NBA Notebook: Picking the 2024-25 NBA Awards from MVP to All-Defense

The NBA season concluded last week and as the playoffs begin, one of the more interesting and contest awards races will be decided by ballots turned in over the weekend. While I'm not a voter, I'll provide my input on the various awards from watching the league at large throughout this season and how I would've voted for each category. 

MVP 

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 

32.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.7 APG, 1.0 BPG, 51.9% FG, 37.5% 3PT, 8.8 FTA (89.8%) 

A devastating two-way force who took over the league and led one of the greatest regular season teams of all-time at 68-14. The Thunder survived the minutes Gilgeous-Alexander didn't play, which will headline the many Nikola Jokić arguments, but Oklahoma City won his minutes by 16.7 points per 100 possessions. While Jokić shared Gilgeous-Alexander in having one of the greatest seasons we've ever seen, Gilgeous-Alexander's impact expanded to defense, where the Thunder ran away with the best defensive rating in the sport and the lowest seen since the 2022 Celtics. His gravity and play-making also aided the growth of breakout players around him, including all-star Jalen Williams, empowering parts of the roster that'll be used for the argument against him. Two dominant victories over the defending champion Celtics help too, along with finishing the season with the best record in the league by four games, 18 over Denver. Record shouldn't decide MVPs, but a difference this large provides the finishing touch on the toughest decision I can remember here. 

2. Nikola Jokić

29.6 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 10.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 57.7% FG, 41.7% 3PT, 6.4 FTA (80%)

Perhaps the best season any MVP runner-up has ever had. It's so difficult to deny Jokić his fourth MVP, which would match LeBron James behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan's five for the most ever. He couldn't have done any more offensively while guiding a haphazard Nuggets roster that can't survive for a second with him off the floor to 50 wins. Anyone who votes him will be fully justified to do so, and there's plenty of evidence that he had a better individual season than Gilgeous-Alexander. Was he more valuable to his team? That's where I'll split hairs on the defensive end. Denver fared 1.1 points per 100 possessions worse on defense with Jokić on the floor this year. Those are the kind of small differences that'll decide one of the toughest MVP races in NBA history. Defensive issues caused many of the Nuggets' defining faults this year, and Jokić has had better seasons on that end over the past three years. Gilgeous-Alexander, amazingly, blocked more shots than Jokić this year. 

3. Jayson Tatum 

26.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 45.2% FG, 34.3% 3PT, 6.1 FTA (81.4%)

He won't finish here, but this isn't a courtesy vote. If Tatum didn't slide in shooting efficiency to close the year, he would've had a bulletproof case in my mind to command the third slot in MVP voting due to his impact on winning. Giannis Antetokounmpo undoubtedly had the better statistical season, charging through the finish line with 30.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG and 6.5 APG on 60.1% shooting for a Bucks team that didn't have much else going for it this season. He maintained their fifth-seed standing with Damian Lillard out to close the year, and remains a defensive force even as their team defense has slipped. But Tatum's intangibles, guarding centers to negate pick-and-rolls, making reads out of crowds consistently and drawing defenses up with his three-point gravity all contributed to success elsewhere on the Celtics roster. His assist rate skyrocketed despite stretches of the season where teammates dealt with regressions, and while his on-off numbers don't flash, the success of an array of experimental lineups throughout the schedule allowed the Celtics to win 61 wins, only three off their lauded pace from last year. Tatum's impact on winning this year was substantial, and while I can't refute the shooting struggles that'll knock him down to four on many ballots, I won't overlook his constant availability, the 13 wins Boston had on Milwaukee and his role in an underrated Celtics defensive unit. 

All-NBA 

1st Team: Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards 

2nd Team: Steph Curry, Cade Cunningham, Donovan MItchell, Jalen Brunson, Evan Mobley 

3rd Team: LeBron James, Tyrese Haliburton, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jaren Jackson Jr., Alperen Şengün

A late surge pushed Edwards ahead of Mitchell, who was a staple on most First Teams before the Cavs' underrated late slide. The Second Team wasn't too difficult, aside from Cunningham's inclusion. His heavy lifting and role in Detroit's massive turnaround made me overlook some efficiency questions. Devin Booker was on Third until the Suns' late collapse, while James is squarely third team for me due to his limited defensive role at this point in his career. If I had to change any one player, Jalen Williams would've replaced Alperen Şengün, who I felt needed to represent the Rockets' astonishing second-place finish. James Harden, Ivica Zubac, Trae Young, Domantas Sabonis and Williams were next up for me. 

All-Defense 

1. Lu Dort 

A matchup nightmare for many of the league's most dynamic offensive players, including Jaylen Brown, who managed next to nothing against Dort in their two meetings. This was an all-time difficult choice for any award period, but Dort's role in the Thunder's historic defensive unit and the individual takedowns he achieved on defense all year led me in this direction. Think of it as a credit to the past one-on-one defenders who once dominated the voting for this award. 

2. Evan Mobley

A likely winner and more fitting one for me if the Cavs' team defense reached the heights it did in the past. Mobley's analytics beat out Dort's, and much of this field, but his impact waned later in the season while Cleveland fell to eighth in defensive efficiency, and 14th after the all-star break. The Cavs also feature him less often at center than Jarrett Allen, splitting the defensive responsibilities between them. While he's perhaps the best anchor for a defense in the NBA right now, his individual feats didn't match Dort's to me. 

3. Dyson Daniels 

I just don't see the Draymond Green argument that many bought into late in the season. He's instrumental to what became a strong Warriors unit by the end of the season, but Golden State rode too many highs-and-lows to make me think back on this as a defensive season defined by Green. Daniels, however, generated nearly 100 more steals than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in second-place, helped Trae Young survive in the back court and while those plays didn't flow into team success, what Daniels achieved individually on defense this year is hard to fathom. He finished with 3.0 steals per game. That's not indicative of being one of the league's best defenders, but it's still worth a nod here. 

Most Improved 

1. Cade Cunningham 

From the face of one of the worst years any team has ever had to averaging 26.1 PPG and 9.1 APG on the league's best story this year that revived basketball in Detroit. That narrative alone deserves this award, but the statistical leaps for Cunningham are also pretty jarring. His scoring increased from 22.7 PPG, he averaged nearly two more assists per game atop the league with the James Hardens and Trae Youngs of the world and his defense improved for a top-10 unit that stopped nobody one year ago. I get those who will discount his improvement based on his age, similar shooting efficiency to last year and other leaps perhaps being larger in their totality. This improvement was the most impactful. 

2. Ivica Zubac 

However much he owes his offensive leap to James Harden, the defensive force he became under Jeff Van Gundy's coaching was maybe the most surprising development I saw around the league this year. The Clippers finished third in defense, nearly one whole point per 100 ahead of the Celtics, and their 107 defensive rating with Zubac on the floor wasn't far behind what the Thunder produced on that end. Individually, he averaged 16.8 PPG, 12.6 RPG and 2.7 APG on 62.8% shooting. Remember that the Clippers got him in a 2019 trade deadline deal for since-retired center Mike Muscala. 

3. Amen Thompson

From a rookie who didn't look quite ready for the moment to a game-breaking defensive stopper who became a significant part of the Rockets' emergence as the second-best team in the west. His playmaking, rebounding and even shooting saw improvements, and he hit a game-winning shot at TD Garden. He doubled his blocks, maintained his efficiency from inside the arc with a greater workload and looked, at times, like the team's offensive hub at 22. I don't get as caught up as others in the natural improvement expected out of younger players. The degree of Thompson's breakout was mesmerizing. 

Rookie of the Year 

1. Stephon Castle 

It's not much of a contest. He led the Spurs' offense at times, averaged 14.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 4.1 APG while contributing the most directly to winning of any rookie before Victor Wembanyama went down. After that, he posted 17.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 5.0 APG on 43.9% shooting. The efficiency will come, but he's the most well-equipped rookie from this class through year one on both sides of the ball. 

2. Zaccharie Risacher

Say what you want about the other parts of his game, particularly the defense, but the 19-year-old top pick in the draft last summer put the ball in the basket in droves as a rookie. He scored 30 points in four different games, including 38 over Brooklyn in a key seeding game late in the season. Risacher emerged as a starter, albeit through injuries, on a good team with several scorers in front of him and still made his mark. He finished the year with 12.6 PPG on 45.8% shooting (35.5% 3PT) and scored more than 14 PPG after the break.

3. Jaylen Wells 

Zach Edey might receive some love here for his late emergence, but Wells became a Grizzlies starter early in the season and the team ran with it. In that role, he posted 10.6 PPG and 3.4 RPG while shooting 35.3% from three. Alex Sarr posted better individual numbers, Yves Missi had a better start, Kel'el Ware closed the year better but no rookie impacted winning more front-to-back than Wells, who also gave Memphis the confidence to move on from Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia, seasoned veterans, mid-season. They still made the playoffs in large part due to the strength of the start he helped power with his two-way connecting impact. 

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Payton Pritchard 

A slower finish to the year nearly cost him a race he led by miles to begin the season. Astonishing shooting efficiency, numerous games that his second unit burst helped turn from sluggish starts into convincing wins, along with underrated defensive improvement that allowed him to become a sixth man, all led me to this conclusion that I'm sure many will share. Malik Beasley had the better offensive season overall, and arguably carried more weight for the impressive Pistons, but 13.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 3.5 APG through the all-star break gave him enough room for error here. His role also filled more than the spirit of this award, an ancillary contributor who entered the game and just poured it on as a scorer. At times, Pritchard became the do-it-all floor general for the second unit. 

2. Malik Beasley 

More of a centerpiece player who happened to come off the bench. I won't discount his achievements, 16.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 41.6% three-point shooting on 9.3 attempts per game that allowed him to finish one three short of Edwards for the NBA lead. The shimmies were spectacular, he played a larger role in Detroit's winning than Pritchard did in Boston's overall, but he fell just an inch short in having a more complete season. Pritchard rebounded, passed and defended better than Beasley did for the Pistons. 

3. Ty Jerome 

Hard to believe he didn't get more hype in this discussion all year. The Jerome minutes were spectacular for the east-best Cavs, a revelation for their rotation that badly needed wing shooting and playmaking. He filled both, averaging 12.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 3.4 APG on 51.6% shooting and 43.9% three-point shooting. He wasn't as direct of a sixth man as Pritchard and Beasley, and averaged less than 20 minutes per game with defensive limitations potentially further limiting the scope of his playoff role if the Cavs and Celtics meet later. But in the moments he did play, the points arrived quickly, 22.7 per 36 minutes. He only played two games last season due to a significant ankle injury. He's been a key since.

Coach of the Year 

1. JB Bickerstaff 

2. Kenny Atkinson 

3. Ime Udoka 

Ty Lue and JJ Redick deserve love here too, and Atkinson will inevitably win this award for the combination of the success and surprise his hiring in Cleveland inspired. But no turnaround will happen anytime soon like the one Bickerstaff achieved taking over a new-look Pistons roster with enough remaining players still demoralized from losing 28 straight games the year before. The spat with officials, defensive coaching and fiery approach he took translated to a team ready to fight and play harder than any other this year. Atkinson's tangible role in transforming the Cavs from an ok offense to the best in the league is definitely deserving of consideration, but Bickerstaff did the most with the least -- the spirit of this award for me. Udoka took a team that didn't make the playoffs last year and was deep in the lottery before his arrival to the top of the west above LAC, Denver and others. His defensive coaching was reminiscent of what he pulled off in Boston in 2022, only with a younger and far less experienced group. Pace opened up their offense to success too. 

All Defensive Teams

1st: Lu Dort, Dyson Daniels, Draymond Green, Jaren Jackson Jr., Evan Mobley

2nd: Amen Thompson, Derrick White, Ivica Zubac, Bam Adebayo, Rudy Gobert

All-Rookie Teams 

1st: Stephon Castle, Zaccharie Risacher, Jaylen Wells, Kel'el Ware, Zach Edey

2nd: Matas Buzelis, Donovan Clingan, Yves Missi, Alex Sarr, Dalton Knecht 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta (40-42): Lost to the Magic, 120-95, then fell to the Heat in overtime, 123-114, after a Trae Young bucket extended the game at the end of regulation. Young said Atlanta should've made the playoffs despite key injuries to Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela late in the season. It marks another disappointing finish to a season that looked promising at times. They had the chance to clinch a first-round series with a Boston team they defeated in two out of three meetings, but will instead turn toward hoping their first-round pick from the Kevin Huerter trade (via SAC) stays at 14th overall so it conveys (1-12 protected). They owe their pick to San Antonio, unprotected, from the Dejounte Murray trade. 

Boston (61-21): Host the Magic in Game 1 of the first round on Sunday at 3:30 EST after Paolo Banchero led Orlando to a play-in win over Atlanta. Jaylen Brown (knee) practiced all week following his knee injection, which he wouldn't identify or discuss in detail on Saturday, other than indicating that he'll play without restrictions beginning in the opener. That puts the Celtics at full health as heavy favorites over Orlando, though the Magic won the season series, 2-1, and have defeated Boston in six of their last 10 meetings. It's a challenging and unorthodox matchup for the Celtics, who had three of their five lowest three-point attempt games against the Magic during the regular season. The first game, an Orlando win at home, featured a late Jayson Tatum scratch. Franz Wagner missed the first two games, Banchero struggling in Boston during a blowout Celtics win. Boston rested its starters in the finale in Florida earlier this month, a 20-point Magic win. Wyc Grousbeck said he expects the tentative Celtics sale to be finalized this summer. 

Chicago (39-43): Eliminated by the Heat in the 9-10 play-in game despite winning 10-of-15 to close the regular season, and never drawing close in the game. President Arturas Karnisovas insisted the team has a plan and asked for patience as their rebuild continues, or starts, depending on how you look at following the DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine trades to Sacramento over the past year. Nikola Vučević remains on a one-year contract, while Josh Giddey and Coby White need new contracts over the next year. 

Cleveland (64-18): Will host the Heat in the first round of the playoffs beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Cleveland won the regular season series, 2-1. The NBA coaches voted Kenny Atkinson coach of the year. All eyes will be on Donovan Mitchell after he sprained his ankle on Apr. 6 and missed the Cavs' final four regular season games. Mitchell participated in practice leading up to the start of the first round and Atkinson said he's relieved about the guard's recovery. 

Dallas (39-43): Beat the Kings to move within one win of the playoffs despite a 13-20 close to the season following the Luka Dončić trade, but lost badly to the Grizzlies on Friday to bring one of the most tumultuous seasons by any team in recent memory to a close. Nico Harrison, who held a closed-door, no-recorders-allowed session with the press last week continued to defend the Dončić deal because defense wins championships. Yet cameras panned to him throughout the loss as Anthony Davis struggled to play through an apparent injury, scoring 40 points that didn't leave much of a dent in a blowout loss. Massive questions now follow a season where fans exited season ticket deals, the franchise lost value, Kyrie Irving tore his ACL, which will likely keep him out until around January, 2026, and Dereck Lively II's camp raised concerns about the handling of his foot injury. 

Denver (lead 1-0 vs. LAC): Nikola Jokić led a 15-point comeback with 29 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists on 12-for-24 shooting capped with a go-ahead Russell Westbrook three with less than one minute remaining. James Harden forced overtime with a floater, but Aaron Gordon scored six of the Nuggets' 14 points to pull away in the extra period. Oddsmakers liked the Nuggets' chances at home in Game 1 despite favoring the Clippers in the series, so their near setback might still bode well for the Clippers, who received 32 points and 11 assists from Harden and 20 each from Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac. The LA Times looked back at projections that LA would finish below .500 and last in their division following Paul George's departure. 

“I think our group has been playing with a chip on its shoulders all year because of that (outside skepticism),” Ty Lue said. “We just found ways to win. We just found ways to win. No matter whose night it was, we just kind of featured that guy, played hard defensively and competed and we played together. … Being counted out and staying the course and playing with that chip on your shoulder all year long.”

Detroit (down 0-1 vs. NYK): Blew a nine-point lead late in the third quarter by allowing a 21-0 run to the Knicks in the fourth and suffering a grueling welcome to the playoffs moment. Detroit held Jalen Brunson in check until late, when he reached 34 points while playing through apparent pain. The Pistons also exploited him on defense, but Cade Cunningham struggled to shoot through heavy defensive attention from the Knicks, finishing 8-for-21. They had few answers for Karl-Anthony Towns and 19 turnovers, five forced by OG Anunoby steals, ultimately doomed Detroit, who lost a key opportunity to steal a game. Tom Thibodeau capped off the afternoon with a great quote on a day where he could've fallen under unimaginable fire. 

Golden State (48-34): A loss to the Clippers that dropped them into the play-in tournament actually set them up with an intriguing path to the West Finals, beginning with the Houston Rockets, who they took 3-of-4 from during the regular season. There's so much to love about this series, whether the spat between Ime Udoka and Steph Curry from their last meeting, a clash between new and old, and the return of playoff Jimmy Butler after missing last postseason with an injury in Miami. Butler dropped 38 points to down the Grizzlies in the play-in tournament, but looked banged up midway through the game following a thigh injury. Jonathan Kuminga did not play in the win, beginning the playoffs outside of the rotation. The Rockets and Warriors begin their series at 9:30 EST on Sunday, with one moving on, avoiding Oklahoma City and facing the Lakers-Wolves winner.

Lakers (down 0-1 vs. MIN): A popular pick over the Wolves suffered a sizable setback, losing 117-95 in Game 1 while trying to play small. Luka Dončić dazzled in his Lakers playoff debut with 37 points and pushed LA back into the game after halftime, but LA allowed big scoring nights to Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels, who all surpassed 20 points. Edwards left the game with a calf injury at one point and shook it off after the game while Reid also spent time in the locker room after a collision with Jared Vanderbilt. Both returned to close the win. Dončić, who hasn't spoken to Nico Harrison since his trade from Dallas, sat down with ESPN and called the executive's continued talking down of his defense sad. 

"I never say anything bad about him, and I just want to move on," Dončić said. "The fans, my ex-teammates, I'll always keep at heart. It's time for me to move on from there."

Memphis (48-34): Shoutout to Zach Edey, much maligned for his struggles, he posted 29 points and 28 rebounds while surviving heavy minutes between a play-in loss to the Warriors and win over Dallas. Now, after battling Anthony Davis, he'll try to challenge the Thunder's increasingly large frontcourt as the heaviest of underdogs. Better defensive stature and offensive rebounding could make the series more competitive than many think, but it's hard to imagine the Grizzlies consistently scoring in the half-court and winning the bench scoring battle. They tip-off their series at 1 EST on Sunday. 

Milwaukee (down 0-1 vs. IND): Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 36 points in 38 minutes and received next to no help as the Bucks fell behind quickly and lost in a Game 1 blowout at Indiana. His presence doesn't appear capable of swinging the series that the Pacers won last April, but Damian Lillard will likely return from a blood clot that was found last month, a stunning turn of events for a Milwaukee team that badly needed a positive development. Kyle Kuzma scored 0 points with 0 rebounds and 0 assists in 22 minutes, an unspectacular return to the playoffs after the team made the bold move to trade Khris Middleton and more for him at the deadline. Lillard is expected back in either Game 2 or 3. 

“Obviously there’s people with way worse issues than I’ve dealt with, so I don’t want to be dramatic about it, but you just never know when something could come up and change your life,” Lillard, who received a technical foul from the sideline during Game 1 for sparring with Tyrese Haliburton, said. “It’s been guys like Chris Bosh who dealt with this, and then it’s another issue, and it could be a career-ending thing, so I think you just can’t take days and opportunities and things in your life for granted.”

New Orleans (21-61): Fired GM David Griffin, who oversaw the franchise's seismic Anthony Davis trade, drafting Zion Williamson and the ups-and-downs that followed that mostly swung toward down in recent years. However injuries factored into the team's demise this season, Griffin's Dejounte Murray trade looked suspect almost immediately when Dyson Daniels began soaring with the Hawks while the Brandon Ingram trade saga finished with only Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk and a first returning to New Orleans. Head coach Willie Green remains safe for now, but his reported replacement Joe Dumars will make a difficult decision on whether the team wants to continue with Williamson as its centerpiece. Dumars led the construction of the 2004 Pistons championship roster currently serves as the NBA's head of basketball operations. 

Phoenix (36-46): After firing Mike Budenholzer, the Suns will pursue a franchise reset dictated in part by their new head coach, a fourth in four seasons after Monty Williams, Frank Vogel and Budenholzer all failed to solidify an ever-changing roster. Those shifts will likely continue with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal's futures in flux, with an eye on defense. Durant and the team will work on finding him a new home this summer, according to Shams Charania, talks that will demand a significant return for a player whose value is unclear at this point in his career. He proved that having him alone, or even alongside other players, won't mask other deficiencies on a roster that'll exist for any team that guts its depth to acquire him. Mat Ishbia has stressed that the Suns will not trade Devin Booker. 

"Embarrassing season, right?" Ishbia said. "Disappointing. Awful. I watch every game like all you guys do and no one's proud of it, no one's happy with it, from me, to the front office, to the coaches and players, to the marketing executives to the security guards ... it was a failure." 

Portland (36-46): Head coach Chauncey Billups received a multi-year extension after a 15-win improvement over 2024 and a strong defensive finish to the season. 

"The defensive improvement that we've seen, for us to be the third-best defense in the league in the second half of the season. That's meaningful and substantive," GM Joe Cronin said. "And that's what we've been trying to build. And that's what we're going to point to moving forward, this is who we are."

Sacramento (40-42): Ended a disastrous season overshadowed only by special Suns, 76ers and Mavericks failures with a play-in loss to Dallas. The team quickly fired GM Monty McNair, who reportedly wasn't behind ownership's decision to stunningly fire Mike Brown and set in motion the team's mid-season demise. Soon, they dealt De'Aaron Fox for a mixed bag return headlined by Zach LaVine, who never developed similar chemistry with Domantas Sabonis. Now, Sabonis and the team will reportedly discuss his future as one of the best stories in the NBA two years ago turns into a very Kings-like mess. Former Kings executive Scott Perry will reportedly return to the franchise to replace McNair. 

San Antonio (34-48): Head coach Gregg Popovich, who missed most of this season following a stroke, suffered another medical emergency at a restaurant last week. He was released from the hospital with what was reportedly a non-life threatening condition. It's unclear who will coach the Spurs in 2025-26, as interim head coach Mitch Johnson described a vague plan that the team will undertake this summer. 

"This organization is still prioritizing Pop's health. In time, he will do what he needs to do and make decisions," Johnson said. "That will go through this organization on very many levels. We really put together that plan as a group. Obviously, my role has changed in nine years. What I'm doing this spring won't be what I did eight years ago, but the player development has been at the forefront since I've been here."