The NBA season is winding down, and with the playoff picture clearing up, it’s time to turn our attention to the individual awards race. While narratives have taken their usual twists and turns, some aspects remain constant — rookies defying expectations and voters pretending defense matters for a month. Let’s break it all down.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having an incredible season. The Thunder has a 0.840 win percentage and a 10 game win streak because of his stellar offense and his better-than-advertised defense. But the MVP has to go to Nikola Jokić in my mind.
Jokić is just the best player on the planet, and this year, he played like someone who knew it. He is averaging a triple double every game, but it’s the way he controls the game that separates him. The Nuggets are elite because Jokić orchestrates their offense like a chess grandmaster, sees passes before they exist and has a scoring efficiency that would make an accountant blush.
Yes, voter fatigue is real, but so is common sense. After watching Jokić drop 61 points on the Timberwolves, I can’t see the award for the best individual player go to anyone else.
Since Victor Wembanyama’s injury, Evan Mobley and Draymond Green have been going blow for blow on sportsbooks and in the metrics. Mobley is the anchor of Cleveland’s defense. He switches onto guards, protects the rim without fouling and erases bad matchups before they become problems.
The Cavaliers’ defense stays elite whenever he’s on the floor, and that’s without relying on traditional shot-blocking stats. Green, on the other hand, has some of the highest Defensive IQ in the league. He handles two-on-one and three-on-one fast breaks by himself and positions himself such that he has the efficiency of two defenders.
Since winning the West’s Defensive Player of the Month in March, Green has climbed to the top of the DPOY ladder, triggering journalists and forum-surfers alike. But he’s going to do that tenfold with the Hakeem Olajuwon trophy in hand. He is hands down the most impactful, versatile defender in the NBA.
This isn’t a Victor Wembanyama repeat, but Stephon Castle landing in San Antonio and immediately thriving should terrify the rest of the league. The rookie class was supposed to be wide open, but Castle quickly separated himself as a two-way force with positional versatility and a pro-ready game.
Castle’s defense has been exceptional. He disrupts passing lanes like a veteran. Offensively, he’s grown into a legitimate, consistent option next to Wembanyama, blending smart decision-making with a developing shot.
Rookies usually struggle on defense or efficiency, but Castle? He just fits. The Spurs have been struggling, but Castle is not the reason –– he’s a deserving Rookie of the Year.
The Cade Cunningham breakout was supposed to happen last year. Instead, a knee injury derailed him, Detroit cratered, and people started whispering bust a little too loudly.
This year? Cade shut that down.
Fully healthy, Cunningham reminded everyone why he was the No. 1 pick. He’s a do-it-all guard with size, vision and a smooth midrange game that can control tempo like a veteran. His numbers jumped across the board — points, assists, efficiency — while the Pistons (finally) looked competitive in games that he played.
Some hate to see the most-improved award go to a player with an already high ceiling, but remember that Ja Morant won the MIP under similar circumstances. Norman Powell should get his flowers as well, but Cunningham has the award locked up.
