Predicting NBA player award winners
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Victor Wembanyama is a defensive powerhouse for the San Antonio Spurs. His blend of height and agility makes him a top contender for the DPOY award at just 21 years old.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) will begin its 2024-2025 season on Tuesday, Oct. 22. The NBA has an interesting award system to combat the NBA’s big “load management” problem, the association has developed specific requirements players must meet to qualify for a player award in the future. The rules entail that a player must play at least 65 games and play 20 minutes per game to be eligible to win a player award. With that in mind, here are my NBA award winner predictions.
Most Valuable Player (MVP): Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers’ center Joel Embiid was on pace to have an unbelievable season before getting injured last season. Embiid averaged 35.3 points with 11.5 rebounds per game before he got injured and missed just over two months of action. Embiid returned for five games towards the end of the season to finish with 34.7 points per game with 11 rebounds per game, all this while shooting 52.9 points from the field and 38.8 points from three, on average. The only concern with Embiid is his health. Since joining the league in 2014, Embiid has played 65 or more games in only two seasons and has never played over 70 games.
It is tough to put all trust in Embiid to hit that threshold, but if he does get there, he has a very good chance of winning his second MVP.
Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY): Victor Wembanyama
This one will be short and sweet. San Antonio Spurs’ center Victor Wembanyama is a heavy favorite to win the DPOY award. Wembanyama is an elite shot blocker with his seven-foot-four height and eight-foot wingspan, as shown by his 3.6 blocks per game. Wembanyama's fantastic blend of height and mobility on the court will likely lead to him winning his first DPOY award at only 21 years old.
Most Improved Player (MIP): Immanuel Quickley
Toronto Raptors Immanuel Quickley only played 38 games with the team after being traded from the New York Knicks halfway through the season. In those 38 games, he started all 38 of them, compared to his zero starts with the Knicks in 30 games, and averaged 18.6 points per game with the Raptors, compared to his 15 with the Knicks. With Quickley now accustomed to the Raptor's game plan, he can certainly take his improvement from last year and turn it into a full-season campaign to take home the upcoming MIP award.
Rookie of the Year: Stephon Castle
Guard Stephon Castle was drafted fourth overall by the San Antonio Spurs earlier this year. Stephon Castle is likely the most NBA-ready player in this draft class. Stephon Castle is coming out of the University of Connecticut (UConn) after one season. In that season, he was one of the biggest reasons UConn went to back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024. Castle is a very well-rounded guard who will have many opportunities to get open shots and plenty of opportunities to showcase his two-way ability playing with one of the best defenders, Wembanyama.
Sixth Man of the Year: Donte DiVincenzo
The Minnesota Timberwolves recently acquired guard Donte DiVincenzo from the New York Knicks in a blockbuster trade. Since the Timberwolves acquired depth through the trade with the Knicks, it seems like Divincenzo is the odd man out in the Timberwolves starting lineup. Since that is the case, DiVincenzo has a very favorable shot at winning the Sixth Man of the Year award. DiVincenzo averaged a career-high in both points per game with 15.5 and a three-point field goal percentage with a 40.1 make percentage. DiVincenzo is known for his shooting, and with all of the elite defenders the Timberwolves have, Devincenzo can be relied upon to get the team a good shot from the perimeter, along with his superstar teammate Anthony Edwards.
The NBA season is a long and grueling 82 games for all players to endure. The addition of the player award requirements adds an incentive for players to get on the court, and it will be interesting to see how players and coaches deal with the rule after its rookie appearance last year.