NBA Awards Update: MVP, Rookie of the Year, and More

The 2024-25 NBA season is heating up, and so are the races for the league's biggest awards. Here's the latest odds and analysis on the MVP, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year races.

MVP

The MVP race is shaping up to be a two-man race between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. Gilgeous-Alexander has been the favorite for most of the season, but Jokic has closed the gap in recent weeks. The Nuggets center is having another monster season, averaging 31.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game. He's also leading the league in win shares and value over replacement player.

Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, is having a career year for the Thunder. He's averaging 31.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, and he's leading the league in steals. The Thunder are also the top seed in the Western Conference, with the best record in the NBA.

The other players in the MVP conversation are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Victor Wembanyama. Antetokounmpo is the NBA's leading scorer, averaging 33.1 points per game. Tatum is the best player on the defending champion Celtics, and he's averaging 27.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. Wembanyama is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, and he's already making an impact for the Spurs. He's averaging 15.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.

Rookie of the Year

The Rookie of the Year race is wide open, with no clear favorite. Zach Edey was the preseason favorite, but he's been inconsistent this season. Alexandre Sarr, Yves Missi, and Jaylen Wells are all in the mix, as are Stephon Castle and Dalton Knecht.

Edey is averaging 14.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, but he's shooting just 43.2% from the field. Sarr is averaging 12.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, and he's shooting 50.6% from the field. Missi is averaging 11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, and he's shooting 52.4% from the field. Wells is averaging 10.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, and he's shooting 48.3% from the field. Castle is averaging 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, and he's shooting 43.8% from the field. Knecht is averaging 8.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, and he's shooting 42.9% from the field.

Sixth Man of the Year

The Sixth Man of the Year race is also wide open, with no clear favorite. Payton Pritchard was the preseason favorite, but he's cooled off in recent weeks. De'Andre Hunter is the current favorite, as he's been on fire since the end of November. Amen Thompson is also in the mix, as he's playing a major role for the Rockets this season.

Pritchard is averaging 15.2 points and 3.6 3-pointers per game, but he's shooting just 41.2% from the field. Hunter is averaging 21.1 points and 3.1 3-pointers per game, and he's shooting 47.8% from the field. Thompson is averaging 14.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, and he's shooting 46.7% from the field.

Most Improved Player

The Most Improved Player race is wide open, with no clear favorite. Cade Cunningham is the current favorite, as he's having a breakout season for the Pistons. Jalen Johnson and Tyler Herro are also in the mix, as they're both having excellent seasons for the Hawks and Heat, respectively.

Cunningham is averaging 23.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, and he's shooting 48.3% from the field. Johnson is averaging 19.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, and he's shooting 47.1% from the field. Herro is averaging 20.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, and he's shooting 46.2% from the field.

Defensive Player of the Year

The Defensive Player of the Year race is wide open, with no clear favorite. Victor Wembanyama is the current favorite, as he's leading the league in blocks per game. Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Rudy Gobert are also in the mix, as they're all having excellent seasons for the Cavaliers, Grizzlies, and Jazz, respectively.

Wembanyama is averaging 3.4 blocks per game, and he's also averaging 15.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Mobley is averaging 1.7 blocks per game, and he's also averaging 14.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Jackson is averaging 1.6 blocks per game, and he's also averaging 13.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Gobert is averaging 1.5 blocks per game, and he's also averaging 13.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

Coach of the Year

The Coach of the Year race is wide open, with no clear favorite. Kenny Atkinson is the current favorite, as he's leading the Cavaliers to the best record in the NBA. Jamahl Mosley, Taylor Jenkins, Ime Udoka, and Mark Daigneault are also in the mix, as they're all having excellent seasons for the Magic, Grizzlies, Rockets, and Thunder, respectively.

Atkinson is averaging 118.5 points per game, and he's leading the Cavaliers to a 37-10 record. Mosley is averaging 111.2 points per game, and he's leading the Magic to a 28-18 record. Jenkins is averaging 110.1 points per game, and he's leading the Grizzlies to a 27-19 record. Udoka is averaging 108.9 points per game, and he's leading the Rockets to a 26-20 record. Daigneault is averaging 107.8 points per game, and he's leading the Thunder to a 25-21 record.

Conclusion

The NBA awards races are heating up, and there are plenty of contenders for each award. The MVP race is shaping up to be a two-man race between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, but Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Victor Wembanyama could all make a run. The Rookie of the Year race is wide open, with no clear favorite. The Sixth Man of the Year race is also wide open, with no clear favorite. The Most Improved Player race is wide open, with no clear favorite. The Defensive Player of the Year race is wide open, with no clear favorite. The Coach of the Year race is wide open, with no clear favorite.