Before COVID-19 interrupted — and perhaps ended — an incredible 2019-20 NBA season, Giannis Antetokounmpo was in the process of elevating his game and the Milwaukee Bucks to historic levels, LeBron James had come back from off the ropes to complete another right jab, left uppercut combo on Father Time and Kawhi Leonard had his hometown LA Clippers, woebegone franchise it once was, looking like legitimate contenders.



While the NBA continues to evaluate whether the COVID-19 pandemic will allow the continuation of this campaign or result in the first season that ended without a champion, The Athletic NBA staff of national writers and beat writers decided to maintain some level of April normalcy. Since this would’ve been the first full week of the playoffs, we decided here would be a good place to announce our award winners. Additionally, we added a few other categories based on what was revealed during what has already been an unprecedented and unforgettable...