Finalists Named for MVP & Rookie of the Year

While the NBA postseason is kicking off, so too is award season as the league announced finalists for all the major categories over the weekend. Let's dive into the top-3 finalists for each major award as it's going to come down to the wire to select winners:

MVP

No surprise here as the MVP award is going to come down to three of the most talented big men in NBA history:

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Jokic is the favorite to win his second straight MVP trophy, but if there's any chance of him losing his crown it will be because some feel Embiid had the better season. The 76ers center won the scoring title with 30.6 points per game and sorry Giannis, he doesn't stand a chance at claiming top prize. My pick: Embiid, 76ers

Rookie of the Year

The first-year race is likely the closest as the NBA is in tough to announce the rookie of the year. It's been a season-long battle between some of the best talent of the rookie class and two first-year studs stand out over the rest:

Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

Either Barnes or Mobley will take home top prize as they have been more consistent throughout the entire season. Cunningham, however, could end up being the best scorer of the bunch as he's shown these past couple of months he's capable of becoming a superstar, averaging 21.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. My pick: Barnes, Raptors