Rookie of the Year and Avenging Player of the Year Who are these awards going to?

And we've also voted the most exciting players and the best revenge player of the season.

The NBA is almost halfway through the regular season, with most teams playing nearly 41 games, though there have been several postponed games. As the season progresses, competition for various awards has taken shape, and although the discussion about MVP candidates has been as fierce as ever, there have been front-runners in the competition for some honors. If the season ends today, here's my selection of who will spend the awards.

Rookie of the Year: Evan Mobley

This is probably the easiest of all the awards to be judged. Mobley, who plays for the Cavaliers, averaged 14.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, and he has become the most surprising player of the first half of the season. Cleveland's goal difference is the highest of any team in the East, while defense ranks third in the league, and Mobley is an important factor in the team's success. None of his stats are at the top of the list (he ranks fourth in points, eighth in assists, and first in rebounds). His real highlight was on the defensive end, forming a suffocating frontcourt combination with potentially All-Star-induced Jarrett Allen.

Mobley has alleviated fears of the embarrassment that could arise when he partners Allen and fellow forward Laurie Markkanen, as versatility on the defensive end allows him to play a role against any player in the NBA. Mobley is already a full-fledged defender, protector of paint and baskets, and a budding outside defensive star. The fact that people in the league are blunt about comparing him to Kevin Garnett is crazy. While there's still room for improvement in his shooting, Mobley is still an influential player on the offensive end, thanks to his height and speed. Mobley has performed so well so early in his career, so don't be surprised if Rookie of the Year isn't the only accolade he received at the end of the season. It is also possible to be selected for the best defensive team.

Coach of the Year: Taylor Jenkins

This is a very competitive award. Jenkins, Eric Spoolstra and Billy Donovan all had great calls for the award. Donovan leads the Bulls to the top of the Eastern Conference, ahead of the nets and bucks. Spoolstra led the team to an 11-4 record without jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayor at the same time, and Miami's success this season is a testament to his ability to develop players. As it stands, I chose Jenkins, who has led the Grizzlies to third place in the West. The Grizzlies didn't stop when Morant couldn't play early in the season and have so far gone 11-2 without their star guard. The Grizzlies lead the schedule, and Jenkins deserves recognition as he leads a team that is on par with all experienced contenders on any given night.

Fastest improving player: Miles Bridges

Despite his decline since averaging nearly 25 points per game in October, Bridges remains the player most deserving of the Fastest Improving Player award. The former Michigan State university's top player averaged the best in his game in terms of points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals and free throw counts, which are important for a basketball player. At 6'7,000 feet, Bridges has the height and athleticism of a contemporary forward scorer, but at the Hornets he's more of an omnipotent striker. He can play a role as a ball-handler or coverer in blocking tactics, shooting enough three-pointers to open up space, and acting as an empty cutter to wreak havoc on defense, all while taking on tough defensive tasks on the defensive end.

All of this adds up to Bridges averaging 19.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Passing ability is probably where Bridges has shown the most improvement. Playing next to a point guard like Terry Rozier or Lamello Ball means Bridges doesn't have to take on the huge burden of organising the attack, however, he has proven himself to be a successful decision-maker when it comes to holding the ball.

Bridges, however, won't necessarily win the award. Dejuntai Murray and Jordan Poole are also elected with good reasons, and they will be more competitive if Bridges' outside projections do not remain stable. (Ja-Morante has his own reasons, though I think he's already too good to win a MIP.) )

Sixth Man of the Year: Taylor Hilo

Hiro is the winner of the award and may even hold an All-Star bench seat in the East. He was the highest-scoring player on the bench, averaging 20.7 points per game and shooting 38.3 percent from three-point range. In fact, if you want to listen to those annoying, very specific stats, Hiro is one of the three players in the league who averaged at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game, while shooting more than 38 percent from three-point range while averaging at least six shots per game. Who are the other two players? Devon Booker and Stephen Curry.

As a key player on the Heat bench, Hiro has thrived, especially after his mediocre performances in his second year. His stats reached a career-high, and his progress was easily observed through his performance on the field. Hiro became a more confident three-point jumper, shooting more from 10 feet than in the first two years of his career. He's in better shape this season, which has allowed him to realize his ideas on the offensive end better than in the past. Although his assists have increased, so have his turnovers. The next step in the Hiro game will be to handle the ball more cautiously. If he could do that, he wouldn't be on the bench for long.

Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green

Simply put, I awarded this award to the best defensive player of the best defensive team of the season. As of Jan. 14, the Warriors' defensive efficiency is 102.3, which will be the most defensively efficient of any team in the NBA since the Spurs in 2016. Green's performance on the defensive end was amazing. Whatever you ask him to do, he's going to do a better job than most players and give orders to his teammates to make sure they get the job done too. Green is the last trump card in times of trouble, a Swiss Army knife that opens the Warriors' defense. He can defend big men, disrupt a team's favorite blocking fit, defend opponents' best outside scorers, and chase them physically and verbally. Watching Draymond's mobile defense is like watching dynamic poetry. He's always one step ahead of the offense, and he's compensated for his possible lack of top-level athleticism with the fastest thinking in the NBA.

Green has only won one of those awards, which is a bit shocking. With the Jazz's overall defense slipping (which also weakened support for Gobert's win), Draymond is long overdue for a second defensive player.

The most exciting player: Ja Morant

Okay, we're about to talk about MVP. First of all, I would like to use a small episode to honor a few players who may not win the MVP, but can be used to define this season. The first is Morant, who seems to have thrilling moments every time he steps onto the basketball court. The way he plays is refreshing. From looking down at fans in Warriors jerseys to getting used to dribbling a few inches in front of him in order to get past people quickly, Morant isn't just good, he's enjoying the game. Oh, and he's not afraid to try to dunk on anyone. The Grizzlies are a good team. Even if they never win a game, Morant's presence makes it worth watching.

Revenge player of the season: DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan has been stuffing analytics maniacs into lockers all season. His signing with Chicago has been heavily criticized. Why did the Bulls give him so much money? Who are the Bulls' competitors? This is a common argument in summer. I'm skeptical of that myself, because teams with DeRozan in history have all performed better than before when they let him play as a substitute. So far, DeRozan has teased all the critics. With him on the court, the Bulls thriving, deRozan is going through the best season of his career, scoring efficiently, making fouls on the free throw line in his own way, and winning the game with ease. This is a good thing for DeRozan and a reminder to everyone that a talented player like him should not be so easily abandoned.

MVP: Nikola Jokic

It was an extremely difficult decision. Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant all deserve MVP. Meanwhile, players like DeRozan, Morant, and probably even Chris Paul have garnered support in the voting. This year will be one of the years when the word "valuable" will really be hotly debated. Jokic, Giannis, Durant, and Curry all have ridiculous statistics that I think are useless in the final competition. Who offers the most value?

With this idea, I now have the person for this award. Stephen is still highly likely to win, but his recent drop in shooting percentage and the Warriors' offense mean he's now taking a step back in the judging. Meanwhile, Giannis and Durant have the advantage of playing with other great players. Durant is with James Harden and now kyrie Irving, and the Greek monsters are with Chris Middleton and Judy Holliday. Jokic, meanwhile, has had two of his best teammates, Jamal Murray and Michael Potter Jr., for almost the entire season.

The statistic I keep reviewing is this: According to per Cleaning the Glass, the Nuggets can score 22.9 more points per 100 possessions in Jokic's presence than when he wasn't. When Jokic came on, the Denver Nuggets had a net win difference of 9.3, and when Jokic didn't play, the Denver Nuggets had a net win difference of -13.6. By comparison, the Warriors' highest league net difference score is 7.8 and the Pistons' lowest league goal difference is -9.9. That means Denver is like one of the NBA's best teams when Jokic is on the court, turning into a college team when he's sitting on the bench.

Almost every game, Jokic established a lead for the team, the substitutes buried the lead, and then Jokic had to play to regain the advantage. Still, Denver maintained a 20-15 record in Jokic's playing game, which equates to the fifth-highest win percentage in the West. Even if you give the Nuggets some of Jokic's less famous teammates of the same era, like Jordan Poole or Patty Mills, Denver will be in a much better position than it is now.

It's hard for me to deny the value Jokic has brought to his team, which has made him the most important player in the league right now. As soon as he left the pitch, his team fell into disaster. So that's my choice in the middle of the season.

First place, Nikolai Jokic

Second place, Stephen Curry

Third place, Giannis Antetokounmpo

Fourth place, Kevin Durant

Fifth place, Demar DeRozan