As the Denver Nuggets proved last June, the formula for a championship relies on teamwork.
When considering individual awards, the formula involves volume.
And the Coach of the Year? Well, that winner usually has a head start with talent and possibly momentum from the prior season.
We’ll try to find value among a few awards futures betting markets and a compelling case and make our selections.
–NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
There is a built-in advantage when evaluating the DPOY landscape: Bettors can usually eliminate guards from the equation.
Only Marcus Smart, the winner in 2022, was a guard among POY winners since 1996 (Seattle SuperSonics guard Gary Payton won that year).
The DPOY generally loads his resume with rebounds and rim protection; last season’s winner, Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., blocked three shots per game.
The 2023-24 contenders include centers Rudy Gobert, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Evan Mobley. All are fine candidates, but the chalk is the choice here.
The defending champ, Jackson, is +500, with Mobley (+700), Anthony Davis and Antetokounmpo (+850) and Bam Adebayo (+1200) rounding out the top five.
Find a bank that will offer +500 on your money. Can’t do it? Jackson is your guy.
Mobley, the Cleveland Cavaliers third-year star and the No. 3 overall pick in 2021, is a little too soft; Davis and Giannis don’t always summon the necessary defensive energy, and Bam doesn’t have the requisite elite tools to challenge Jackson.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jaren Jackson Jr. (+500).
–COACH OF THE YEAR
The Oklahoma City Thunder are so young, so talented and so ready to make a leap in the West.
They have a legitimate top-10 star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and enough established depth to reach the trade deadline with enough success to become a buyer.
That means more regular-season victories.
All this is complemented by coach Mark Daigneault, who quietly inspires and leads his team without ego or bombast.
The Thunder, with center Chet Holmgren finally ready to make his debut after a lost season due to injury, will see its parts quickly translate into winning streaks.
A Thunder team with 46+ victories and a playoff – or play-in – finish would be quite enough to launch Daigneault firmly into the discussion.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Mark Daigneault (+750).
–NBA MVP
No more betting the preseason favorites: The value in the Most Valuable Player market lies in backing a 30-year-old with injury problems.
We’ll wait for you to roll your eyes at the prospect of Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis playing 70 games or more.
If Davis does stay healthy, however, his odds of +3000 will seem like a gift.
The usual suspects, Nikola Jokic, Giannis, Luka and defending NBA MVP winner Joel Embiid, all are worthy candidates. It’s just that their odds are not enticing enough.
The belief here is that the Lakers can be a formidable Western Conference contender – and that would mean a great amount of attention would fall on LeBron James and Davis.
The Lakers were swept by the Nuggets in the Western finals last season, but Davis and his improved health left no doubt that he’s a viable MVP contender.
Davis scored 107 points and grabbed 56 rebounds in those four games (about 27 points and exactly 14 rebounds per game).
A 50-win season in LA, coupled with another stellar AD season at both ends of the court (Davis is the third favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year) would put the Lakers center directly in the mix.
NBA MVP: Anthony Davis (+3000)
–BONUS BETS
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (+500) over Chet Holmgren (+380) and the anointed one, Victor Wembanyama (-145).
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Boston Celtics newcomer Jrue Holiday (+1900).
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (+1100) just behind favorite Mikal Bridges (+1000) and ahead of Jordan Poole (+1200).
–Field Level Media