Jaime Hebel | Head of Illustration

NBA awards are controversial. What does it mean to be the most valuable player? Is it the player who provides the biggest marginal benefit to their team? Is it the player with the best stats? Is it simply the best player — the one you’d pick first in a Game Seven? And how do you decide which player improved the most? By judging two different seasons and comparing them to each other? At the end of the day, there are no clear answers. Awards are subjective, and that’s why there are endless debates about who is the most deserving every season.

With NBA opening night approaching, why not get a head start on these debates and predict who will win these awards in the 2024-25 NBA season?

Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

As the MVP runner-up last year, SGA has one of the most unique profiles in the NBA. He’s a quick, lengthy 6-foot-6 lead guard, which allows him to get to the rim (and free-throw line) with ease. But what’s special about SGA is that he relies on the mid-range more than anyone not named Kevin Durant or DeMar DeRozan. And for a player who clearly has excellent shooting touch, he just hasn’t shot that many threes. It makes me believe that there’s another level that SGA can reach. Throw in the fact that the Thunder, who added Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso this offseason, are likely to be a better team than those of other MVP contenders Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic, and SGA is my clear preseason favorite.

Defensive Player of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Offensively, Wemby is unlike anyone in NBA history. We’ve never seen a player have the ability to both collapse the defense from his interior presence and stretch the defense with his shooting. However, it’s often forgotten that Wemby is an even rarer defensive piece. At 7-foot-4, with great instincts, quickness, and length, he has the potential to be the greatest defensive player of all time. He’s already an elite rim protector, averaging 3.6 blocks per game in his rookie season, and he’s only going to get stronger and more physical.

Coach of the Year: Kenny Atkinson, Cleveland Cavaliers

While the award may be titled “Coach of the Year,” it usually just goes to the team that outperforms their expectations the most. That’s why I have Kenny Atkinson winning it this year. The Cavs have a strong core: with Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley, they can rely on two strong shot creators and two elite defenders. If Mitchell and Garland can take on bigger offensive roles on different nights, the Cavs can have a strong regular season. Their problems have been injury-related, but with an entire offseason and a healthy team, this year could be different. And when it comes to actual coaching ability, I trust Atkinson to develop younger players like Mobley and Isaac Okoro, as he did during his stint with the Brooklyn Nets. 

6th Man of the Year: Donte DiVincenzo, Minnesota Timberwolves

DiVincenzo has had an interesting start to his NBA career. After being traded to the Timberwolves this offseason, he begins the season on his fifth team in fewer than four seasons. However, he probably would be a starter for 80% of the NBA’s teams. He’s always been a gritty defender, but last season with the Knicks, DiVincenzo was asked to take a bigger offensive role than ever. He averaged 15.5 points while shooting 40.0% from three (17.8 points on 42.5% in the playoffs), and he was particularly productive when the Knicks were banged-up and needed him the most. The Timberwolves are a great defensive team, but if there were to be one weakness, it would be their shot creation outside of Anthony Edwards. I expect Donte DiVincenzo to lead the second unit and be the primary scorer when Ant is on the bench. And with DiVincenzo’s ability to play 3-and-D when needed, he should also be closing games.

Rookie of the Year: Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs

Awards like ROY are often very stat-dependent, and winners are usually ball-dominant scorers who put up big numbers. Castle doesn’t exactly fit the profile. At UConn, Castle was neither asked to be the team’s leading playmaker nor scorer. He was more of a jack of all trades, showing flashes of being a dynamic lead guard while being a perimeter stopper. However, Castle was also the only freshman starter on a team of veterans, and Coach Dan Hurley played him as much as anyone. Additionally, while you can only learn so much from preseason and training camp reports, Stephon Castle has looked more confident and aggressive in finding his shot. In a weak rookie class, I have the most trust in Castle, who has both the talent and the opportunity on a young Spurs team.

Most Improved Player: Coby White, Chicago Bulls

After a disappointing 2022-2023 campaign in which he averaged career lows in points, rebounds, and minutes per game, it looked like White was only going to be a solid NBA role player. Last season showed a different side to White, though, as he was the primary ball handler on a Bulls team that reached the play-in tournament. His progression last year led to him earning second place in MIP voting, but he should take an even bigger leap this season. With DeMar DeRozan moving to Sacramento and Josh Giddey replacing him in the backcourt, I expect White to be used in more pick-and-rolls and other designed plays for him. MIP is often the most unpredictable award, but White is in the perfect situation to win it.