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NBA predictions 2020-21: Our individual award winners and Finals picks

By Craig Cochran

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after receiving his 2020 NBA championship ring during a ceremony before the opening night game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on December 22, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after receiving his 2020 NBA championship ring during a ceremony before the opening night game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on December 22, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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NBA (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
NBA (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

With the 2020 season officially underway, we predict which players, coaches, and teams will etch their names into the annals of NBA history.

72 days.

That is all it took for the NBA – following a proverbial year from hell in which the league saw its regular season shortened, its postseason spent inside of a quarantined bubble, and its offseason drastically hurried – to kick off a brand new season. With what is undoubtedly the NBA’s fastest turnaround between seasons throughout its storied history coming to a screeching halt, the NBA regular season will be back in action by the time this column hits the screen of your smartphone.

Now I don’t necessarily remember stepping into any time machines, so I couldn’t even begin to tell you how we got here as quickly as we did. But if one thing is for certain, it is that none of us are complaining.

Related Story. NBA: Ranking every team's best player in 2020-21. light

To commemorate this exciting new year, my fellow Hoops Habit colleagues and I made a handful of predictions pertaining to an upcoming season that is sure to have plenty of quirks, twists, and turns along the way. Within these predictions, we opted to focus primarily on the most coveted awards – Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, MVP, and NBA champions. Fortunately, with a season chock full of question marks, there are plenty of terrific candidates to choose from within each category.

Yet for all we know, this season may or may not even finish under typical circumstances given the bizarre situation in which our nation continues to find itself (And yes, we cast votes on that, as well; 50 percent of my colleagues believe there will be a stoppage at some point during the NBA season, while the other 50 percent believe the season will play straight through). I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.

But without further ado, let’s get straight into the predictions.