SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) _ James Harden has received a nice consolation prize after leading the Houston Rockets to the NBA’s best record this past season.
The Rockets guard has come away with league MVP honors after pacing the NBA in scoring, 3-pointers and 50-point games. He helped Houston win 65 games during the regular season and two playoff rounds before falling to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals.
Dwane Casey has received the Coach of the Year award for his work with his former team, the Raptors. He was fired last month and has since become coach of the Pistons.
Ben Simmons of the 76ers has won rookie of the year honors after averaging 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Clippers standout Lou Williams is the sixth man of the year. The guard became the first player to average at least 20 points for the first time in his 13th season or later.
Utah’s Rudy Gobert is the defensive player of the year, and Indiana guard Victor Oladipo is the most improved player.