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NBA Mid-Season Awards: Updating the ballot for the half season

By Corey Rausch

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 27: Ben Simmons #25 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Wells Fargo Center on February 27, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 27: Ben Simmons #25 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Wells Fargo Center on February 27, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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NBA (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
NBA (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

The NBA All-Star break this season also comes at the halfway point of the year, making it the perfect time to crown the half-season awards for the 2020-2021 NBA season. We listed our quarter-pole awards here and (spoiler alert) not all of them have changed.

Two awards do not seem to be particularly close anymore, with the favorites a couple of months ago continuing to build their leads. The rest are all still up for grabs, making for an interesting back half of the season. Awards season is always hotly debated but with the MVP, Most Improved Player, Defensive Player and Coach of the Year awards still up in the air the debates will only get hotter.

Every team has played between 32 and 38 games. The NBA All-Star Game has come and gone and it is time for the halfway point update on the awards races.

We will start with the two awards races that are getting less close by the day. There is little debate to be made, but two honorable mentions will be credited for the sake of consistency. The rest of the awards will also have two honorable mentions with cases being made for all three listed options, with the focus being on the primary favorite.

Even at the halfway point, the four races considered still open for debate are far from over. Just over a month ago Kevin Durant was part of the MVP discussion and Collin Sexton was leading a potential playoff team as a most improved candidate. Now neither is in the discussion anymore. Let’s get started.