Post Insiders make their NBA awards picks

The NBA regular season is ending on Sunday, and The Post is handing out season-long awards. Just two awards are unanimous, with debate surrounding the other four, and two Knicks have received votes as winners among our hoops crew.

MVP

PETER BOTTE: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

Strong cases can be made for Joel Embiid (76ers) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), but the Joker essentially averaged a triple-double for the top team in the West, earning his third straight MVP.

ZACH BRAZILLER: Joel Embiid, 76ers

It’s the numbers and the improved durability, as Embiid set a career-high in minutes per game at 34.6 while he also averaged an absurd 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks.

BRIAN LEWIS: Joel Embiid, 76ers

Regardless of his playing time the last few games, the 76ers star had chased down Nikola Jokic to unseat the two-time reigning champ even before his 52-point, 20-for-25 master class Tuesday in a win over Boston.

MIKE VACCARO: Joel Embiid, 76ers

This was thought to be Nikola Jokic’s to lose, but Embiid took it from him over the last month, and it’s impossible to believe a player has been more valuable to a contender.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

PETER BOTTE: Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies

A nod here to long-ago Nets center Brook Lopez (Bucks) for his 2.5 blocks per game, but J.J.J. posted even more, leading the league for the second straight year with 3.0 rejections per appearance.

ZACH BRAZILLER: Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies

The league leader in blocks at 3.0, Jackson is one of the sport’s premier rim protectors and was integral in the Grizzlies’ second straight 50-win season.

BRIAN LEWIS: Brook Lopez, Bucks

Both the metrics and the eye test say Jaren Jackson Jr. was the best individual defender, but he missed the first month of the season and Lopez had the more impactful campaign.

MIKE VACCARO: Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzles

He has helped keep Memphis feisty, even with all the Ja Morant craziness this year, and has been electrifying on the defensive end of the floor.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

PETER BOTTE: Paolo Banchero, Magic

This was the easiest call of these categories, as the No. 1-overall pick out of Duke posted big numbers (20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds) for the improving Magic to outdistance the field.

ZACH BRAZILLER: Paolo Banchero, Magic

Orlando taking Banchero No. 1 was somewhat of a surprise, but it is looking like the right decision now. He lived up to the considerable hype, posting an even 20 points per game along with 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists for a young Magic team that took positive strides in the second half of the season.

BRIAN LEWIS: Paolo Banchero, Magic

He’s on pace to be just the 11th rookie to average 20-6-3 — joining the likes of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Luka Doncic — and every one won ROTY.

MIKE VACCARO: Paolo Banchero, Magic

He was set to lap the rest of the field after his first couple of months, but is still the class of the freshman crop even as others have closed the gap lately.

COACH OF THE YEAR

PETER BOTTE: Mike Brown, Kings

A past winner when he coached LeBron James in Cleveland, Brown led the dynamic Kings to the franchise’s first winning record in 17 years and their first playoff trip since 2006 in his first season at the helm.

ZACH BRAZILLER: Mike Brown, Kings

An easy choice after leading Sacramento to its most wins in 18 seasons. The 53-year-old Brown has engineered a stunning turnaround in his first season with the Kings, who lost 50 games a year ago.

BRIAN LEWIS: Mike Brown, Kings

Crown this King. Coming off a 30-52 season, they’ve snapped the worst postseason drought in league history at 17 years.

MIKE VACCARO: Mike Brown Kings

And this one could be unanimous, for the job Brown did not only reviving a moribund franchise but turning them into one of the most exciting basketball shows anywhere.

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR

PETER BOTTE: Malcolm Brogdon, Celtics

Immanuel Quickley deserves to be a finalist, but his overall numbers (14.6 ppg) are skewed by averaging 22.1 in 19 starts entering Friday, while Brogdon averaged 14.9 over 67 games with zero starts.

ZACH BRAZILLER: Immanuel Quickley, Knicks

Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson have stolen most of the headlines for the Knicks’ surprisingly strong campaign, but Quickley’s ascent should not be diminished. He developed into a two-way force, and capably stepped in when Brunson missed time for different ailments.

BRIAN LEWIS: Malcolm Brogdon, Celtics

Immanuel Quickley came on, well, quickly. But credit Brogdon, a longtime starter, with not only accepting a new role, but also thriving in it.

MIKE VACCARO: Immanuel Quickley, Knicks

As much as Jalen Brunson’s arrival has reenergized the Knicks, Quickley’s emergence as an electrifying force off the bench has been almost as important.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

PETER BOTTE: Jalen Brunson, Knicks

Either Lauri Markkanen (Jazz) or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) appears more likely to win, but Brunson’s vast statistical improvement and his impact on winning with the Knicks deserve recognition after an All-Star snub.

ZACH BRAZILLER: Lauri Markkanen, Jazz

A disappointment in his first five years in the league, the sharpshooting 7-foot Markkanen busted out in a big way in Utah, exploding as a dynamic multi-talented forward for the Jazz.

BRIAN LEWIS: Lauri Markkanen, Jazz

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s talent was obvious, and Mikal Bridges’ trade to Brooklyn came a month too late. A first-time All-Star at 25, Markkanen, 25 ppg, exceeded all expectations.

MIKE VACCARO: Lauri Markkanen, Jazz

I really hope Jalen Brunson gets a hard look from voters, and he should be a strong alternate choice. But Markkanen has been a stunning revelation for Utah.