The NBA’s 65-game requirement is causing quite a stir as the 2025-26 season wraps up. Luka Doncic missed out on MVP recognition, Cade Cunningham wasn’t eligible for first-team All-NBA, and Anthony Edwards didn’t play enough to be considered for All-NBA either.
This season’s MVP race has been tightly contested, particularly between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, but the buzz centers on Victor Wembanyama’s rise. His selection is significant, not entirely unexpected given the comparisons to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earlier in his career. While Wembanyama is likely to become a future MVP multiple times, he’s still on the journey to that status.
As the regular season has concluded, here are our forecasts for the NBA awards this year.
MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
While Nikola Jokic has dominated the past five seasons, Gilgeous-Alexander has claimed the MVP title this year. It’s tough that Jokic, who led the league in rebounds and assists, didn’t snag his fourth MVP, but it’s a testament to how remarkable SGA has been. Don’t buy into the narrative that Gilgeous-Alexander’s success stems solely from free throws or that OKC’s success is purely due to strong defense. If you swapped him with a player like Jalen Brunson, the Thunder would likely struggle. Before this season, he had already proven to be star quality with impressive buzzer-beater wins. Averaging 45.3 points per 100 possessions with a stellar 66.5% shooting percentage is truly impressive for a player of his size. He’s on track to being one of the greatest guards post-Michael Jordan—only Stephen Curry might rank higher. In EPM, SGA edged out Jokic this year (+9.3 vs. +8.0) as well as estimated wins (+19.1 vs. +17.1). Despite some advanced metrics favoring Jokic and Wembanyama, SGA remains elite across the board and was crucial for the Thunder’s impressive 64-win season.
Best Defensive Player: Victor Wembaneyama
Wembanyama is making quite the statement here. Maybe not to undermine Bill Russell, but at just 22, he’s possibly the best defensive player the league has ever seen. With that 8-foot wingspan and incredible agility, it seems likely he’ll snag this award annually—assuming he stays healthy. If he’s ineligible for any reason this year, Chet Holmgren is a solid second choice.
Rookie of the Year: Con Knuppel
Last week, we discussed the Rookie of the Year race, making a case for Knuppel as more deserving than Cooper Flagg. His performances have been vital for Elite since day one. Honestly, I think Knuppel was one of the top 50 players in the league as a rookie. Flagg might be the top pick in a re-draft, but Knuppel stood out as this season’s best rookie quite clearly.
Sixth Man of the Year: Keldon Johnson
I tend to agree with Matt Issa about the Sixth Man race. This feels like a matchup between Keldon Johnson and Jaime Jaquez, with Johnson having a slight edge due to his impact.
Coach of the Year: JB Bickerstaff
I would mention Joe Mazzula, Jordan Ott, and Charles Lee as other candidates, but Bickerstaff has truly transformed the Pistons from 14 wins to 44 and now 60. Though losing Dennis Schroder and Malik Beasley appeared to hurt Detroit early on, Bickerstaff optimized the team’s defense and turned Danis Jenkins into a key asset, while also guiding a breakout season for Jalen Duren. He deserves credit for leading Detroit to an impressive 13-5 without Cade Cunningham and for creating a top-notch defense. The preseason predictions for the Pistons were dim, but Bickerstaff’s coaching has turned the team into a surprising contender.
Clutch Player of the Year: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
This year, Gilgeous-Alexander topped the league in clutch points, racking up 175. He was followed by Jamal Murray (166) and Nikola Jokic (155), but unlike those stars, SGA didn’t have another playmaker to assist him during tight late-game situations. The lone Thunder player in the top 100 for clutch points was Chet Holmgren, who came in at 49th. With his evolving step-back shot, guarding him in the playoffs will be a serious challenge.
Most Improved Player: Jaylen Duren
There are many contenders for this accolade, but it appears to boil down to Nickell Alexander-Walker versus Duren. I lean towards the Pistons center because his leap this season—from a good starter to someone who could possibly make All-NBA—is more notable. Having ranked Duren fifth on my 2022 draft board, I always anticipated this kind of growth. Duren, the youngest player in the NBA last year, has become an efficient scorer and continues to dominate both offensively and defensively. The Pistons’ offensive rating soared with him on the court, compared to when he wasn’t playing. His free throw percentage has noticeably improved, and while there’s room for growth in his defense, he’s already established himself as one of the better centers today.
NBA All-Defensive Team Selection
First team: Victor Wembaneyama, Chet Holmgren, Bam Adebayo, Derrick White, Rudy Gobert
Second team: Scottie Burns, Armen Thompson, Author Thompson, OG Anunoby, Kason Wallace
First team: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembaneyama, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell
Second team: Jaylen Brown, Chet Holmgren, Jamal Murray, Jaylen Duren, LaMelo Ball.
Third team: Tyrese Maxey, Kevin Durant, Derrick White, Jalen Brunson, Scottie Barnes
