Report: NBA Awards Won’t Include Orlando Performance
Jul 17, 2020, 4:54 PM | Updated: Jul 19, 2020, 3:01 pm
Rudy Gobert accepts the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year award onstage during the 2019 NBA Awards presented by Kia on TNT at Barker Hangar on June 24, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner Sports)
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner Sports)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The NBA end of season awards won’t factor in performance at The Walt Disney World Resort. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the awards will be based on performance through March 11 when play was suspended.
“The NBA’s annual performance awards (MVP, Rookie of Year, Sixth Man, Defensive Player, Coach of Year, etc.) will be based upon regular season through March 11, when the season suspended,” Charania tweeted.
The NBA’s annual performance awards (MVP, Rookie of Year, Sixth Man, Defensive Player, Coach of Year, etc.) will be based upon regular season through March 11, when the season suspended, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 17, 2020
The Utah Jazz should receive recognition in three of the major categories. Rudy Gobert hopes to become the first player since Dwight Howard to take home three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year Awards. Guard Jordan Clarkson should receive recognition for his role as the Jazz sixth man. Meanwhile, coach Quin Snyder will likely earn votes towards Coach of the Year. Snyder led the Jazz to a top-four seed in the West when the season was suspended.
Last summer, Mike Conley won both the NBA Sportsmanship Award and the Teammate of the Year Award.
“The decision to exclude seeding games from awards voting ensures a fair process in which players and coaches from all 30 teams will have the same opportunity to be honored,” Charania tweeted. “League will soon announce voting process and plan to announce winners.”
The 2018-19 #KiaDPOY is… @rudygobert27! #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/tgcfnx2ljP
— NBA (@NBA) June 25, 2019
Traditionally, the league has hosted an end of season awards show in late June just after the NBA draft. Both events have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The NBA scheduled the 2020 draft for October 16.
Additionally, Charania reported end of season stats will include a player’s performance in Orlando. Several players have contractual bonuses based on their end of season stats. However, ESPN previously reported that the NBA and the NBA Players Association had agreed to prorate bonuses as of March 11.
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