There are plenty of end-of-the-season awards to honor players and coaches for their accomplishments throughout the season. The MVP award is easily the most coveted one but only a handful of players actually have a chance to win this one.
That doesn’t make any of the other awards less meaningful, however. Winning any award usually means a lot to players. It can impact their earnings as well as put them on the national stage.
Especially players from small market teams often need some hardware to make people notice them. So, let’s take a look at which trophies the Kings could take home this season and which are out of reach.
Defensive Player of the Year
Let’s get this one out of the way quickly. The Kings are still only a mediocre defense on their best nights. Keegan Murray and De’Aaron Fox have come a long way, but no Kings player is winning this award.
Most Valuable Player
De’Aaron Fox is playing his best basketball yet, defending at a high level, shooting well from 3, and averaging around 30 points a game. He is the sixth-leading scorer in the NBA and the best player on one of the top teams in the West.
Nevertheless, he is nowhere to be found in the top ten of the latest NBA MVP ladder. Even Anthony Edwards made the list ahead of him.
Diving into this oversight is a whole different conversation. Fox should be mentioned with the top players in the league right now and is the Kings’ best shot at bringing home the MVP award anytime soon, but he won’t win it this season. It is not quite his time yet.