By Joel Perez 
At the beginning of the season, I made my predictions for who’d win certain awards,
and for my first time publicly doing this, I’d say I didn’t do too bad… or at least, it’s
defensible.
Luka Dončić was my pick for MVP, but that’s definitely not happening. His injury cost
him about two months of crucial basketball, and let’s not even get started on the insane
trade that might have scarred him. It’ll take time for him to get back into rhythm, but
I’m sure we’ll see Luka regain his mojo—especially after that impressive win against
Denver on Saturday. However, Luka won’t be lifting the MVP trophy this season.
Reed Sheppard was my Rookie of the Year pick, but he hasn’t carved out a consistent
role with the Rockets, one of this season’s biggest surprises. Bam Adebayo was my
Defensive Player of the Year choice, but he’s had a down year on both ends. As for Most
Improved Player, I went with Evan Mobley, and honestly, that pick still holds
weight—it’s a real possibility.
I wasn’t perfect the first time around, but with only about a month and a half left in the
season, maybe I’ll get some of these right this time…
Most Valuable Player (MVP): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai has been on an absolute tear, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to one of the
two best records in the league. The only team ahead of them is Cleveland, boasting one
of the most well-rounded starting fives in recent history while avoiding major injuries.
Shai leads the league in scoring (32 PPG) while adding 5 rebounds and 6 assists,
showcasing one of the most dynamic offensive skill sets in the sport today. Despite
significant injuries on the roster—most notably Chet Holmgren missing a couple of
months—Shai has kept OKC at the top of the West.
This Thunder roster is stacked for the next decade, thanks to Sam Presti’s masterclass
in asset collection. But at the end of the day, Shai is the leader. The moment he steps on
the court, the entire momentum shifts. His presence alone creates open shots and more
opportunities for role players like Isaiah Hartenstein, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins,
all of whom have had big moments this season.
On top of that, he’s racked up multiple 40- and 50-point games and, more importantly,
just keeps winning. He’s the undeniable MVP frontrunner—and he should be—because
he’s that freaking good.
Rookie of the Year (ROTY): Stephon Castle
This year’s Rookie of the Year race is wide open, which is refreshing after Wemby ran
away with it last season. We’ve seen some strong performances—Kel’el Ware has been
making noise, and Jared McCain was Philly’s lone bright spot before his season was
unfortunately cut short.
As for my pick, I’m going with the rookie who’s impressed me the most: Stephon Castle.
And that’s saying a lot, considering he has two veteran guards ahead of him in the
rotation—De’Aaron Fox and, somehow, still-starting Chris Paul for the Spurs.
Regardless, Castle has found ways to impact the game whenever he’s on the floor.
Whether facilitating, making plays off cuts, or stepping up as the team’s best perimeter
defender, he just makes things happen. At 6’7” with elite defensive instincts, he’s going
to be a top-tier help defender for years to come. Even when he makes mistakes, he
stays solid and confident.
The biggest difference between him and other rookies? The Spurs want him out there,
mistakes and all. Unless Kel’el Ware suddenly goes on a run of 20/20 games and carries
Miami to a top-four seed (I’ll PRAY ABOUT IT), this is Castle’s award to lose.
Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY): Evan Mobley
This season hasn’t had a clear-cut favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, aside from
Victor Wembanyama—until his unfortunate season-ending injury. With the new rule
requiring a minimum number of games played to qualify for awards, Wemby is out of
the running.
That leaves an opening, and Evan Mobley has a legitimate case. Not only is he in
contention for Most Improved Player after making his first All-Star appearance, but
he’s also a crucial part of the Cavaliers’ league-best record. Cleveland is a legitimate
Finals contender, and Mobley’s resilience on both ends—especially defensively—has
been a major reason why.
The Cavs are ranked #1 in defensive rating, and it shows—they haven’t lost a game
when leading after the third quarter and have climbed to the top of the standings.
Mobley’s defensive effectiveness comes from his versatility, seamlessly shifting
between the four and five spots based on matchups. What’s even more impressive is
that despite Cleveland’s relatively small backcourt, their defense remains elite, thanks
in large part to Mobley and Jarrett Allen, who doesn’t get enough credit for his impact.
Mobley might be the best help-side defender in basketball, with his insane length and
size—perhaps only rivaled by Jaren Jackson Jr., who is widely considered the favorite
for the award. But I’ve got to give it to Mobley, based on team success and his sheer
defensive impact.
Most Improved Player (MIP): Norman Powell
I’ve never fully understood the criteria for this award, other than a player making a
massive statistical jump from one season to the next. That seems to fit Norman Powell
perfectly.
Last season, Powell averaged about 14 PPG on strong shooting percentages. This year,
he’s made a massive leap to 24 PPG while maintaining similar efficiency. Powell has
always been a reliable scorer, but with Paul George’s departure to Philly, the Clippers
needed someone to step up—and Powell has done just that.
He’s played a crucial role in LA’s success this season, helping lead the way alongside
James Harden and the rest of the squad. His impact has been so significant that he
even garnered some All-Star buzz, which was well deserved. With the playoffs approaching, Powell remains a key factor in the Clippers’ title hopes.
Sixth Man of the Year (6MOY): Payton Pritchard
This year has been a strange one regarding Sixth Man of the Year, but as far as true
offensive firepower off the bench, it’s gotta be Payton Pritchard. He’s averaging 14
PPG, making a six-point jump from last year’s output, and he’s shooting an impressive
41% from three.
The only other guy in consideration is DeAndre Hunter, who recently got traded from
the Hawks to the Cavs to fill their missing small forward spot. It may take time for him
to find a cohesive role in Cleveland’s offense, but he seems like a perfect fit. Still, for
now, the award is probably going to Pritchard, and it won’t be a surprise to anyone
considering his level of play and value to the Celtics’ second unit.
Coach of the Year (COTY): Kenny Atkinson
This award has to go to none other than Kenny Atkinson, who has completely figured
out how to maximize this Cavs roster, getting them to compete for the best record in
the NBA after a disappointing end to last season.
Cleveland came out swinging and has cemented itself as one of the league’s true title
contenders. Atkinson has this team buying in, and the front office’s aggressive move at
the trade deadline—acquiring DeAndre Hunter—only solidified their status. Their only
real hole was at the wing, and Hunter fills that perfectly.
With no major offseason changes other than hiring Atkinson, it’s clear his impact has
been monumental. Every major betting site has him as the favorite, and rightfully so.
This is his award to lose.
Final Takeaways
I plan on releasing my picks for the All-NBA teams a little closer to the end of the
season, and I’m beyond excited for basketball these next couple of months as we gear
up towards the playoffs and higher-intensity basketball. The closer we get to the playoffs, the more focus there seems to be on the NBA, and I love seeing the NBA get
the recognition it deserves—especially after all the negativity surrounding All-Star
Weekend and the serious problems that event holds. But as far as the games go, there’s
no serious issue that’ll potentially harm the game itself. I’d love to see more positivity
revolving around the game instead of older generations constantly bashing it and
comparing eras. There’s been a lot of talk about how you never see NFL coverage
trashing their sport, and I’d love to see more of that in the NBA.
Other than that, I’m excited to see what happens in the remainder of the season. As for
my Finals matchup prediction, I’ll go with OKC vs. Boston, as those teams seem to be
the most complete of the bunch. But teams like Denver, Cleveland, and even the Lakers
have got a shot if they somehow figure it out, especially with both Luka and LeBron on
their teams. With those two, who knows what can happen!
Angel Rivera