NBA Awards predictions
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Victor Wembanyama dominates defensively, poised for Rookie of the Year. The Spurs star leads the NBA with 3.8 blocks per game, ranks third in defensive rating, and continues to prove he's a generational talent.
As the National Basketball Association's (NBA) season comes to a close, we can start looking forward to whose performances are worthy of receiving the various illustrious awards the NBA offers.
The talent in basketball is at an almost unforeseen pinnacle, as players' skill sets are as multidimensional and dynamic as ever before. That makes predicting who will receive each specific award such a lofty challenge because, with this excess of talent, it is not always easy to decipher which player is more deserving. As sports fans, however, we ultimately have to make that determination, and this article will consist of my predictions for each of the major awards in the NBA.
Starting with the creme de la creme of NBA awards, the Most Valuable Player (MVP). I believe that Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a more than deserving recipient of this lofty honor. Nikola Jokic has been superb for the Denver Nuggets in his quest for his fourth MVP in the last five seasons. Shai, though, has been equally as brilliant, as he is currently averaging 32.5 points per game, 6.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. It also helps that the Thunder are currently the number-one seed in the Western Conference, with a sublime 44 wins and only 10 losses. With Shai’s combination of tremendous statistics and team success, it is hard to argue against his candidacy for the MVP this season.
Victor Wembanyama burst onto the NBA scene last season as he took home Rookie of the Year and established himself as one of the brightest young stars in the entire league. Wembanyama has not lost a step this season, and it seems assured that he will take home another prominent piece of hardware this season. Victor currently averages 3.8 blocks per game, almost 1.5 more blocks per game than Walker Kessler, who is in second place. Despite his 7’3” stature, the Spurs superstar is also averaging over a steal per game. In case that is not convincing enough, Wembanyama is third in the NBA with a defensive rating of 105.6. What makes this so astounding is that the Spurs, as a team, rank just nineteenth in the defensive rating, with a score of 114.1.
When the Philadelphia 76ers lost their terrific rookie point guard Jared McCain to a torn left meniscus, the Rookie of the Year race was flipped on its head. The award seemed like a formality with the season McCain was having before his injury. But now the race is highly contested, with the two favorites being San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle and Miami Heat forward Ka'lel Ware. The latter has pleasantly surprised Miami, as he exceeded all expectations. Ware is currently averaging 8.6 points per game and 5.8 rebounds. While these numbers are respectable, Castle’s are even more impressive, with 13.0 points per game and 3.5 rebounds. The Spurs guard caught some recognition when he was named MVP of the Rising Stars game. Between Castle and Wemabyama, the Spur’s future is glowingly bright.
The Sixth Man award is always up for grabs, but Boston Celtics' point guard Payton Pritchard is starting to cement his case with his spectacular play. Pritchard, who undoubtedly would start on most NBA rosters, is the Celtic's backup point guard mostly because of how deep the defending champs' roster is. Pritchard is averaging 13.8 points per game, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting lights out from three with a 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Deandre Hunter and Pistons guard Malik Beasley deserve some consideration, but Pritchard seems to have this award well in his grasp.
The Detroit Pistons have been one of the league’s best stories throughout the 2024-25
campaign. Last season, the team had a dreadful record of 14-68, which was by far the worst record in Pistons franchise history and, unsurprisingly, the worst record in the league. Fortunately for Pistons fans, their play this season has been marginally better than seasons prior. This stark improvement can largely be attributed to the brilliance of point guard Cade Cunningham. The Pistons franchise player has seen increases in almost every major statistical category, with Cunningham’s 25.4 points per game, 9.4 assists, and 6.4 rebounds culminating in his first all-star appearance. His vast improvement has the Pistons currently in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, as they have already won 14 more games than just a season ago.
The Coach of the Year award might be the most decisive award race of the bunch, as Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson is the runaway favorite for the honor. The Cavs have been the NBA’s best team for the majority of the season, and Atkinson has been seamless in his leadership despite it being his first year on the team. It also helps that Atkinson and I share the same hometown and do not hurt his case for being my Coach of the Year choice.
The NBA Awards season has always been one of my favorites in all sports. Every year, some sort of controversy or unique narrative seems to come to light to make it even more chaotic. These awards will undoubtedly be harder and harder to predict just because of the sheer amount of talent that the NBA has at its disposal. Every year, it seems that statistical and athletic feats that were once deemed impossible are being accomplished with ease and grace. Even though this surplus of talent might make it hard to predict who will win the award, it has truly resulted in the pure entertainment of watching some of the best athletes in the world showcase their talent on the biggest stage.