By Jack Ryan
The Sixers may be done for the season on the court, but two players are definitely alive on the ballot:
Rookie of the Year
Utah’s Donovan Mitchell – Taken with the 13th overall pick, Mitchell spent the season making those who passed on him regret their decision.
SIXERS Ben Simmons – After spending a year on the sidelines with a foot injury, Simmons’ rookie season proved to be well worth the wait.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum – The third overall pick played a significant role for the Celtics from the get-go and finished the season ranked eight in the NBA with a three-point percentage of 43.4%.
Defensive Player of the Year
New Orleans’ Anthony Davis – The MVP candidate led the league in blocks (2.57 per game) and ranked 15th in steals (1.53 per game).
Utah’s Rudy Gobert – The Jazz boasted an NBA-best defensive rating of 97.5 in the final 38 games of the season after Gobert returned from a knee injury.
SIXERS Joel Embiid – The Sixers had a defensive rating of 99.9 with Embiid on the court and 111.1 with him off.
