Most Valuable Player

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Front-runner: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
Finalists: James Harden, Rockets; Paul George, Thunder

This has shaped up to be one of the best MVP races in NBA history.

Statistically speaking, it's Harden's Maurice Podoloff Trophy to lose. Forget finishing with the highest scoring average (36.1 points per game) since Michael Jordan in 1986-87, Harden's efficiency relative to his usage is mind-blowing. He logged a 61.6 true shooting percentage on a 40.5 usage rate - the second-highest in league history.

Where the Greek Freak gets an edge is his ability to completely dominate on both ends. He's the most impactful two-way player in the league and could become just the third player ever to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.

Antetokounmpo also remains the odds-on favorite simply because he's the top player on the league's best team. Ten of the last 15 MVPs have come from the team with the best regular-season record.

Still, there are potential holes in his case. While he's had his moments on the perimeter, he shot under 26 percent from the beyond the arc in a league where the 3-pointer is hallowed. His 2,358 minutes this year would also be the lowest for a non-lockout season MVP since Bill Walton in 1978.

In the end, it's honestly a coin flip. Either can win, and both deserve it.

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Defensive Player of the Year

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Front-runner: Rudy Gobert, Jazz
Finalists: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks; Paul George, Thunder

Gobert had an encore performance a year after winning his first Defensive Player of the Year award. The Frenchman anchored the Utah Jazz's second-ranked defense, which finished in the top five for the third straight season. The 26-year-old also led the Association in Defensive Real Plus-Minus and finished third among qualified players with 2.31 blocks per contest this season.

Gobert's 7-foot-9 wingspan allows him to affect the game without touching the ball; he was second in the NBA with 16 contested shots per game. Opponents shot 51.4 and 48.5 percent against Gobert within six and 10 feet, respectively, which was 11.2 and 9.3 percent lower than the norm for his counterparts.

Meanwhile, the sixth-year center's work on the defensive glass shouldn't be overlooked. Utah allows the second-fewest second-chance points (11.2) with Gobert's career-high 30.2 percent defensive rebound rate negating many of those opportunities. The Jazz are simply better defensively when Gobert is on the floor, and there aren't many players like him.

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Rookie of the Year

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Front-runner: Luka Doncic, Mavericks
Finalists: Trae Young, Hawks; Deandre Ayton, Suns

Barring an unfair recency bias from voters, a post-All-Star eruption from Young won't be enough to snatch this award away from Doncic. The 20-year-old Slovenian's consistent, historic production simply can't be denied.

The multi-faceted Doncic joins Oscar Robertson as just the second rookie to ever average at least 21 points, 7.5 rebounds, and six assists in a campaign. His eight triple-doubles are also the third-most ever registered by a rookie.

Capturing a EuroLeague Most Valuable Player against proven competition during his final year with Real Madrid set Doncic up for excellence out of the gate. Not many rookies possess his combination of poise, charisma, and flair for the game. Doncic's uncanny ability to break down defenses as a 6-foot-7 ball-handler with an already vast offensive repertoire makes him one of the more unique talents in the entire Association and arguably the greatest international prospect we've ever seen.

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Sixth Man of the Year

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Front-runner: Lou Williams, Clippers
Finalists: Montrezl Harrell, Clippers; Spencer Dinwiddie, Nets

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that Williams has all but clinched his third Sixth Man of the Year award in his criminally underrated career. The 6-foot-1 combo guard continued his brilliance off the Clippers' bench for a second consecutive season, helping L.A.'s best team once again overachieve without an All-Star on the roster.

Williams managed to outplay his excellence from a season ago, averaging more assists and rebounds with just 2.6 fewer points in six fewer minutes per contest. The Clippers' bench duo of Sweet Lou and Harrell dominated opposing benches and paced L.A. to a 48-win season.

Though there's little doubt Williams has secured the award, credit has to be given to Timberwolves reserve Derrick Rose and Heat legend Dwyane Wade for showing they still got it in a limited, albeit essential role for their respective teams.

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Most Improved Player

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Front-runner: Pascal Siakam, Raptors
Finalists: D'Angelo Russell, Nets; Nikola Vucevic, Magic

Siakam's growth has been instrumental in stabilizing what could have been a transitional year for the Toronto Raptors; on a basic level, his points (16.9), rebounds (6.9), and assists (3.1) per game are all career highs.

Only eight players 6-foot-9 and taller posted an effective field-goal percentage above 57 while taking more than 200 3-pointers this season. Siakam's 59 percent ranks third behind Antetokounmpo and sharp-shooter Davis Bertans - and just ahead of stars Al Horford, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Kevin Durant.

Furthermore, the Raptors have outscored opponents by 10.8 points per 100 possessions with the dynamic Cameroonian forward on the floor, and are outscored by 3.8 points per 100 possessions when he sits. He is essential to what Toronto hopes to achieve on both ends of the floor.

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Coach of the Year

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Front-runner: Mike Budenholzer, Bucks
Finalists: Mike Malone, Nuggets; Nate McMillan, Pacers

With all due respect to the impressive seasons by Malone and McMillan, the Coach of the Year award is Budenholzer's to lose.

In his first season in charge, Budenholzer has transformed the Bucks into a juggernaut with the best record in the NBA despite minimal turnover from 2017-18. Yes, George Hill and Nikola Mirotic were key acquisitions, but Milwaukee was already among the East's elite before Hill joined via trade on Dec. 7. That's a testament to Budenholzer's influence, as is the team's ability to secure the top overall seed despite late injuries to Mirotic, Malcolm Brogdon, and Antetokounmpo.

The advanced stats also add credence to Budenholzer's effect in Milwaukee. The Bucks are the only team that ranks in the top four in offensive rating (fourth, 113.5), defensive rating (first, 104.9), and net rating (first, 8.6).

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Who do you guys think will get each reward?