Last night in Los Angeles, the NBA's regular season awards were given out during the league's annual NBA Awards show. Here are the winners from the major awards:

Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Coach of the Year: Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee Bucks

Rookie of the Year: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

Sixth Man of the Year: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers (back to back)

Most Improved Player: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors

With all of these awards, the Rookie of the Year is the one that should get the league and fans the most excited. We all saw the dominance of Kawhi Leonard throughout the playoffs, Kevin Durant's dominance before his injury, and how good Antetokounmpo and James Harden were in the regular season. Those names get the attention, and rightfully so - they are some of the current titans of the game. But it was remarkable, and refreshing, to see the run that Doncic and the Atlanta Hawks Trae Young went on throughout the year. While the aforementioned superstars, along with Steph Curry, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and others are the current names on the marquee, Doncic and Young are both just 20 years old, and being so good, so young, is great for Adam Silver and the NBA. Despite Doncic running away with the award - he received 98 out of 100 first place votes - the league is in good hands with not just him, but Young as well.

Doncic, who turned 20 in February, had an exceptional season. He averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists, playing in 72 games. In his first game against Gregg Popovich's San Antonio Spurs, the 6'7 guard/forward scored 31 points, had 8 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists while shooting 11/18 from the field. Against the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors, on January 27, he recorded what at the time was his second triple double on the season, shooting 14/24 from the field and tallying 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. He had 8 triple doubles on the season, the third most all-time by a rookie - behind Oscar Robertson (26, 1960-1961), and Ben Simmons (12, 2017-2018). He also became just the fifth rookie in league history to average at least 20/5/5 for a season, joining Robertson, James, Michael Jordan, and Tyreke Evans in that exclusive group.

Young, who will be 21 in September, was also stellar in his rookie campaign. The Lubbock, Texas native and Oklahoma University product averaged 19.1 points, 8.7 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game, appearing in 81 games. In his third ever game, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he scored 35. But what put the young point guard on the map was an outstanding stretch of play after the all-star break, which was highlighted by an amazing performance in a four overtime loss, 168-161, to the Chicago Bulls. In the game, Young poured in 49 points, had 16 assists, and 8 rebounds, on 17/33 from the field. He also made 6 out of 13 three point attempts, and hit on 9 of 11 from the free throw line. In the two games prior to that performance, he had 36 points against Houston and Minnesota, and in his third last game of the season had 33 points, 12 assists, and 7 rebounds. Nine times he scored 30 points or more, and he had at least 10 assists or more thirty times. Another remarkable stat is that, at 6'2 and 180 pounds (most likely less), he had two games of 10 rebounds.

On January 31, the Mavericks acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the New York Knicks in an eight player deal. The move helped secure the Mavericks' future, giving Doncic a star to play alongside him, and a dynamic duo that if all things shake out well, will be a force for years to come.

The Hawks have built a very strong young core that will blossom into a playoff team sooner rather than later. With a nucleus led by Young that includes John Collins, along with recent draft picks Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes, the Hawks are primed for the future.

Doncic came into the league as an unknown, in that people didn't know if he was just another overhyped overseas player who wouldn't be able to handle the American game, or the next great European star. Young came into the league with similar questions, people wondering if he could live up the Curry comparisons, or become a player whose small stature worked to his detriment.

Doncic looks like that next great star, and Young looks like the league's next electrifying small guy.

The ones who doubted whether these two spectacular rookies could hang on the big stage were proven wrong, and NBA's future is firmly in the palms of two guys who can carry it.

*Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference*