Bulls guard Coby White (left) celebrates with forward DeMar DeRozan after scoring against the Hawks in a play-in tournament game on April 17 at the United Center.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
The Bulls aren’t in the playoffs, but they have two finalists for the NBA’s postseason awards.
Forward DeMar DeRozan is a candidate for Clutch Player for the second consecutive season, and guard Coby White is a candidate for Most Improved Player.
DeRozan finished behind Kings guard De’Aaron Fox for the Clutch award last season. Among the criteria are fourth-quarter scoring, usage rate in clutch games — which the league defines as games with a margin of five points or fewer with five minutes or less to play — and win rate.
His competition this season is Warriors star Stephen Curry and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who also is a finalist for MVP.
White, meanwhile, will be up against 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey and Rockets forward Alperen Sengun after a season in which he improved his scoring from 9.7 points to 19.1, his rebounds from 2.9 to 4.5 and his assists from 2.8 to 5.1.
Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t the only player who is a finalist for multiple awards. Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama is a heavy favorite to win Rookie of the Year and also is a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year after leading the NBA in blocked shots with 3.6 a game.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s competition for MVP will be Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who is looking to win the award for the third time in the last four seasons, and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.
If Jokic wins the award, he would become the ninth player with three or more MVPs, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), former Bulls star Michael Jordan and Bill Russell (five), Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James (four) and Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson (three).
Wembanyama is up against Thunder forward Chet Holmgren and Hornets forward Brandon Miller for Rookie of the Year and Heat big man Bam Adebayo and Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert for Defensive Player of
the Year.
Kings guard Malik Monk, Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. and Timberwolves forward Naz Reid are the finalists for Sixth Man of the Year, and the Thunder’s Mark Daigneault, the Timberwolves’ Chris Finch and the Magic’s Jamahl Mosley are the candidates for Coach of the Year.