The NBA announced top performers during the 2019-20 season’s restart will be recognized and named to the All-Seeding Games Teams and one player will be named the Player of the Seeding Games.
Like with regular season awards, media who have been covering games in the Walt Disney World bubble will be responsible for voting five players to the All-Seeding Games First Team and five players to the All-Seeding Games Second Team. Ten total players will be selected from either conference at any position.
The same panel of sportswriters and broadcasters will also vote for the Kia NBA Player of the Seeding Games.
The All-Seeding Games Teams and Player of the Seeding Games will be revealed on Saturday, Aug. 15, prior to Game 1 of the Western Conference play-in tournament. NBA seeding games began July 30 and conclude Friday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Meanwhile, voting for the regular season awards, such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year have passed, in addition to the All-NBA, All-Rookie Team, and NBA All-Defensive Team.
Voting for such awards was based on games played from the beginning of the 2019-20 season through March 11. The NBA determined not to take into account the seeding games because not all teams and players were invited to participate in the bubble.
The Los Angeles Lakers are well-represented for the regular season, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis being named as finalists for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively.
James averaged 25.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and a career-high 10.3 assists prior to the season’s hiatus, while Davis averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.5 steals.
Frank Vogel not focused on awards
All season long, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has praised his players and gone to bat for them in the media after both good and bad performances.
Vogel has been particularly vocal about James and Davis coming away with the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards, stating that their play throughout the year is the reason why the Lakers are the No. 1 seed in a competitive Western Conference.
Both players were recently named finalists in the respective categories but are not the odds-on favorites as Giannis Antetokounmpo appears to be the frontrunner for both honors. The Milwaukee Bucks were the best team in the league record-wise, and the reigning MVP could sweep the awards for the first time since Hakeem Olajuwon did it back in 1994.
While it would be a nice way to celebrate the Lakers’ season, Vogel said they are not paying much attention to it given what is currently at stake.
“I think when the time comes they may be anticipating and we all will be hopeful they get those awards, but I believe that’s a long ways away,” he said. “It’s really not on anybody’s mind right now.”
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