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As a little of a quarter of the NBA season is in the books, it is time for my quarterly awards. Never too early to start random trade scenarios and give non official awards out so here are the winners of the Right Hook Ray quarterly awards in the 2023-24 season.
MVP- This is going to be a boring and short answer, but my MVP of the quarter is Nikola Jokic. Jokic continues to be a force that is head and shoulders above his peers like this since possibly 2013 LeBron James in Miami, Jokic despite some injuries on the Nuggets continues to carry the team to be in the top half of the west and still be the favorites as well as make a strong case for another regular season MVP if he keeps this up.
Rookie of the Quarter- All due respect to our French phenom Victor Wembanyama who has had good start to his career even with the struggles that occur with that rebuilding Spurs team, but the rookie of the quarter is easily Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Holmgren has made an impact on this promising young team right away, where they may be ahead of schedule currently sitting second in the west at 15-7 certainly makes a convincing case for Holmgren earning this award.
Most Improved Player of the Quarter- I have been driving the Tyrese Haliburton bandwagon for awhile now and don’t plan on stopping (laughs) Tyrese Maxey is certainly deserving of this award for what he’s done for Philadelphia and their season but Haliburton especially in these big in-season tournament spots made a huge statement to the national or broader audience who are not familiar with him. Could this continue to start an MVP discussion? We’ll see but certainly deserves consideration for being starting all-star this year especially with it being in Indiana this year would be a great moment for Haliburton and the Pacers.
Sixth Man of the Quarter- Again I hate gloating but when I’m right on things I sort of have no choice but to, and when it comes to Magic spark plug player Cole Anthony, I have never been happier being right on such a talent. Yes, it has been rocky to start but this Magic team has been a pleasant surprise and one of the reasons for that is the performance from Cole Anthony in the 6th man role, Anthony has been a great surge coming off the bench giving the magic starters a reliable piece to hold things intact while they sit. Austin Reaves certainly makes a case for this award but right now at this point in the season Anthony edges Reaves out for my sixth man of the quarter.
Coach of the Quarter- Sticking with the Orlando Magic and their surprising start the coach of the quarter is Jamahl Mosley. Coming into this year, Mosley possibly was on the hot seat but has certainly turned that around with the way this Magic team is performing being second in the East currently. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch and Thunder Mark Daigneault were close runner ups but considering the expectations for the Magic coming into the season were low, what Mosley has done is something worth rewarding.
Defensive Player of the Quarter- Now I have been critical of this player throughout the years but again I have to give props when it calls for it and Rudy Gobert has been incredible. Gobert seems to look like the “Stifle” Tower from his time in Utah this season which shows with the Timberwolves being a top 4 team in the west and one of the better defensive teams in the NBA certainly starts and ends with Gobert and his presence possibly regaining his reputation of being a walking top 10 again this season so far.
