Guest Contributors: Jonathan Roberts & Joel Sigrist

Another NBA regular season is in the books, and you know what that means — it’s awards season. While the league’s official picks will roll out soon, we couldn’t resist jumping in with our own takes. From MVP to Most Improved, Defensive Player of the Year to Sixth Man, we’ve each brought our own perspectives (and inevitable biases) to the table to make the case for who should take home the hardware this year.

For this post, I’m joined by a couple of my friends as we debate who should win each award. Some of our picks are unanimous. Others sparked some friendly debate. But whether you agree or disagree, we’re glad you’re here. Let’s dive into our 2024–25 NBA regular season awards picks.

1st team All-NBA

Evan’s picks:  

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets 
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks 
• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics 
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers  

Not a whole lot to say about this group; these five guys have been the top of the NBA all season long. I could see an argument for featuring Brunson over Mitchell here, but I feel that Mitchell’s ability to lead the Cavs to the top of the East gives him the edge. The way Giannis has carried the Bucks without Lillard has been a sight to see, Tatum has been solid, and nothing needs to be said about Shai and Jokic.

Jonathan’s picks: 

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
• Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

While my list is probably identical to most, I only think 3 of these candidates are obvious choices. Giannis, Jokic, and SGA have had phenomenal seasons and deserve unanimous bids for the first team. I didn’t love Tatum’s season as much as most, and I think his on/off numbers speak to a mediocre contribution, but he’s still the locker room leader on a strong ECF team. I waffled between including Mobley or Mitchell here (or even both), as their seasons have each been phenomenal, and they probably both deserve a spot.

Joel’s picks: 

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

This feels like the best five players in the NBA this season. While there may be arguments for Mobley, Brunson, or even Cade over Tatum or Mitchell, choosing against these five feels contrarian for its own sake. Shai, Jokic, and Giannis are the MVP finalists for a reason, there’s no question they should be on this list. Tatum and Mitchell? They’re just the best players on the two best teams that have not already been represented. While there are some complaints about Tatum (just ask any Boston fan if he’s clutch), he’s an all-around player who topped 6 assists per game without sacrificing anything else. They both have been elite players all season, and this five is a clear choice.

2nd team All-NBA

Evan’s picks: 

• Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers 
• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors 
• Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves 
• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers 

Again, not too much to cover here. Mobley, Edwards, and Curry are all shoo-ins for this award. Shout-out to Evan Mobley for getting his first All-NBA nod, along with being a DPOY candidate. Jalen Brunson has had a fantastic season, leading the Knicks to a third place finish in the East. And LeBron has been his usual dominant self, which continues to be one of the craziest things to witness in sports.

Jonathan’s picks:  

• Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets

Mobley, Curry, and Edwards need no introduction, and their inclusion here should be obvious. Tyrese Haliburton had a phenomenal season in his own rights, and is doubtless the biggest reason the somewhat lackluster Pacers are playing at home in the first round. Lastly, the Rockets season has been nothing but shocking to witness, and I believe that Sengun needs to be rewarded for the large part he’s played in turning this roster around.

Joel’s picks:

• Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
• Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Some of these need no explanation. Steph is still Steph, Mobley is one of the best defenders in the NBA, and Anthony Edwards put up a casual 27.6 ppg and trailed only Steph in 3s per game. Jalen Brunson is still an elite guard, and alongside KAT had a tremendous season in New York. But really, who I want to talk about is Cade Cunningham. Cade struggled with injuries through his first three seasons after Detroit took him #1, and Detroit struggled right there with him. But in 2024-25, he helped turn Detroit around. He played 70 games and was nothing short of a superstar, averaging 26/6/9 for a team that so desperately needs him. The Pistons went 1-5 against teams above .500 in Cade’s 12 absences. After a brutal stretch of basketball, Cade finally has the Pistons worth watching again.

3rd team All-NBA

Evan’s picks: 

• James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers 
• Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons 
• Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks 
• Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder 
• Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies 

Harden, Cunningham, Towns, and Williams were all easy picks here, playing big roles in their respective teams’ ability to make the playoffs. For me, the final spot came down to a contest between Jackson Jr. and Darius Garland. Ultimately, I went with Jackson for his substantial two-way production.

Jonathan’s picks: 

• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
• Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
• Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
• James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers
• Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

3rd team is always really hard to choose. There are so many deserving players this season, but I ultimately went with this group. LeBron is here mostly for his incredible immunity to aging, but all represented played huge roles in their team’s success this season. I think Cade Cunningham especially stands out, improving his roster by 30 wins relative to last season and earning them a playoff berth for the first time since 2019.

Sixth man of the year

Evan’s pick – Payton Prichard, Boston Celtics 

This might be the easiest pick on the ballot this year. Prichard has been phenomenal, potentially the Celtics’ third-best player behind Tatum and White, all while coming off the bench. In my mind, he’s been the favorite for this award for most of the season. 

Jonathan’s pick –  Payton Prichard, Boston Celtics

I hate to give this award to a Celtics player when their team is impossibly deep on its own, but Prichard’s campaign this season is almost undeniable. His efficiency stands out as one of the biggest reasons he’ll likely win this award, having shot 47% from the field on relatively high volume. 

Most improved player (MIP)

Evan’s pick – Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers 

This award is always hard to make a pick for. What constitutes someone being “most improved?” No one, not even the NBA, really knows. For me, though, Mobley takes this award as a guy who didn’t have much buzz last year, to now making an All-NBA team this year. Ivica Zubac is the other main contender for me, but I think Mobley should take it.

Jonathan’s pick – Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers

I prefer it when this award goes to seasoned veterans rather than sophomore or junior players who are following typical career trajectories, and Ivica Zubac undeniably exceeded expectations in his 10th year. He averaged a double dozen on high efficiency while quietly becoming one of the best defenders in the league and restoring hope to a fading Clippers franchise.

Coach of the year (COY)

Evan’s pick – J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons

I know, I know, Kenny Atkinson has been amazing and has the Cavs looking like the best team in the NBA. But no one saw the Pistons going from the worst team in the NBA last year to being an automatic playoff team this season. For that jump, you gotta give Bickerstaff a lot of credit. He deserves the award for managing to pull the Pistons out of the gutter, which is an absolute miracle.

Jonathan’s pick – Kenny Atkinson

I know, I know, J.B. Bickerstaff has been amazing and has the Pistons performing well beyond expectations, having improved the team by 30 wins year over year, but have we already forgotten just how poorly the Cavaliers were thought of heading into this season? They sat at just +1700 odds (roughly a 5% chance, and lower than 6 other teams) to win their conference. They not only took the conference, they dominated it! For me, taking a middling team and elevating them to greatness deserves this recognition.

Rookie of the year (ROY)

Evan’s pick – Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks

This year’s ROY race has not been nearly as exciting as last year’s race between Wemby and Holmgren, with this year’s rookie class taking on much smaller roles in comparison. For me, this award comes down to Risacher or Stephon Castle from the Spurs, but ultimately, Risacher should take this due to his production and playing a significant role on a playoff-contending team.

Jonathan’s pick – Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks

This is a close race between Stephen Castle and Zaccharie Risacher, but ultimately the efficiency of Risacher and his ability to elevate the Hawks this season stand out more to me. In a somewhat lackluster rookie class, I have the first overall pick claiming this award.

Defensive player of the year (DPOY)

Evan’s pick – Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers

This award is a tight race between Zubac and Evan Mobley. But, I give the edge to Zubac here for being the best defender on a top-5 ranked defense in the league. Zubac has also allowed the lowest shot quality as the contesting defender, showcasing just how dominant he has been guarding the paint. 

Jonathan’s pick – Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

I was tempted to give the edge to Evan Mobley for the role he’s played on the Cavs this season, but ultimately decided that Draymond’s 1.5 steals, 1 block, and 5 defensive rebounds per game are so much more necessary to his team’s success. It’s so important to have a player on the defensive end of the floor who can close out possessions the way Draymond does, especially for a team as undersized as the Warriors.

Most valuable player (MVP)

Evan’s pick – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder 

If you’re purely looking at statistics, Jokic is probably the pick for the MVP award this season, given that he finished top three in points, assists, and rebounds. But, Shai is as close to Jokic statistically as you can get, while also leading the best team in the league to a historically dominant season. Not only is Shai leading the league in points per game, but the Thunder are 11.5 points per 100 possessions worse when Shai is off the court, truly defining the value he provides to the best team in the NBA. 

Jonathan’s pick –  Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

We just witnessed two different MVP campaigns that each would have won the award in any other season this decade. Ultimately, this decision comes down to the fact that Jokic just had more jaw dropping performances than SGA. Show me SGA’s 54/5/8 game? I’ll raise you Jokic’s 61/10/10 game. Show me SGA’s 51/7/5 game? I’ll raise you Jokic’s 31/22/21 monster! Show me SGA’s +11.5 on/off spread? I’ll raise you Jokic’s +18.5 on/off spread! I could go on. This season, Jokic changed his story from “Not since Wilt” to “never before”. SGA’s season is undeniably historic. The 3 time MVP and best player in the NBA just had his best season, and quite possibly THE best season of all time.

Joel’s pick – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Nikola Jokic is the best basketball player in the NBA. He has been for years, and this season was no different. He’s near the top of the NBA in points, rebounds, assists, and even steals. But you know who’s right there with him? Shai. Jokic’s 30/12/10 is better than Shai’s 33/5/6, but Shai tied him in steals, had fewer turnovers, and more blocks. These are the two best players in the NBA, and there could be an argument either way for them. But this race is separated by 18 things. 68 wins for OKC, 50 wins for Denver. Both are playoff teams, but the 18-win difference is more than the gap between Jokic’s Nuggets and the injured-Wemby’s Spurs, a team eliminated from even the play-in weeks ago. When the statistical race is this close, an 18-win difference plays a role. Certainly, the Nuggets are a much worse team with Jokic off the court (+10.5 versus -9.5), but Shai’s +/- leads the NBA, and when the best player on the best team is this good, it feels wrong to pick anyone else. This race reads like Derrick Rose winning 2011’s award over reigning back-to-back winner LeBron James, despite LeBron’s stronger statistical case. Either way, there’s no wrong answer for MVP this year. Except for Giannis. He’s pretty clearly in third place.

Thanks for reading our picks for who should win this season’s NBA regular season awards. Let us know down in the comments who you think we got right and who we got wrong.