Fantasy Basketball award winners for the 2022-2023 NBA season

The fantasy basketball season is officially over, and despite the quotidian trudge of boxscores, waiver wire adds and trade negotiations, hopefully, your season ended with some new hardware! And if it wasn't your time, that's ok — there's always next season.

With the NBA's regular season ending this Sunday, it's an appropriate time to give out several fantasy awards, recognizing the top performers over the past several months.

Read ahead as I break down some standout accomplishments from 2022-2023:

Fantasy MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

I get the argument for Nikola Jokić, but SGA is more deserving considering where he was drafted and how he finished. His preseason ADP was 44.9, and he finished THIRD in per-game value and SECOND in total value. I expand on my reasoning for vaulting SGA into the fantasy elite on my latest Tip-off with Titus, but it's not really a debate considering the draft capital and year-end results.

The Thunder are loaded with talent, and at only 24 years old, we still haven't seen SGA's ceiling — but he's a top-5 pick next year, believe that.

Honorable mentions: Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum

Most Improved Player: Lauri Markkanen

A fairly obvious selection as he posted career-best numbers across five categories; Points (25.6/g), field-goal percentage (49.9%), three-pointers made (3/g), free-throw percentage (87.5%) and assists (1.9/g). And he averaged the most rebounds in five seasons at 8.6 per contest. He, too, was featured in my latest Tip-off with Titus and will be a solid selection within the first three rounds of fantasy next season, as he closed this year 19th in per-game value and 16th in total value despite carrying a preseason ADP of 90.

Honorable mentions: Tyrese Haliburton, Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton

Fantasy Rookie(s) of the Year: Jalen Williams and Walker Kessler

I was between two candidates for much of the season and hoped that one would separate down the stretch, but that wasn't the case. Both candidates excelled for fantasy managers, and thus, Jalen Williams and Walker Kessler are the 2022-2023 Co-Rookies of the Year.

Yeah, I know, I took the easy way out — but it's not without precedent; Recall Elton Brand and Steve Francis in 2000 or Grant Hill and Jason Kidd in 1995.

I shared my thoughts on why Williams' ascension was one of the biggest surprises of the Year, considering his ADP and growth into a top-20 fantasy player since the turn of the calendar year. I won't bore you with more stat-heavy justifications, but if you look at his month-over-month production, it's clear he was one of the most efficient rookie guards in recent years. And the fact that J-Dub appeared more than any other player on the best teams in Yahoo public leagues says a lot (34.8%)!

And Kessler wasn't far behind Williams, appearing on 26% of the best teams in Yahoo public leagues (4th overall).

Kessler, who only became the starting Jazz center in early January, was a popular draft-and-stash for his elite shot-blocking. Still, he emerged as a legitimate double-double threat, averaging 12 points with 11 rebounds from January 10, and was the 21st-ranked player in 9-cat leagues since then.

It's pretty ironic that the Jazz shipped out Rudy Gobert and essentially drafted the rights to a younger and more offensively sound version of Gobert.

Speaking of which, I'll be drafting Kessler over Gobert next season.

Honorable mention: None

Defensive Player of the Year: Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jackson Jr. was the undisputed stock (steals + blocks) king. He averaged 3.0 blocks and 1.1 steals per contest and is the favorite to capture his first DPOY honors.

Per Stathead, it's been 15 years since NBA fans witnessed a player swat at least three shots with a steal per game (Marcus Camby), and JJJ is tied with several other stout defensive players as the second youngest player in NBA history to put up those numbers (he's just 23 years old).

JJJ missed the first 14 games of the season recovering from a meniscus injury but was one of the best-valued draft picks this season — finishing 13th in per-game value with a preseason ADP of 102.4. He's played in 60 games through Monday and should be a no-brainer second-round pick heading into next season.

Honorable mentions: Myles Turner, Nic Claxton, Walker Kessler and Brook Lopez

Comeback Player of the Year: Kawhi Leonard

It was a frustrating start to the Year for the fantasy managers who drafted the self-imposed "Fun Guy," but slowly but surely, The Claw returned to form.

Leonard has been a top 5 player in per-game value and totals value since January 1, averaging 28.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.4 3PM, 1.8 steals, 0.7 blocks with 53/47/90 shooting splits. He even played in his first back-to-back set since April 2021 over the weekend, which should give fantasy managers more confidence in drafting Leonard heading into next season. He finished 12th in per-game value in 49 games played through Monday.

He'll always get downgraded for his load management program, but his on-court performance is perfect for 9-cat leagues. Availability certainly matters in fantasy basketball, but his mix of efficiency and high-level production on both ends of the floor gives fantasy managers first-round upside without the first-round price.

Honorable mentions: Jamal Murray and Klay Thompson