Cavs players that have the best chance of winning each award

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Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets and Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images /

6th Man of the Year – Kevin Love

I don’t believe this prediction should be ground-breaking. Like I said, he already came in 2nd place in the voting for this award last season. Also, I believe Tyler Herro should’ve been a starter on the Heat last season, and Love, even with all he has done, didn’t deserve to be the starting power forward over Evan Mobley last season. Either way, Love shouldn’t regress substantially enough for him not to be mentioned in this award race next season.

Will he win this award? To be honest, I don’t think so. There are many amazing 6th men in the league. For example, Jordan Poole (my prediction), Malcolm Brogdon, Norman Powell, Christian Wood, and Bones Hyland all have a solid shot of winning this award, and this award race should be tighter than it has been in recent years.

Rookie of the Year – Isaiah Mobley

I won’t spend too long talking about this pick, as Mobley is literally the only rookie on this roster, as of now, and a two-way player currently. Does he have a shot of winning this award? Nothing against Isaiah Mobley, but I’d think that considering he is on a two-way contract, he has a very small chance of making an All-Rookie team, let alone Rookie of the Year.

When Mobley was drafted, I was a bit surprised. I like the pick now, but at the time, I wanted JD Davison or Kendall Brown (who was picked one spot before Mobley). However, I do think he should do well in both the G-League and NBA.

Defensive Player of the Year – Evan Mobley

Like I already mentioned, Mobley earned some All-Defensive team votes last season, which is tremendous, and is a really amazing thing when you consider he was only a rookie. His perimeter defense was solid for a player who is 6’11.” Also, he’s already one of the league’s best rim protectors, averaging 1.7 blocks per game, and had a tremendous 107.3 defensive rating last season.

Many people have proclaimed Mobley to be the next best two-way big, and his playmaking isn’t bad either. But his defense is already elite, and next year, he has a solid shot of making an All-Defensive team, if he plays enough games.