NBA awards watch: New ROY, MIP contenders take top spots
Welcome to our monthly look at the various individual awards in the Association and who merits a mention for their performances across the season.
Rookie of the Year
3. Alex Sarr (Wizards): Washington seems to have found its big man of the future in Sarr. The Frenchman is averaging 11.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while starting in all 41 games he's played. The 7-footer is tied for the lead among rookies in blocks per game (1.6), and he racked up a career-high five stuffs Jan. 21 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
2. Kel'el Ware (Heat): Miami's big man has sprung into award contention with his recent level of play. Ware is averaging 14.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks in 33.8 minutes per game since Jan. 19. The 7-footer is also doing this on 51.2% shooting and 37.9% from three. He moved into the starting lineup six games ago and has since averaged close to a double-double.
1. Stephon Castle (Spurs): The Spurs continue to hit it big when it comes to the draft and could get back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners. Castle is averaging a rookie-high 17.7 points per game since Jan. 13, and he dropped a career-high 26 on the Memphis Grizzlies. He's averaged 12.2 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.8 rebounds throughout the campaign and has become a regular in San Antonio's starting five.
Defensive Player of the Year
3. Dyson Daniels (Hawks): Daniels has maintained his ball-swiping skills, continuing to lead the NBA with three steals per game. His 137 takeaways are 45 ahead of the next player (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 92). Only eight players have averaged more than three steals per game, including the likes of Magic Johnson, John Stockton, and Michael Jordan. Good company to be in.
2. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies): The 2023 winner is making another strong case this year. While not averaging as many blocks as in years past (1.6), Jackson is recording career-high numbers in steals per game (1.3). He's the only player to have more than 70 blocks and 60 steals this season, once again proving his versatility.
1. Victor Wembanyama (Spurs): Wemby makes defense look effortless. The Spurs unicorn still leads the league with an otherworldly four blocks per game. Wemby has 161 while no other player has reached 100. Even if the Spurs rank 17th in defensive rating, the Frenchman's outstanding individual effort puts him at the top of the leaderboard for the award.
Most Improved Player
3. Evan Mobley (Cavs): Mobley has been a defensive juggernaut since entering the NBA, boasting career averages of 0.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. The defense is expected, but his offense is now grabbing attention. Mobley is averaging 18.3 points, 2.6 more than last season, and is shooting a personal-best 39.8% from three. The 23-year-old's efforts were recognized with his first All-Star Game selection.
2. Norman Powell (Clippers): Becoming a regular starter has served Powell exceptionally well this season. He is putting up a career-high 24.1 points per game on impressive 49.9/43.6/83.1 shooting splits. His scoring average is first on the Clippers and 22nd in the NBA. He's also first on the Clippers and seventh in the Association in 3-point percentage. At 31, Powell holds the highest usage percentage (26.7%) of his 10-year career.
1. Cade Cunningham (Pistons): Cunningham has taken a leap into stardom in his fourth NBA season. The former first overall pick is averaging career highs in points (25.3), assists (9.5), rebounds (6.3), shooting percentage (45.5%), and 3-point percentage (35.6%). He recently received his first All-Star nod and has guided Detroit to a 25-25 record, which is already a higher win total than either of the team's past two seasons. Cunningham is also sixth in the NBA with 1,889 points, rebounds, and assists combined.
Sixth Man of the Year
3. Amen Thompson (Rockets): Thompson is enjoying his best stretch of basketball, averaging 18.4 points, 10.6 boards, 4.9 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks over his past 14 appearances. The second-year forward is a terror in transition, an elite rebounder for his position, and can guard one through five. However, his recent uptick in production has come as a starter with Jabari Smith Jr. sidelined. Thompson only needs to make more appearances off the bench to be eligible for Sixth Man, but there's a good chance he stays in the Rockets' first five once Smith returns.
2. De'Andre Hunter (Hawks): Hunter has embraced his role as the lead offensive option on the Hawks' second unit after starting 237 games over his first five NBA seasons. The Virginia product leads all reserves in scoring (18.9 points per contest) and free-throw attempts (176). His 40% clip on non-corner threes ranks in the 79th percentile among forwards, per Cleaning the Glass. Hunter's breakout campaign has reportedly drawn interest from other teams. A trade might take him out of the race as no player has been awarded Sixth Man after being dealt midseason.
1. Payton Pritchard (Celtics): Pritchard isn't moving into the starting lineup anytime soon - or getting dealt at the trade deadline. The Celtics guard also has the production to back up his claim for Sixth Man, topping all bench players in total points (677) and plus-minus (plus-278). He's second among reserves in assists (166) and fifth in steals (44). Pritchard's career-high 13.8 points per game accounts for nearly half the Celtics' bench scoring. He's knocked down the eighth-most triples (155) in the Association despite playing less than 30 minutes per contest. Pritchard's 3.46 assist-to-turnover ratio is 19th among qualified players.
Coach of the Year
3. Mark Daigneault (Thunder): Daigneault has kept Oklahoma City chugging along as the team to beat in the Western Conference despite a few January hiccups. Though the Thunder suffered four of their nine losses that month, they still boasted the NBA's best overall net rating (11.6) after 14 games. Having an MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helps, but it's worth nothing that OKC had the league's top bench by the same metric while the starters were second to the Indiana Pacers.
2. Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers): A three-game skid from Jan. 22-25 in which each game was decided by four points or fewer has been the only extended blemish in Atkinson's sensational debut season in Cleveland. The 57-year-old has transformed the Cavs' offense so they now rank top three in points per possession by ball-handlers and by roll men in pick and rolls. They also top the league with 1.42 points per possession in plays involving cuts - another example of how in-sync Atkinson's offensive system has been.
1. Ime Udoka (Rockets): What Udoka's done on the West's third-seeded Rockets with a talented-but-young nucleus and a couple of vets warrants legit recognition. In a 3-point-heavy NBA, the 47-year-old has prioritized keeping teams off the arc while contesting everything inside; the Rockets limit opponents to the second-fewest threes in the league (34.6 per game) and their defended 2-point field-goal percentage (51.6%) is only second to the Dallas Mavericks for the best such mark.
Most Valuable Player
Please check out our most recent MVP Rankings for a detailed look at the top 10 candidates for the award.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks): The Greek Freak is having a dominant season, averaging a career-high 31.8 points and 12.2 rebounds along with 5.9 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. Antetokounmpo has willed the Bucks to a 26-21 record through sheer determination and stellar play. A third MVP award could happen if his team improves.
2. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets): Jokic remains out of this world, averaging 24.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 11.8 assists, and 2.3 steals in just under 35 minutes a night in his past 14 contests. The 29-year-old still ranks in the top three in points, rebounds, and assists per game, but the Nuggets have lost three of their previous five games after rattling off a quartet of victories. Jokic will need his team to close the gap in the standings to solidify his case.
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder): After finishing as the runner-up to Jokic last season, it seems as if everything is lining up for Gilgeous-Alexander to win his first trophy. The league's leading scorer at 32.5 points per game, SGA is taking care of the offense while contributing on the defensive end - ranking tied second in steals per game (2).