Handing Out 2026 NBA Playoffs Awards So Far
We're now well into the conference finals, which means the 2026 NBA Playoffs have given us more than enough of a sample to really analyze the whole field.
Today, we're doing that through the lens of individual awards.
Based on the postseason performance of every player, whether they've been eliminated or not, we have the playoff MVP, Rookie of the Playoffs, Defensive Player of the Playoffs, Sixth Man of the Playoffs and Most Improved playoff player below.
Most Improved: Karl-Anthony Towns
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Karl-Anthony Towns is in the middle of one of the biggest postseason breakouts in recent memory.
Despite being a six-time All-Star, he's long struggled to play at the same level in the playoffs. In his first five postseasons, he had a 1.1 box plus/minus, averaged 3.9 fouls per game and shot 35.0 percent from deep.
This postseason, though his scoring is down, he leads the entire NBA in BPM (at 11.6), is less than one assist per game shy of Jalen Brunson for the team lead in that category and is shooting 46.2 percent from deep.
Beyond his well-rounded numbers (17.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals), Towns has been a steadying force for perhaps the hottest team in the playoffs. With his susceptibility to foul trouble and bad turnovers, he was typically the opposite of that in prior postseason runs.
And KAT's individual turnaround is perhaps the biggest reason New York is just a few wins away from a championship.
Sixth Man of the Playoffs: Ayo Dosunmu
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There are good cases for Collin Murray-Boyles (14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 27.3 minutes off the bench), Payton Pritchard (14.6 points and 5.1 assists) and Dylan Harper (more on him later). And a quieter second round may detract from his case a bit, but Ayo Dosunmu is still the leader in the clubhouse on this one.
First of all, despite averaging 9.4 points against the San Antonio Spurs, Dosunmu leads all reserves in playoff scoring at 15.6 points. Adding 4.1 assists and a 42.5 three-point percentage helps too.
But what really puts Dosunmu over the top in this discussion is the fact that he almost singlehandedly eliminated the Denver Nuggets and might've even sent them into an existential crisis.
In Game 4 of their first-round series, which saw Donte DiVincenzo tear his Achilles in the opening minutes and saw Anthony Edwards leave before halftime, Dosunmu erupted for 43 points on 13-of-17 shooting.
His physicality and explosiveness overwhelmed Denver and put the Minnesota Timberwolves within one win of the second round (which they ultimately reached).
Defensive Player of the Playoffs: Victor Wembanyama
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There's no need to get cute on this one.
Ausar Thompson averaged 4.6 defensive rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks, while generally being a menace for the Detroit Pistons. A big part of KAT leading the postseason in box plus/minus is the fact that he also leads in defensive box plus/minus. And Cason Wallace has an absurd steal rate (2.0 per game) in just 23.8 minutes.
But the best and most feared defender this postseason is the same player who just won Defensive Player of the Year (and became the first player in league history to do so unanimously).
The Spurs lead the playoffs in points allowed per 100 possessions, while Wemby leads all players in blocks per game (4.0) and trails only Nikola Jokić in defensive rebounds per game.
What may make him most valuable on that end of the floor is the things that aren't measured, though. Tune into any Spurs game during this run, and you're likely to see multiple examples of guards and wins breaking the three-point line, seeing Wemby in the paint and making an immediate about-face.
Wembanyama is a genuine game-changer who forces every opponent (including the Oklahoma City Thunder) to completely rethink their offensive approach.
Rookie of the Playoffs: Dylan Harper
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Harper and CMB are the only real candidates for this one. And while Murray Boyles averaged more stocks and rebounds than Harper, the Spurs guard has played almost twice as many minutes and is doing his producing in the West.
Through 19 games, the 20-year-old (who just had his birthday in March) is averaging 14.4 points (tied with Murray-Boyles for the rookie lead), 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in just 26.8 minutes.
His defense and generally steady demeanor look like the kind of traits that a 10-year veteran would possess. Somehow, he's bringing them despite being a teenager for most of the season.
Regardless of what happens for the rest of this San Antonio run, Harper has proven that his team's bright future is about a lot more than Wemby.
Most Valuable Player: Victor Wembanyama
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The reigning league MVP leads the playoffs in scoring at 28.7 points per game. And his Oklahoma City Thunder have only lost once.
Despite the online discussion focusing on his foul-baiting and the number of times he falls on his shot attempts, there's a decent argument he's still been this postseason's most valuable player.
But, unlike the actual vote from the regular season, the imaginary one here is going to put a little more stock in Wembanyama's defense.
He's the most impactful player in the playoffs on that end, while also typically dominating on offense too.
When you remove his two limited-minute games from the equation (one was the result of a concussion, while the other was for a suspension), Wembanyama has averaged 25.6 points, 14.0 rebounds, 4.7 blocks and 3.1 assists.
And unless officials are allowing San Antonio's opponents to simply grab, hold and otherwise foul him on most possessions without blowing the whistle (as they did in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals), there's really no answer for Wembanyama on either end of the floor.
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