OPINION: Picking the 2024-2025 NBA Awards winners

Views are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the website.

As the 2024-25 NBA regular season winds down, it’s time to spotlight the standout performers who rose above the rest. From breakout stars to defensive anchors and rookie sensations, here are my picks for the major awards this season — including some deserving runner-ups and honorable mentions.

Most Improved Player: Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks)

Runner-ups: Ivica Zubac, Christian Braun

Notes: Dyson Daniels has made the leap. After being traded to the Atlanta Hawks, Daniels not only found a larger role but embraced it fully, evolving into a dynamic two-way guard. His length, defensive instincts, and vastly improved shooting have made him one of the league’s biggest revelations. Daniels went from being a defensive specialist to a legitimate secondary playmaker and spot-up threat, thriving alongside Trae Young. Daniels also has a legitimate case for the Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in steals, and this only strengthens his case for Most Improved.

Ivica Zubac has a notable case for runner-up after seeing growth as a more consistent interior anchor for the Clippers. Zubac also had a huge year offensively, often conniving with James Harden for lob and post opportunities. Meanwhile Christian Braun carved out a bigger offensive role in Denver with increased minutes and responsibility as he saw the biggest increase in PPG from over a season ago.

Sixth Man of the Year: Payton Pritchard (Boston Celtics)

Runner-ups: Malik Beasley, Ty Jerome

Pritchard stepped up in Boston’s championship-caliber rotation, giving them much-needed energy, scoring punch, and floor-spacing off the bench. He played with confidence, controlled tempo, and was crucial during clutch stretches when starters rested. His knack for scoring in bunches and orchestrating the offense when Jrue Holiday or Derrick White sat was invaluable.

Beasley’s sharpshooting in Detroit has stood out, garnering a league-2nd-best 319 threes as a bench player while Ty Jerome’s steady second-unit play in Cleveland has them at the top of the East and worthy of 6th man consideration.

Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)

Runner-ups: Evan Mobley, Lu Dort

This should have been Victor Wembanyama’s award if not for the blood clot injury, but here we are. There should be a winner, and my pick would be Draymond Green. Even in his 30s, Green remains a defensive savant. He quarterbacked Golden State’s schemes, constantly switching, communicating, and anchoring a defense that ranked among the best post-All-Star break. While Green’s impact isn’t always in the stat sheet, his presence turned the Warriors into a top-tier defensive team when he was on the floor.

Mobley continued to showcase elite versatility for Cleveland, while Dort was once again a perimeter nightmare for opposing guards and wings. Both Mobley and Dort deserve these runner-up spots due to their teams (Cleveland and OKC) performing well because of them.

All-Defensive Teams

1st Team: Draymond Green, Evan Mobley, Lu Dort, Amen Thompson, Dyson Daniels
2nd Team: Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr., Toumani Camara, Ivica Zubac

Amen Thompson’s disruptive length and switchability earned him a First-Team nod as a rookie, while Dyson Daniels brought relentless on-ball pressure. On the Second Team, Shai’s defensive improvements were evident this year, and Camara turned heads with his rugged, fearless wing defense in Portland. Zubac was a rock-solid rim protector all season long.

Rookie of the Year: Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)

Runner-up: Zaccharie Risacher

Castle made an immediate impact in San Antonio with his poise, defense, and playmaking. He embraced the challenge of playing next to Victor Wembanyama and flourished as a stabilizing backcourt force. Castle's two-way effort, ability to guard multiple positions, and unselfish offense stood out in a deep rookie class.

Risacher showcased his offensive polish and smooth shooting stroke in Atlanta and made a strong late push for the award.

All-Rookie Teams

1st Team: Stephon Castle, Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey
2nd Team: Bub Carrington, Isaiah Collier, Matas Buzelis, Kel’el Ware, Yves Missi

From Sarr’s shot-blocking to Jaylen Wells’ scoring flashes, this rookie class was filled with gems despite a no-clear-star tag. Edey proved his game could translate at the next level, and Buzelis quietly put together a solid two-way campaign. Carrington and Collier each had stretches of brilliance at the point guard spot for their respective teams.

Coach of the Year: Kenny Atkinson (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Runner-ups: J.B. Bickerstaff, Tyronn Lue
Honorable Mentions: Ime Udoka, JJ Redick, Mark Daigneault

Kenny Atkinson’s return to head coaching was a rousing success. He reshaped the culture in Cleveland, maximizing the young core’s strengths and installing a balanced system that translated to wins. The Cavaliers became the best team in the East, and Atkinson’s ability to unlock both offense and defense from a good squad last year to a better squad this year was remarkable.

Bickerstaff turned Detroit around after a league-worst record , and Lue once again juggled egos and lineups with the Clippers to keep them near the top of the West despite losing Paul George in free agency.

Clutch Player of the Year: Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)

Runner-ups: Anthony Edwards, Stephen Curry

Jalen Brunson owned the fourth quarter. His combination of poise, patience, and pure bucket-getting in crunch time made him one of the league’s most dangerous closers. Whether isolating, using the pick-and-roll, or getting to his spots, Brunson delivered when it mattered most — and turned Madison Square Garden into his stage.

Edwards embraced the big moments in Minnesota to have one of the most points in clutch time, while Curry remained a timeless threat late in games.

All-NBA Teams

1st Team: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards
2nd Team: Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Cade Cunningham, Donovan Mitchell
3rd Team: Jalen Brunson, Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr., James Harden, Ivica Zubac

SGA led the way with MVP-level consistency and picking Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and Tatum were no brainers.Edwards made his All-NBA debut with a huge leap in production and impact, being a top 5 scorer in the league. Cade Cunningham took over the reins in Detroit and finally stayed healthy, while Zubac’s defensive presence and scoring efficiency earned him a well-deserved spot among the league’s elite.

Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Runner-up: Nikola Jokic
Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Rather than rehash the argument, I’ll let this piece explain it in full detail:
🔗 Making Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s case as the 2025 NBA MVP