# NBA Awards Predictions 2026: MVP, Rookie of the Year Debate + Playoff Superlatives | Chiney Today

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Podcast: [Chiney Today](https://stenobird.com/podcast/chiney-today-7758099)
Published: 2026-04-17T09:59:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/ESP3883355676.mp3?updated=1776420983
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Duration seconds: 1667

## Resource

The NBA playoffs are here—and it’s time to hand out some hardware 🏆 On this episode of Chiney Today, Chiney Ogwumike is joined by ESPN researcher Jason Joseph to break down their 2026 NBA Awards predictions, including MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and more. The biggest debate? Cooper Flagg vs. Kon Knueppel for Rookie of the Year—do you reward elite production on a struggling team or historic shooting on a playoff squad? Plus, they dive into: Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making a strong MVP case The dominance of Victor Wembanyama as Defensive Player of the Year The most clutch player in the league this season Surprise picks for Sixth Man and Most Improved And to close it out, rapid-fire NBA Playoff Superlatives, including: Breakout stars to watch 👀 The most surprising playoff team Dream playoff matchups Players under the most pressure this postseason From awards debates to playoff storylines, this episode gets you ready for everything coming in the NBA postseason. 👍 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and drop your picks in the comments! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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