Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. He sat down to discuss his weekly MVP Ladder column, his thoughts on the league and more in this month’s Reddit AMA. Check out what he had to say.

Q: Who do you have as your ROY, 6MOY, and Most Improved Player?

A: Rookie of the year, I’ll go with Kon Knueppel. That’s a close call, though. He’s been more durable. And I think he helped his team win more than any of the other rookies. He has played an important role with the Charlotte Hornets.

Most Improved, I always wrestle with this award... I’m gonna go with Deni Avdija out in Portland. This is a guy who’s taken up a pretty meaty role with the Trail Blazers.

Sixth Man... I’m gonna go with Payton Pritchard, if he is eligible. If he’s not, then it’ll be Derrick White. One of those two Celtics.

Q: Speaking of green, can you elaborate on the rationale of Jaylen Brown over Luka on the MVP ladder last week?

A: Yeah, that’s a great question... Sometimes, a guy like Jaylen Brown, who’s been such an important part of the Boston Celtics... I think he’s gotta get some sort of credit for that.

As far as Luka, he’s having a very good year if you dismiss his defense... I would say Luka has a very good chance of moving up on the MVP ladder this Friday.

Q: Take us through your process of building the MVP ladder. What metrics/factors do you value most?

A: I can sit here and say that I have computerized data... but I would rather not get too complicated. Sometimes it’s just the eye test.

Where are they statistically? That counts for something. The other thing is, how do they impact their team’s winning? That counts for something.

Q: Who is, currently, your favorite non-Starter player to watch in the League right now, and why?

A: Naz Reid. I like Naz Reid. He’s got a nice flow to his game. He comes in, and he produces right away.

Q: What factors did you guys think of when putting SGA over Jokic in the MVP ladder both this year and last year?

A: How about all of the above?... Where Shai gets the edge is his consistency, number one. And number two, Shai plays both ends of the floor.

Q: What are your Eastern and Western Conference Finals matchups?

A: ...I would say in the East, I’m looking at Boston and Cleveland... In the West... I‘m gonna go with... Oklahoma City and San Antonio.

Q: Will Jalen Johnson make first or second team all nba?

A: Yes! He won’t make the first team, but I can definitely make a case for him on the second team. He will make an All-NBA team this year.