On the morning of May 5th, the NBA officially announced the final three individual awards of the regular season.
Mayo received 71 first-place votes, defeating Rose, who received 26 first-place votes, to win the Rookie of the Year award.
Howard received 75 first-place votes, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award by a large margin, while second place Duncan only got 21 first-place votes.
In the past, Duncan's team defense was among the best in the league, and his personal defense ranked around the top five, having little to do with the Defensive Player of the Year award, with his highest ranking being third. This year, the Spurs' team defense was gone, and he held down the fort by himself, delivering a personal defensive performance at the level of a Defensive Player of the Year... but he encountered Howard, whose defensive efficiency was even stronger than Mutombo and Big Ben.
Zhang Yang received 101 first-place votes, winning the regular season MVP by an absolute margin.
