Make sure to check out part 1 first. These are my preseason predictions this year, but I might revisit them midway through the season to give updates.

Rookie of the Year: Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson’s statistical production in the preseason has been unmatched by any other rookie. He has averaged 23.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals, on 71.4% from the field, and all of this in only 27.3 minutes! If he continues to put up these monstrous numbers throughout the season, there is little doubt he’ll win the award. There is a major concern though: injuries. Zion is 6’6’’ and weighs 285 pounds, and the constant stress on his knees and ankle from jumping makes him a risk to get injured at any time. He’s already had several injuries, and the only thing that could prevent him from being the Rookie of the Year is not playing enough games.

Two other main candidates if Zion doesn’t win are RJ Barrett and Ja Morant. Thus far in the preseason Ja Morant hasn’t been great. He is only 11 points per game and 7 assists per game, and even if these improve, they won’t be near the production of Zion. Ja would need the Grizzlies to greatly exceed expectations, but currently they look like they will remain at the bottom of the Western Conference.

As for RJ Barrett, his stats have been better, and he plays for the largest market in the NBA, the New York Knicks. In the preseason he has averaged 15.8 points on 46.3% from the field and 33% from three. He will probably get a lot of media attention, and if the Knicks exceed expectations he might receive a lot of credit for turning them around.

Defensive Player of the Year: Joel Embiid

Last season, Embiid was fourth in voting behind Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the winner Rudy Gobert. Embiid averaged .4 less blocks than Gobert, and Embiid led those four in total rebounds per game. Last year’s top four will likely be four of this year’s main candidates.

Joel Embiid had some of the best stats. He also was second in that group for defensive real plus minus, only behind Gobert. The Philadelphia Sixers look like they will be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA this year, and if Embiid is their leader, he will have a good chance at winning the award.

Gobert is a rim-protecting center like Embiid, and he’s won the award the past two years. The only problem is that voter fatigue might set in, and people might not want him to win three times in a row if he doesn’t improve year-to-year.

The other contenders are perimeter defenders Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Clippers might have the best defense in the NBA this year, but with both George and Kawhi, the credit might get split, hurting each of their individual chances. With Giannis, he was close last year while already being on a top defensive team, and he’ll have to improve even more to win, which is possible.

Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo has a good chance to repeat as MVP. Last season, he averaged 27.7 points per game on 57.8% from the field, also having the highest player efficiency rating. Giannis’ team, the Bucks, lost players, which will result in more touches and opportunities for Giannis, potentially resulting in even higher stats. The Bucks had the best record in the NBA last season, and they’ll probably come close again. Overall, this is the safest bet.

The other contenders for MVP are Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Joel Embiid. If any of these player’s team exceeds expectations and/or gets a top seed, they will likely receive most of the credit. LeBron, Harden, and Leonard all have other All-NBA level teammates who will significantly reduce their touches and consequently these players are less likely to win since not all of the success will be attributed to them.

Nikola Jokic doesn’t have any star teammate, and can win MVP is if the Nuggets manage to get a top seed once again. Last season the Nuggets had the 2nd seed in the Western Conference, but it seems somewhat unlikely that this performance is replicated given that so many other teams in the west improved.

Another possibility is Stephen Curry, who has already won the MVP award twice. With Kevin Durant having left and Klay Thompson being out for most of the season, Curry will have a chance to put up MVP-level stats and carry his team. The only problem is that the Warriors probably won’t even get a top-4 seed, and MVP’s are almost always for teams that get top-2 seeds.

The last candidate with a serious chance is Joel Embiid. He always puts up insane numbers on great efficiency, and he is always a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. However, Embiid is always held back by the amount of games he misses due to rest and injury. If he plays close to all of the season and leads the 76ers to the top seed, he should also have a good case.

Finals Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers Over Philadelphia 76ers

In the Eastern Conference the 76ers and the Bucks are the clear favors to make it to the finals, and they will likely meet in the Conference Finals. The Toronto Raptors were able to expose the Bucks in the playoffs last year, and unless Giannis has changed, the 76ers should be able to take advantage of him in a similar way. Both teams will have elite defenses, but I trust Embiid and Simmons more than I trust Giannis. Still, this match-up could go either way if it happens.

The Lakers might not be a top seed in the west, but with LeBron James, they should be one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs. LeBron made it to the finals 8 years in a row from 2011-2018, and he’s done this whether he’s had home court advantage or not. This is year 17 for LeBron, and it’s one of his last chances to win another championship.

If the Lakers make it out of the west, they should be favored to win in the finals. Regardless of if they face the 76ers or the Bucks, it would be LeBron’s 10th time in the finals and the other team’s first. LeBron has done enough in his career for me to trust him to lead his team to the 2020 NBA championship and get Finals MVP.