The regular season is nearly over, the award race usually feels tight, like it is actually a debate over who is the MVP or the DPOTY, but even through my countless arguments for other candidates, this year feels different.

Across the board, we have multiple near-lock favourites, from the MVP, DPOTY, Clutch Player of the Year, everything is heavily leaning towards the same names. Awards are typically debated, but the dominance and team success this season have created separation.

Are these awards already decided, or is there still room for late chaos?

The Case the Awards Are Already Decided

MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a lock

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, even though everyone was rooting for every other candidate besides him, has pushed past the adversity and remains the heavy favourite for the MVP. Averaging 31 Points on elite efficiency, Shai has been the best player on the best team in the NBA.

The Thunder boasts a 64-16 record, the best in the NBA this season, with a +11.8 net rating. Shai also leads the league in win shares, a statistic that is notorious for being one of the most important factors for voters.

Not only has SGA led the best team, but he has improved as a player as well, playing the most games of any Top-5 MVP candidate and having a much stronger 2-way impact while having elite playmaking with 6.6 assists per game.

DPOY: Victor Wembanyama separates himself

Victor Wembanyama has been called, by pretty much the entire league, the best defensive player in the entire world. His elite rim protection, paired with his immense size, has created such a build where he gets 5 blocks, and that is normal.

Wemby has been the defensive anchor on the 2nd-best team in the NBA, leading them to one of San Antonio’s best defenses in franchise history. His versatility with switching, helping defense, and even the perimeter has made him the clear defensive player of the year.

Clutch Player: SGA again

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, even though he has not played in over 2 dozen 4th quarters this season, averages the most clutch Points in the league, with 6.5 per game. OKC’s dominant record during close games has made him the clear favourite for this award.

Coach of the Year: J. B. Bickerstaff’s turnaround

The Detroit Pistons have been the turnaround team of the last 3 years in all of sports. From being the worst team in NBA history only 2 years ago, the Pistons have made a comeback, clinching the East for the 1st time in nearly 20 years with 58 Wins.

The massive overperformance vs the expectations that analysts put on them, on top of the narrative surrounding them, has given J.B. Bickerstaff the clear edge over competitors like Daigneault (Thunder) and Mazzulla (Celtics).

The Case There’s Still Debate

MVP alternatives are still historically elite

The funny thing about the MVP race this season is that nearly the entire top 5 deserves the MVP, as well as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Nikola Jokic, for example, is averaging a historic 28 Points, 13 rebounds, and 11 Assists, while Wembanyama’s 2-way dominance on a 60+ win team gives them solid competition.

In most “normal” seasons, these are all MVP seasons, but not this year.

Rookie of the Year is still competitive

The most entertaining award race this season has been the battle for the Rookie of the Year. On 1 side, we have the consensus #1 overall pick, straight out of his freshman season at Duke, Cooper Flagg. His all-around production, superstar flashes, and record-breaking moments have made him almost impossible to ignore.

On the other side, we have a surprising pick, with Kon Knueppel, the 4th pick in the 2025 draft, being one of the best rookie shooters the league has ever seen. His efficiency when it comes to scoring and shooting has earned him 1st place on the Rookie of the Year ladder for weeks.

This is one of, if not the tightest, award races we have left this season, and it is a shame that we did not get to see more head-to-head matchups between these 2 eletrifying young phenoms.

Sixth Man + MIP depend on interpretation

These 2 races are super interesting because there are many players who deserve both awards. Starting with the 6th Man of the Year, the race all year has been Keldon Johnson from the Spurs vs Jamie Jaquez Jr. from the Heat. In my opinion, the edge belongs to Johnson due to the fact that he has been a crucial piece on a 60+ win team.

The final major award race is the Most Improved Player, and this one belongs to Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Last season, in 82 games, Alexander-Walker averaged a decent 9.4 Points, good, but nothing special. This season, he has increased his scoring by 221% to 20.8, the clear MIP.

Final Word

The top awards that people truly care about, the Most Valuable Player, the Defensive Player of the Year, and even the Clutch Player of the Year, have all effectively been decided. BUT: The secondary awards still have lots of movement.

This has been one of the most predictable awards seasons in years. With the biggest awards already decided, there have been around 5 players controlling the NBA this season, with a huge monopoly on all the awards and the recognition.

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