As the NBA has done in recent years, the league released the individual ballots for each of its awards on Saturday afternoon. The New Orleans Pelicans found themselves lightly scattered across the awards, highlighted obviously by Brandon Ingram’s Most Improved Player award.
Often one of the more subjective individual awards in the league, Ingram featured on 88 of the 100 ballots, most of any player that received votes. In many of the ballots he didn’t feature on, worthy candidates took his place, typically in either Bam Adebayo of Miami, Luka Doncic of Dallas, Jayson Tatum of Boston and Devonte’ Graham of Charlotte, who filled the second through fourth spots in voting.
One of the more egregious exclusions for Ingram came from Antoni Daimiel of Movistar+ who had Adebayo in first, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City in second and Duncan Robinson of Miami in third.
Davis Bertans’ lone vote received came from Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, who also excluded Ingram from his ballot. Mannix selected Adebayo first, Bertans second and Graham third. ESPN’s Jalen Rose left Ingram off his ballot, opting for Adebayo and Doncic for the top two spots and Pascal Siakam, who won Most Improved Player last season, in third.
Ingram also received three inclusions in the All-NBA teams. Davide Chinellato of La Gazzetta dello Sport included Ingram in his All-NBA Third Team with James Harden of the Rockets, Chris Paul of the Thunder, Joel Embiid of the Sixers and Siakam.
TNT’s Ernie Johnson also selected Ingram for his Third Team alongside Russell Westbrook of the Rockets, Ben Simmons of the Sixers, Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets and Adebayo.
Newsday’s Greg Logan, who made waves with a controversial Defensive Player of the Year ballot, included Ingram in his Second Team alongside Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers, Andre Drummond of the Pistons and Cavaliers, Trae Young of the Hawks and Russell Westbrook of the Rockets.
Zion Williamson’s candidacy for Rookie of the Year was up for far more debate. Despite finishing third, Williamson was on just 62 ballots. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times gave Williamson his lone first-place vote while robbing Memphis’ Ja Morant of a unanimous award.
Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes’ exclusion of Williamson was also notably egregious largely due to his inclusion of RJ Barrett, who he gave a third-place vote to behind Morant and Miami’s Kendrick Nunn.
Jrue Holiday was included on 16 All-Defense ballots, included two First Team selections. Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press listed Holiday on the First Team along with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Los Angeles’ Anthony Davis, Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Simmons.
Dennis Scott of TNT and NBA TV also had Holiday in the First Team with Paul, Leonard, Davis and Gobert. Scott also excluded Antetokounmpo, the Defensive Player of the Year, from the Second Team.
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