The NBA season officially tips off tomorrow night, and it’s never too early to look ahead to who the award winners might be for the 2020-21 season. We polled our experts for their picks, and this is what Brad Camara, Aaron Larson, Michael Waterloo, Dave Kluge, and Zak Hanshew had to say.

View consensus odds for the 2020/21 NBA Championship at BettingPros

Most Valuable Player

Luka Doncic almost had the MVP last year, but I think he finally snags it in his third season. He made a leap from great player to superstar last year, and at just 21 years old there’s reason to believe that he can still improve. A 30-point triple-double season isn’t out of the question.  -Kluge

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the reigning back-to-back MVP, but the last player to win three consecutive was Larry Bird 35 years ago. LeBron James hasn’t won the award since the 2012-13 season despite having numerous MVP-worthy campaigns. It’s a regular-season award but his playoff performance in the bubble last season generated MVP buzz, and If he puts up numbers anywhere near the 25.3 points, 10.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds from last season he’ll get take home his fifth MVP.  -Larson

Trae Young is my pick for MVP for the 2020-21 campaign. The Hawks are going to be a dangerous team with the additions of Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, Kris Dunn and a healthy Clint Capela (who was acquired at last year’s deadline). Young was phenomenal last season, averaging 29.6 points, 9.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1,1 steals and 3.4 triples over 60 games last season. The 22-year-old will continue to post elite stats and lead the Hawks to a playoff berth since 2017.  -Camara

36-year-old LeBron James is going to be resting more this year, so it’s going to be the Anthony Davis show in Los Angeles. He, too, will rest, but he’ll shoulder the load this year and be the go-to option for the Lakers as they go back-to-back as champs.  -Waterloo

I’ll have to roll with Luka Doncic here. Coming off a ridiculous statistical season in which he nearly averaged a triple-double, the 21-year-old point forward has tremendous upside heading into his third season. With Kristaps Porzingis – the team’s other primary offensive weapon – set to miss time right out of the gate, Doncic should shoulder a heavy load again. He turns 22 in February, and the current record holder for youngest MVP, Derrick Rose, was 22 when he won the award back in 2010-11.  -Hanshew

Rookie of the Year

LaMelo Ball seems primed to take Rookie of the Year as he’s already played on big stages and could be the No. 1 scorer in Charlotte this season. He’ll play alongside Gordon Hayward, but his injury history could open the doors for this to become Ball’s team early. He’s the Vegas favorite at +400 and for good reason.  -Kluge

Obi Toppin may not have the highest ceiling of the 2020 rookie class but he has the best combination of game readiness and team opportunity. The 22-year-old rookie should have plenty of time on the floor to contribute right away and fill up the box score. The Knicks have been a mess for years, but a shining rookie in New York will generate enough buzz to procure the ROY award.  -Larson

Obi Toppin is expected to have a key role with the Knicks right away. He averaged 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.2 blocks in his final season ast Dayton. Toppin will compete with RJ Barrett and Julius Randle for shots in the Knicks’ offense. The 22-year-old should see a high usage in his first year in the league and is my pick for Rookie of the Year.  -Camara

It’s probably going to be Obi Toppin, but trusting Tom Thibodeau is not a wise bet. Let’s instead go with Patrick Williams. The Bulls reached for Williams at No. 4, but he’s been nothing short of impressive on both ends of the court in the preseason for the Bulls. He should crack the starting lineup in short time for Chicago. I can see a Jonathan Isaac-type player here.  -Waterloo

Obi Toppin is a popular pick for this award, and for good reason. But I’ll buck the trend and go with Isaac Okoro. He’s provided some quality scoring for Cleveland in his two preseason appearances, and he looked good on the defensive end as well. The Auburn product made his name in college as a two-way player, and he’s expected to handle a hefty workload in his first NBA campaign. Cleveland is severely lacking for playmakers and defense, and Kevin Love has not proven to be especially durable in recent seasons. Okoro should have the opportunity to shine with a depleted Cavs team this season.  -Hanshew

Defensive Player of the Year

Although Giannis Antetokounmpo won last year, Rudy Gobert had won the previous two years. Even in a year where Gobert didn’t win, he finished with a league-best 4.85 Defensive Real Plus-Minus and 2.0 blocks per game, good for the sixth-highest in the league. I’m betting on the two-time Defensive Player of the Year to regain the throne in 2021.  -Kluge

Giannis Antetokounmpo may not win MVP again this season but I do predict he’ll take home another DPOY. His rebounding numbers have gone up every season and led the NBA with 11.4 defensive rebounds per game last year. Defensive stats only go so far though, and the Greek Freak’s hustle and imposing presence in the lane will garner him some votes even if they don’t show up on a stat sheet.  -Larson

Fresh off a supermax extension, Giannis Antetokounmpo might not win another MVP, but another DPOY is not out of the question. He averaged 13.6 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals over 63 games last season. The 26-year-old’s rebounding numbers have gone up each season, and he continues to fill the stat sheet on a daily basis. Rudy Gobert and Anthony Davis will give Giannis some competition for Defensive Player of the Year, but I feel he will continue to build on last year and make it back-to-back DPOYs.  -Camara

When you don’t know who will win DPOY, look at past winners of the award. It’s going to be Rudy Gobert, who has won two of the past three awards, and is fresh off his big contact with the Jazz.  -Waterloo

Once again, I’ll go against the grain and pick someone not named Gobert or Antetokounmpo. Fresh off his second All-Defense First Team selection in three seasons, Anthony Davis gets my vote for DPOY. He’s a force in the paint, can step out and switch to help on defense, and he anchored a Lakers’ defense that was one of the best in the NBA in 2019-20. Davis has averaged at least 2.3 blocks and 1.5 steals in each of the last three seasons, and I’m expecting another monster year – one that catapults him into rarified air.  -Hanshew

Most Improved Player

Tyler Herro had an up-and-down regular season but showed some flashes in the playoffs of his superstar potential. After averaging 13.5 points per game during the regular season, he elevated his scoring to 16.0 points per game in the playoffs, including 19.2 in the Conference Finals against Boston. I expect him to keep that momentum going into 2020-2021 where he will become a more consistent scorer and make a run at Most Improved Player.  -Kluge

From going undrafted, to numerous G League assignments, to being waived by multiple teams, Christian Wood has taken the long road to NBA success. Now he’s signed a $41 million contract and is poised for a big role in Houston. He’s set up for success playing with veteran point guard John Wall in Stephen Silas’s system and is ready to breakout.  -Larson

Christian Wood agreed to a three-year, $40 million contract with the Rockets during the offseason. Prior to the NBA shutdown in March, Wood finished the season strong, averaging 24.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 triples over his last 10 games. After bouncing around the league with five different teams, Wood is ready to take the next step to become a star player. The 25-year-old should easily surpass his averages across the board in all counting stats.  -Camara

There are so many options for this award. Christian Wood? Absolutely. Coby White? You bet. Let’s go a little bit deeper and go with Darius Bazley. The Thunder are going to be terrible this year, but SGA is going to need a complentary piece in that offense. It’s going to be the second-year forward Bazley, who can finish inside or out. He’s still raw, but he has Top-50 potential as a dynasty player.  -Waterloo

There’s no denying how popular Christian Wood should be for this award… which is exactly why I’m selecting him. The journeyman signed a three-year deal with Houston that will give him his first taste of security and consistency in the NBA, and he’s set up nicely to succeed with the Rockets. Wood has flashed monster upside in somewhat limited minutes throughout his career, but he’s expected to be a full-time starter with his new team. Even juicier is the prospect of James Harden exiting stage left, leaving plenty of scoring opportunities up for grabs for the young big man.  -Hanshew

Scoring Champ

Kevin Durant is set up for success in Brooklyn and I think he has a legitimate chance and becoming the scoring champion again. Kyrie Irving has developed as a facilitator over the last few years and Durant’s increased usage along with his efficiency can push him to 35-plus points per game. I expect this improved Nets roster to be an offensive powerhouse with Durant leading the charge.  -Kluge

Given the downward spiral we may be seeing from James Harden, I can’t imagine him repeating. Steph Curry is my favorite to replace him. We’ve seen Steph do it before and with Kevin Durant gone and Klay Thompson out for another season, he’ll easily be the top scoring option for the Warriors and should be taking plenty of shots. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him lofting double-digit three-pointers every game and averaging over 30 points again.  -Larson

Trae Young is my pick for MVP as well as scoring champ. His 29.6 points per game last season was good for fifth in the league. I believe with a better supporting cast, Young will see better shot opportunities and continue to build off his breakout 2019-20 campaign. The 22-year-old can light up the scoreboard on any given night, including scoring 40-plus or more in 11 games in 2019-20. Young will have some tough competition in James Harden, Damian Lillard, and Stephen Curry, but everything is lined up for him to lead the NBA in scoring.  -Camara

Let’s double-down on our 2019-2020 predictions and go with Steph Curry, who is once again without Klay Thompson. Curry got injured early on last year, which thwarted his expected big season. Not this year. The Warrios have No. 5 seed aspirations, and they’ll need the chef to be cooking all year to reach those.  -Waterloo

Let’s go Devin Booker. Heading into his sixth season, Book has continued to improve his FG% and FT% and posted career highs in both categories in 2019-20. In recent seasons, he’s been asked to play more on ball and has averaged 6.5 assists or better in each of his last two campaigns. The arrival of Chris Paul should allow Booker to play off ball more and focus on scoring. He’s averaged exactly 26.6 points in each of his last two seasons, and with Paul dishing him the ball and scoring threat Kelley Oubre now in Golden State, Booker could take the next step forward and push for a 30-point campaign. He’s my pick for 2020-21 scoring champ.  -Hanshew

View consensus odds for the 2020/21 NBA Championship at BettingPros