CHICAGO _ No surprise here.
The 76ers talented duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are finalists for NBA awards.
Simmons, Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum are the rookie-of-the-year finalists. Meanwhile, Embiid, Jazz center Rudy Gobert and New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis are the finalists for defensive player of the year.
The votes for the regular-season awards were submitted in April. The finalists are the top three vote getters. The winner will be announced at the NBA Awards Show at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. on June 25.
The most valuable player, the sixth man award, most improved player and coach of the year will also be named on that night.
Simmons averaged 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and a league fifth-best 8.2 assists this past season. He had 12 triple-doubles in the regular season. Mitchell averaged 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals. Meanwhile, Tatum averaged 13.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals.
Davis led the league with 2.57 blocks per game. He was also second in the league in scoring at 28.1 points, while ranking fifth in rebounds at 11.1. Embiid averaged 22.9 points, 11 rebounds and 1.76 blocks, while Gobert averaged 13.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.
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