NBA First-Month Awards: Best Player, Rookie and League Pass Team

Who is the MVP at the one-month mark? Who is another award candidate that deserves recognition? Our writers weigh in.

We have reached the one-month mark in the NBA season. Our writers dish out early award picks and the most fun team to watch.

Who is the MVP of the First Month?

Howard Beck: I’ll give the same answer I did when I filled out my ballot last April: Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is fast becoming this era’s MTG (Most Taken for Granted). All he’s doing is averaging 31.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists, while anchoring the NBA’s top defense and staking the Bucks to a league-leading 11–3 record. And he’s doing it all without the help of his top sidekick, Khris Middleton, who has yet to play a game. Luka is mesmerizing, Steph is thrilling, Jokić is still Jokić and Tatum’s made another leap. But no one has a stronger case than Giannis.

John Gonzalez: Lotta good candidates here. If we’re factoring in the standings, you’d have to put Jayson Tatum right at the top of your list since the Celtics are pancaking everyone. But given that it’s only the first month, I’m going with a more liberal interpretation here and simply picking the guy who has blown my mind on a nightly basis: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The counting stats are outrageous—32.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.9 spg, 1.4 bpg—but what’s even more impressive is how efficient he’s been. SGA is shooting 54.8 percent from the floor and 90.6 percent from the line (on 8.4 attempts per game!). Holy hell those are numbers. The last couple of years the Thunder have shut SGA down with nominal “injuries” in pursuit of better draft pick position. Doing that this year would be an absolute sin. Keep SGA in the kitchen and let him cook all year. Anything else would be an insult to the player and a disservice to the fans.

Chris Herring: Depending on how much you care about team record this early in the season, you could go in several different directions with this answer. But I’ll pick Tatum here. He’s anchored the league’s most efficient offense with career-best numbers despite a couple of the team’s ballhandlers—Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon—being in and out of the lineup with injuries. He’s gotten stronger, evidenced by his shooting better than 80% from inside of three feet. And the Celtics, who had their share of offseason drama, hold the East’s best mark through one month.

Robin Lundberg: I will give Luka Dončić just the slightest edge over the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum. I may be unfairly overlooking Giannis since he has won before, while Tatum does have a great surrounding cast, including Jaylen Brown. Luka has been the complete engine for Dallas and is putting up monster numbers for a Mavs team that would be nothing without him.

Rohan Nadkarni: I think it has to be Luka Dončić. He’s basically putting up a 34/9/8 every night without anyone else who commands serious attention from opposing defenses. Somehow he’s shooting under 30% from three otherwise he would be scoring even more. The Mavs don’t have a particularly great roster and yet are ahead of teams like the Clippers, Wolves, and Warriors. I have no idea if what Luka is doing is sustainable, but what he’s done so far is undeniable.

Who is the Coach of the First Month?

Beck: It has to be Utah’s Will Hardy. Sure, the Jazz have cooled off slightly, but the fact they are 10–6 and planted in the top four in the West—after jettisoning their two franchise stars over the summer—is absolutely astounding. With all due respect to Lauri Markkanen (who’s having a breakout year) and Mike Conley (an aging former All-Star), this is mostly a team of journeymen and spare parts. Yet they rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency and continue to make a mockery of everyone who labeled Utah a tanking team.

Gonzalez: Will Hardy. No one expected the Jazz to be anything approximating good this season. No one expected them to be anything other than in hot pursuit of a very tall, very talented Frenchman—especially after they excised Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. And yet for the first month of the season, they’ve remained comfortably near the top of the Western Conference standings. Lauri Markkanen has been Utah’s best player, but he’s not a superstar. There aren’t any of those on this roster. They just have a bunch of competent professionals who play well together. Credit Hardy for doing more with less.

Herring: Will Hardy. Even if the Jazz aren’t as young as some of the league’s other rebuilding clubs, there still wasn’t great reason to expect that Utah would come out of the gates as strong as it did. Credit Hardy for placing a handful of scrappy guys in the right roles. It would have been easy to have started Collin Sexton, for instance, given that he’d started his entire career. Similarly, Jordan Clarkson has been a Sixth Man award winner. Yet Sexton comes off the bench, and Clarkson starts, and both have looked great. They hit the offensive glass, and they move the ball extremely well. It’s a team that knows what it is, and Hardy is much of the reason why.

Lundberg: Chauncey Billups. I can't say I expected Portland to be near the top of the West at any point of the season even if it is early. And while I expect them to come down some, it is worth giving Mr. Big Shot some love as he’s making the most of his first big shot in the head coaching ranks.

Nadkarni: Will Hardy. The Utah Jazz are a 1/2 game out of first place in the Western Conference. That’s really all you have to say here. The Jazz. Less than a game out of first. After trading Gobert and Mitchell!

Who is the Rookie of the First Month?

Banchero has been Orlando's primary scorer and playmaker from day one.  :: Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports

Beck: Paolo Banchero is a boring answer. Paolo Banchero was the No. 1 pick in the draft. Paolo Banchero had an NBA-ready game and body. Paolo Banchero was guaranteed to become Orlando’s primary scorer and playmaker from day one, free to put up all the shots and stats he desired. Paolo Banchero is supposed to be here. There’s nothing interesting about naming Paolo Banchero the NBA’s top rookie. The thing is, Paolo Banchero is the NBA’s top rookie.

Gonzalez: There’s only one right answer here. Yes, Paolo Banchero has missed some time with an ankle sprain, but before he went down he absolutely put the league on notice that he’s a problem—not for the future but right now. He’s averaging 23.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists. I’d like to see him be a bit more efficient at the line considering how often he’s getting there, but that’s a minor point when measured against how good he’s looked everywhere else right away. The Magic absolutely made the right decision in taking him first.

Herring: I think this one pretty clearly belongs to Banchero. He’s been an all-around star for Orlando, averaging 23.5, 8.3 and 3.6, while also logging almost a block per game as a wing player. And while Benn Mathurin deserves No. 2 billing here, the way those two have reached about 20 points per game is totally different—two-thirds of Mathurin’s baskets have stemmed from an assist, whereas well under half of Banchero’s buckets have come that way. The self-creation aspect stands out when watching on film.

Lundberg: Paolo Banchero was thrust into a lead role for the Magic immediately and shined with some star worthy performances. So while Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers) and Jaden Ivey (Pistons) have also flourished, I feel like there is less pressure on them, with the only case against Banchero being that he has missed a few games.

Nadkarni: I’ll go with Paolo Banchero, even though most of the lottery class has been a lot of fun. Banchero is already such an effective scorer. I also love his attitude. During the Magic’s win against the Warriors he was going right at Draymond Green down the stretch. There’s a fine line between foolishness and confidence. So far Banchero has found himself on the right side of that divide.

Who is another award candidate (Sixth Man, DPOY, MIP, Executive) that deserves recognition?

Beck: Pelicans president David Griffin deserves some early Exec of the Year consideration—not just because his team is firmly in contention in the West, but because he also has control of the Lakers’ first-round pick, thanks to a pick swap that was part of the 2019 Anthony Davis trade. So the Pelicans could conceivably make a deep playoff run next spring, then cap it off by adding Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson in June. (Cue the Larry David “pret-tayy, pret-tayy good” meme.)

Gonzalez: I don’t know how he does it. Dealer Danny Ainge picked the Timberwolves’ pocket on that Gobert deal and set the Jazz up with a stockpile of picks that has positioned the franchise nicely for the future. If that had been all, that would have been enough. But somehow, in the process, he also helped assemble a team that is better than it has any right to be. The Jazz are simultaneously looking ahead and playing in the moment. Unreal. Credit where it’s due.

Herring: Lauri Markkanen should be in the mix for Most Improved Player. He’s put up vastly improved counting stats—including his scoring being up by almost 50%—despite the fact that he wasn’t even shooting that well from outside until recently. He’s been a perfect fit on offense, making well-timed cuts for easy baskets in Utah’s equal-opportunity system. And he’s even been solid on D, holding opponents more than 10 percentage points beneath their norms when shooting from inside of 6 feet.

Lundberg: I want to give Russell Westbrook a little credit. Russ has thrust himself into the Sixth Man of the Year mix by accepting a bench role, and perhaps extending his career in the process. After Westbrook had been roundly ridiculed, it's nice to see Brodie respond maturely rather than stubbornly resist to adapt.

Nadkarni: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may have already been too good to deserve Most Improved Player, but he deserves some kind of recognition here. He’s been absolutely incredible and one of the most fun watches every single night. He may be single handedly forcing the Thunder not to tank this season, which is a massive accomplishment. At this rate, it’s not inconceivable SGA receives a few MVP votes.

Who is the League Pass Team of the First Month?

Ja Morant and the Grizzlies are must-watch TV.  :: Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Beck: I’m going with the Grizzlies, on the basis of a) Ja Morant being a Grizzly, b) Ja Morant lighting up Twitter on a near nightly basis and c) well, this dunk alone. Because it’s worth watching every Grizzlies game in anticipation that something like this could happen at any second.

Gonzalez: This one is easy. Give me the Thunder and the most exciting player in basketball right now. Watching SGA each game has been an absolute delight. He’s a human highlight reel. The leap he’s taken this year from good to great feels like the same transition we saw from Ja Morant last season. But we should also note that the Thunder have been oddly feisty so far. Like a lot of people, I expected them to be in full tank mode once again, but they’ve been a really tough matchup on most nights. They’re young and fun and a pleasant surprise. Once more, I am appealing to Sam Presti to leave them all be and let this thing ride. These kids, as it turns out, are alright.

Herring: The Kings have been SO much fun. I’ve reached a point where I’m tuning into every one of their games so far. I’ve learned that I often don’t even have time to look down and take notes on their games, because when I do, I’m missing a lob to Chimezie Metu, or a quick-strike score in transition from one of De’Aaron Fox’s push-aheads. They have shooting. They have speed. Most of their games, until this week, had gone down to the final minute or two. A League Pass dream. And they’re winning! Which isn’t something we’re always able to say about a team with the longest-running playoff drought in NBA history!

Lundberg: I'll give the Thunder some love, mostly because of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA has officially arrived, as he is putting up superstar statlines. It's about time this franchise became about a player(s) and not just future draft picks.

Nadkarni: It’s a tie between the Blazers and Jazz. Both have surpassed expectations and both have been really fun. I love the athleticism Portland has on the perimeter, and Shaedon Sharpe plus Jerami Grant have been revelations. The Jazz are funky. Lauri Markannen and Kelly Olynyk have a sweet two-man, pick-and-pop game, and everyone in the rotation offers, at the very least, competence. They make no sense, and that’s what makes them beautiful.