 points each) for seventh overall.
Just behind Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies — tied for fifth (6 points each) — and just ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns (3 points), this seems a tad low for Tatum.
The projected 2023 MVP is Giannis Antetokounmpo (43 points), which is hard to argue against because, well, Giannis.
Defensive Player of the Year
As in life, so in art — once again, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III (9 points each) are in the mix for the DPoY award, but both tie for sixth. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (10 points) comes in just ahead of them, and Joel Embiid (8 points) of the Philadelphia 76ers is right behind them.
Now with the Wolves, Rudy Gobert (43 points) is the favorite for ESPN’s panel.
Sixth Man of the Year
Boston gets close here, with newly acquired floor general Malcolm Brogdon (22 points) taking second place for the award, trailing only Jordan Poole (77 points) with the Dubs.
Brogdon is followed by John Wall (15 points) — now a Los Angeles Clipper — in third place for Sixth Man of the Year.
Coach of the Year
Here, the Celtics strike gold with head coach Ime Udoka (50 points) the clear winner of this award according to the panel’s projections.
The Clippers’ Ty Lue comes in a respectable second with 32 points, and Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat is third with 16.
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