In what two categories is Victor Wembenyama running at the NBA awards?

The NBA has announced the finalists for the 2023-24 season awards. Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have been nominated for the MVP award based on their teams’ outstanding performances.

Wemby’s just starting

The surprise of the season is Victor Wembanyama, the new French talent who is not only guaranteed to win the Rookie of the Year award but is also nominated for the Best Defender award alongside Bam Adebayo and Rudy Gobert, who is considered the favorite to win. This is a remarkable achievement for Wembanyama, who is expected to set new standards in the game of basketball.

Who’s not on the list?

Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers) and head coach Joe Mazzulla (Boston Celtics) are two notable absences in the NBA Awards nominations. Davis was a strong contender for the Best Defender award, having ranked third in rebounds (12.6) and blocks (2.3) this season. Surprisingly, he was left out in favor of Wembanyama, who plays for the Spurs, which have the seventh-worst defense in the NBA and the second-worst in the Western Conference.

Another surprising omission is the Celtics coach, who led the team to 64 wins in the regular season, the best record in the NBA. The three nominees for the Coach of the Year award are Mark Daigneault (Thunder), Chris Finch (Timberwolves), and Jamahl Mosley (Magic). While it’s not uncommon for the coach of the best team to miss out on the award, it’s difficult to explain why he didn’t even make the top three nominees. These are just a few things to consider in the best basketball league in the world.

These are the candidates for each award: