By Tim Bontemps, 2026-04-17 19:00:00
在NBA于周四裁定洛杉矶湖人队后卫卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic) 和底特律活塞队后卫凯德·坎宁安 (Cade Cunningham) 成功挑战了本赛季适用于他们的65场规则（该规则涉及季后赛重大奖项的评选资格）后，联盟发出了2025-26赛季各项荣誉的官方选票。
这份名单包含七项赛季末个人奖项——最有价值球员 (MVP)、最佳防守球员、最佳教练、最佳新秀、最佳第六人、最快进步球员和最佳关键球员——以及三阵最佳阵容、两阵最佳防守阵容和两阵最佳新秀阵容。
作为100名投票者之一，以下是我的选票以及每个决定背后的原因。（特别感谢ESPN的马特·“数据”·威廉姆斯 (Matt “Stats” Williams) 为这些选择提供的所有参考信息。）所有选票必须在东部时间周五下午3点前提交。
跳转至奖项：
MVP | 最佳防守球员
最佳新秀 | 最佳教练
最佳第六人 | 最快进步球员 | 最佳关键球员
最佳阵容 | 最佳防守阵容 | 最佳新秀阵容
最有价值球员 (MVP)
- 谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)
- 尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic)
- 维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)
- 卢卡·东契奇
- 凯德·坎宁安
正如他在ESPN本赛季最后一次MVP模拟投票中表现的那样，谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大位居我的选票榜首，他有望成为联盟历史上第16位多次获得MVP的球员。他个人的卓越表现，以及在球队应对伤病问题并于常规赛末段力压马刺队的情况下，带领雷霆队夺得64胜，这些都让他稳居第一。
最大的争论在于约基奇与文班亚马谁该排在第二。两人的理由都非常充分。
约基奇成为了NBA历史上首位场均篮板和助攻均领跑全联盟的球员，并连续第二个赛季场均贡献三双。与此同时，文班亚马是自2000年的沙奎尔·奥尼尔 (Shaquille O’Neal) 以来，首位场均得到25分、10个篮板和3次盖帽的球员，而且当文班亚马在场时，马刺队每百回合能净胜对手惊人的17分。
最终，我在这里更看重“价值”，并将两人之间的出场时间差距作为打破平局的因素。约基奇出场了2265分钟，而文班亚马为1866分钟，这一显著的差距让天平稍微向约基奇倾斜。
NBA的裁定简化了最后两个名额的选择。东契奇场均得分（33.5分）、30+场次（28场）和40+场次（14场）均领跑全联盟，并让湖人队整个赛季都保持在西部前三的竞争行列中。坎宁安的爆发则推动底特律打出了近二十年来最好的一个赛季。
最佳防守球员 (DPOY)
- 维克托·文班亚马
- 切特·霍姆格伦 (Chet Holmgren)
- 鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert)
如果上赛季不是因为血栓导致赛季提前报销，文班亚马本可以轻松赢得这个奖项。今年这不再是问题，他在赛季倒数第二场比赛中达到了65场的门槛。
他不仅在盖帽、抢断加盖帽总数以及许多其他类别中领跑全联盟，他还能在NBA赛场上做出前所未见的动作。有一种观点认为，霍姆格伦在这一奖项上与文班亚马不相上下，因为两人在多项防守指标中分列前两名。霍姆格伦还支撑起了俄克拉荷马城那支迄今为止全联盟最出色的防守（圣安东尼奥排名第三）。
但只要文班亚马保持健康，这个奖项在未来很长一段时间内可能都会属于他。
虽然戈贝尔不会成为该奖项的首位五度得主，但他依然是第三名的稳妥选择。当他不在场时，明尼苏达每百回合的防守要差近8分，而且森林狼队在篮筐保护方面的效率也会下降好几个百分点。
最佳教练
- 乔·马祖拉 (Joe Mazzulla)，波士顿凯尔特人
- J.B. 比克斯塔夫 (J.B. Bickerstaff)，底特律活塞
- 米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson)，圣安东尼奥马刺
这个奖项总是有几位候选人可以竞争，本赛季也不例外。最终，我的选票在马祖拉、比克斯塔夫、约翰逊和菲尼克斯太阳队的首年主帅乔丹·奥特 (Jordan Ott) 之间产生。
尽管菲尼克斯在休赛期大换血后，本赛季的表现远超预期，但名单上的其他教练带领的是联盟中表现最好的四支球队中的三支。每一位都是实至名归的赢家。约翰逊带领年轻的马刺队夺得62胜并锁定西部2号种子，而仅仅在一个赛季前，这支球队还无缘季后赛。比克斯塔夫让底特律近二十年来首次登顶东部，并见证了坎宁安和球队年轻核心的显著成长与进步。
我把票投给了马祖拉，因为凯尔特人在去年夏天失去了多位关键老将——通过交易送走了克里斯塔普斯·波尔津吉斯 (Kristaps Porzingis) 和朱·霍勒迪 (Jrue Holiday)，艾尔·霍福德 (Al Horford) 和卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 则在自由市场离队——之后，他成功地围绕新的一组天赋重组了阵容。杰森·塔图姆 (Jayson Tatum) 也因右跟腱撕裂恢复缺席了大部分赛季。塔图姆在回归后能如此无缝地重新融入马祖拉的体系，这同样是一项了不起的成就。
最佳新秀
- 库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg)
- 康·克努佩尔 (Kon Knueppel)
- VJ·艾奇库姆 (VJ Edgecombe)
这是一个痛苦的决定，我已经纠结了好几个星期。我最终选择了弗拉格，而不是他曾经在杜克大学的室友（不，并不是因为克努佩尔在周二对阵迈阿密热火队的附加赛中表现挣扎并被降为替补）。
单纯从统计数据来看，论据更有利于克努佩尔，包括他本赛季在三分球命中率上领跑全联盟，他打出了一个非凡的新秀赛季。然而，弗拉格在得分、篮板、助攻和抢断上都领跑全队，这是自1984-85赛季的迈克尔·乔丹 (Michael Jordan) 以来从未有新秀完成过的壮举。弗拉格还创下了NBA历史上青少年球员的首个50分之夜，以及青少年球员单赛季最多的40+场次。这两项成就都彰显了他全能的实力和天赋。
第三名的位置几个月前就确定了。艾奇库姆迅速适应了费城，并成为这支季后赛球队的关键组成部分。他赢得了主教练尼克·纳斯 (Nick Nurse) 的信任，并且已经深受队友喜爱。
最快进步球员 (MIP)
- 杰伦·杜伦 (Jalen Duren)
- 德尼·阿夫迪亚 (Deni Avdija)
- 尼基尔·亚历山大-沃克 (Nickeil Alexander-Walker)
这每年都是一个很难决定的奖项，部分原因是评选标准非常模糊。我的选择是杜伦，虽然优势微弱。我通过球员职业生涯中最重要的飞跃——从优秀到卓越——这一视角来评估这个奖项。
杜伦和阿夫迪亚在本赛季都做到了这一点。两人都首次入选全明星，并且也有可能首次入选最佳阵容。不出所料，两人的个人产出也都有了大幅提升。杜伦稍占上风，因为他的进步看起来更出人意料，而且在坎宁安因肺部塌陷缺阵的几周里，他有效地扛起了底特律。
选票上的最后一个名额在亚历山大-沃克和内米亚斯·克塔 (Neemias Queta) 之间产生，后者在凯尔特人队已经成长为一名优质的首发中锋。考虑到克塔之前的出场时间极少，他的进步幅度可能更剧烈，但亚历山大-沃克的飞跃更接近“从优秀到卓越”的发展。他场均比上赛季多得11.4分，是本赛季NBA得分涨幅最大的球员，而且他的投篮命中率和三分命中率也都有所提升，这是一个极其困难的组合。这最终让他比亚历山大-沃克更具优势。
最佳第六人
- 小海梅·哈克斯 (Jaime Jaquez Jr.)
- 阿杰·米切尔 (Ajay Mitchell)
- 贾马尔·谢德 (Jamal Shead)
哈克斯获得了认可，因为他是迈阿密的主要进攻引擎之一，在热火队教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉 (Erik Spoelstra) 本赛季推行的快节奏体系中表现出色。哈克斯场均得到职业生涯新高的15.4分，本赛季总突破次数位列NBA前十，并且是联盟中替补得分最多的球员。
米切尔是一个值得入选的竞争者，他是雷霆队众多人选之一——包括亚历克斯·卡鲁索 (Alex Caruso)，但在我看来，卡鲁索本赛季1020分钟的出场时间还不足以让他获得这个奖项。米切尔在俄克拉荷马城度过了一个出色的二年级赛季，并将在球队的卫冕征程中发挥重要作用。
谢德可能是一个出人意料的候选人，但他本赛季领跑全联盟的替补助攻榜，而且当他在场时，多伦多每百回合的表现要好5.4分。
最佳关键球员
- 谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大
- 凯德·坎宁安
- 安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards)
在我看来，吉尔杰斯-亚历山大凭借上个月在战胜掘金和活塞的比赛中的关键进球，同时赢得了这个奖项和MVP。他本赛季在关键时刻场均得到6.5分，是自1997-98赛季开始追踪逐项统计数据以来所有球员中最多的。俄克拉荷马城在关键时刻的正负值（+92）位居全联盟第一。
坎宁安本赛季参加的关键时刻比赛中，活塞队取得了21胜10负的战绩，他在关键时刻得分排名第七，投篮命中率达到50%。爱德华兹有资格获得这个奖项，因为它不属于65场规则的范畴，他本赛季在关键时刻的投篮命中率高达56%，总得分排名第六。
最佳阵容 (All-NBA)
第一阵容
谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大
尼古拉·约基奇
维克托·文班亚马
卢卡·东契奇
凯德·坎宁安
东契奇和坎宁安获得资格让后面的选择变得困难。（此外，虽然东契奇因12月孩子的出生而获得资格是理所应当的，但坎宁安因其罕见伤病而申诉成功则令人惊讶。因此，我预计随着球员们为入选名单而奋斗，这种申诉过程将成为常态。）
第二阵容
杰伦·布朗 (Jaylen Brown)
科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard)
杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson)
多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell)
杰伦·约翰逊 (Jalen Johnson)
第二阵容的选择相当明确，因为在前四个名字中，在东契奇和坎宁安恢复资格之前，他们都曾被考虑入选我的第一阵容。他们都度过了极其出色的赛季，入选二阵是理所当然的。
但最后一个名额的争夺在约翰逊、霍姆格伦和掘金队后卫贾马尔·穆雷 (Jamal Murray) 之间展开。霍姆格伦的攻防两端贡献是他的核心竞争力，而穆雷终于打出了一个能与他季后赛巅峰表现相媲美的完整赛季，以极高的效率场均得到25分。
但我选择了约翰逊，他在亚特兰大动荡的赛季中承担了巨大的压力，其中包括1月份特雷·杨 (Trae Young) 的交易。约翰逊是NBA历史上仅有的五位场均至少得到20分、10个篮板和7个助攻的球员之一。
其他四位是：奥斯卡·罗伯特森 (Oscar Robertson)、威尔特·张伯伦 (Wilt Chamberlain)、约基奇和拉塞尔·威斯布鲁克 (Russell Westbrook)。
第三阵容
切特·霍姆格伦
贾马尔·穆雷
杰伦·杜伦
泰瑞斯·马克西 (Tyrese Maxey)
凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant)
霍姆格伦和穆雷是这份名单顶端的自动人选，杜伦因其攻防两端的表现以及他与坎宁安的搭档如何将底特律推向新高度而获得认可。马克西在费城的出场时间领跑全联盟，在乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid) 和保罗·乔治 (Paul George) 缺席大量比赛的情况下，他带领76人队杀入季后赛。马克西还作为首发后场搭档帮助了艾奇库姆的成长。
这让最后一个名额在三名球员中产生：杜兰特、阿夫迪亚和多伦多猛龙队前锋斯科蒂·巴恩斯 (Scottie Barnes)。如果东契奇和坎宁安没有资格，这个选择会非常容易。
阿夫迪亚是第一个出局的。他在赛季最后几个月一直在与背伤作斗争，最终出场66场，出战2199分钟，远落后于杜兰特（78场和2840分钟）和巴恩斯（80场和2681分钟）。当难以打破平局时，更多的出场时间可以成为优势，尽管阿夫迪亚本赛季驱动了波特兰的进攻。
剩下的就是杜兰特和巴恩斯。杜兰特又度过了一个效率惊人的赛季，场均得到26分，并威胁要在休斯顿再次打出50-40-90的赛季；而巴恩斯在得分、篮板、助攻、抢断和盖帽上都领跑多伦多，是一个攻防两端的威胁。但我无法接受将杜兰特排除在阵容之外，因此他占据了最后一个席位。
最佳防守阵容
第一阵容
维克托·文班亚马
切特·霍姆格伦
鲁迪·戈贝尔
德里克·怀特 (Derrick White)
OG·阿奴诺比 (OG Anunoby)
几个赛季前，NBA改变了最佳防守阵容的投票政策，允许投票者选择任何位置，而不是两名后场和三名前场球员。然而，我尽量在第一和第二阵容中保持两名后场/三名前场的配置，以奖励来自比赛各个位置的防守者。
前三个防守席位很容易确定，分别给了我DPOY的前三名人选，他们都是前场球员。这留下了两个后场名额，我选择了怀特和阿奴诺比。
怀特可以说是史上盖帽能力最强的后卫，他本赛季送出了98次盖帽，是自2009年名人堂成员德维恩·韦德 (Dwyane Wade) 以来，身高6英尺4英寸或更矮的球员中最多的。根据Genius IQ的数据，怀特在防守持球人直接突破时的失分也是最少的，他是联盟中最聪明的防守者之一。
与此同时，阿奴诺比是一名防守覆盖面极广的侧翼，几乎有能力防守联盟中任何位置的任何人。这种全面性是尼克斯队——尽管布伦森和卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns) 出场时间很长——本赛季依然是一支防守强队的重要原因。
第二阵容
巴姆·阿德巴约 (Bam Adebayo)
斯科蒂·巴恩斯
内米亚斯·克塔
奥萨尔·汤普森 (Ausar Thompson)
图马尼·卡马拉 (Toumani Camara)
阿德巴约和巴恩斯是联盟中防守最全能的两名大个子，我选择克塔作为我的第三个大个子，因为当他在场时，凯尔特人队每百回合的表现要好8分以上。
然而，最后两个后卫席位的竞争非常激烈，汤普森、卡马拉、俄克拉荷马城的卡森·华莱士 (Cason Wallace) 和圣安东尼奥的斯蒂芬·卡斯尔都获得了强力考虑。华莱士的总抢断和干扰投篮数领跑联盟，他的活跃度是雷霆队卓越防守的重要组成部分。卡斯尔的持球防守和联盟中任何人一样好。
不过，优势最终属于汤普森和卡马拉。汤普森是华莱士的加强版，体型更大更强壮，根据Genius IQ的数据，他在防守持球人直接挡拆方面创造了本赛季所有防守者的最佳纪录，并且场均抢断领跑全联盟。与此同时，卡马拉本赛季制造了惊人的106次进攻犯规——比任何其他球员都多40次——此外他本身也是一名极其出色的防守球员。
最佳新秀阵容
第一阵容
库珀·弗拉格
康·克努佩尔
VJ·艾奇库姆
塞德里克·考沃德 (Cedric Coward)
迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)
前三个名字很容易，因为他们来自我的最佳新秀选票。尽管孟菲斯度过了一个灾难性的赛季（部分是由于计划使然，至少在最后几个月是这样），但去年选秀大会的11号秀考沃德是一个亮点，场均得到13.6分。
与此同时，如果哈珀被一支能给他更大角色的球队选中，他本可以成为最佳新秀的竞争者。但他依然在圣安东尼奥展现出了巨大的潜力，他将拥有一个非常出色的职业生涯。
第二阵容
艾斯·贝利 (Ace Bailey)
德里克·奎因 (Derik Queen)
科林·默里-博伊尔斯 (Collin Murray-Boyles)
瑞安·卡尔克布伦纳 (Ryan Kalkbrenner)
马克西姆·雷诺 (Maxime Raynaud)
我将再次发表我的年度声明：应该只设立一个最佳新秀阵容。但今年的这届新秀让组建第二阵容并不困难。贝利随着赛季的进行展现了一些闪光点，在最后两个半月里场均得分超过17分。奎因展现了令人着迷的手感和技巧组合——至少在进攻端是这样。
默里-博伊尔斯在赛季中有一段时间不得不带伤（拇指）作战，但他有机会在多伦多成为巴恩斯长期且优秀的防守搭档。卡尔克布伦纳以场均1.5次盖帽领跑新秀，而雷诺在全明星赛后为国王队场均贡献17.3分和9.2个篮板，填补了阵容的最后一个名额。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：NBA awards 2026: Bontemps' ballot for MVP, top rookie, every honor
NBA awards 2026: Bontemps’ ballot for MVP, top rookie, every honor
After the NBA ruled Thursday that Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham had successfully challenged the 65-game rule for major postseason awards as it applied to them this season, the league sent its official ballots for 2025-26 honors.
That list consists of seven individual end-of-season awards – Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player and Clutch Player of the Year – along with three All-NBA teams, two All-Defense units and two All-Rookie squads.
As one of those 100 voters, here is my ballot, and the reasons behind each decision. (With a shoutout to ESPN’s Matt “Stats” Williams for all of the information to help inform these choices.) All ballots are due by 3 p.m. ET Friday.
Jump to an award:
MVP | Defensive Player of the Year
Rookie of the Year | Coach of the Year
Sixth Man | Most Improved Player | Clutch
All-NBA teams | All-Defense | All-Rookie
Most Valuable Player
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Nikola Jokic
- Victor Wembanyama
- Luka Doncic
- Cade Cunningham
Just as he did in ESPN’s final MVP straw poll of the season, Gilgeous-Alexander sits atop my ballot, and he should become the 16th multiple-time MVP in league history. His individual brilliance, along with driving the Thunder to 64 wins while the team fended off injury issues and the Spurs down the stretch, kept him No. 1.
The biggest debate was Jokic vs. Wembanyama for the second spot. Both have impressive cases.
Jokic became the first player to lead the NBA in rebounds and assists per game and averaged a triple-double for a second consecutive season. Wembanyama, meanwhile, is the first player to average 25 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000, and the Spurs outscored their opponents by a staggering 17 points per 100 possessions with Wembanyama on the court.
Ultimately, I focused on “valuable” here and used the minutes gap between the two as a tiebreaker. Jokic played 2,265 compared with Wembanyama’s 1,866, a significant enough difference to tip the debate slightly toward Jokic.
The NBA’s ruling simplified the final two choices. Doncic led the league in points per game (33.5), 30-point games (28) and 40-point games (14) while keeping the Lakers in the mix for a top-3 seed all season. Cunningham’s breakout powered Detroit to its best season in a generation.
Defensive Player of the Year
- Victor Wembanyama
- Chet Holmgren
- Rudy Gobert
Wembanyama would’ve easily won this award last season if a blood clot hadn’t ended his campaign prematurely. That won’t be an issue this year after he reached the 65-game threshold in the second-to-last game of the season.
Not only did he lead the league in blocks, and in combined steals and blocks, and many other categories – he also can do things never before seen on an NBA court. There’s an argument that Holmgren is right there with Wembanyama for this award, as the two of them finished either first or second in several defensive categories. Holmgren also anchored what was by far the league’s best defense in Oklahoma City. (San Antonio was third.)
But as long as Wembanyama is healthy, this award will likely be his for quite some time.
Though he will not become the award’s first five-time winner, Gobert was an easy choice for third. Minnesota was nearly eight points per 100 possessions worse with him off the court, and the Wolves were several percentage points worse defending at the rim.
Coach of the Year
- Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
- J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons
- Mitch Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
This award can always go to one of several candidates, and this season’s race is no exception. Ultimately, my ballot came down to Mazzulla, Bickerstaff, Johnson and first-year Phoenix Suns coach Jordan Ott.
Though Phoenix’s season far surpassed expectations after massive offseason changes, the other coaches atop the list guided three of the four best teams in the league. And each is a deserving winner. Johnson led the young Spurs to 62 wins and the West’s 2-seed just one season after the franchise missed the postseason. Bickerstaff has Detroit atop the East for the first time in a generation and oversaw impressive development and improvement from Cunningham and the team’s young core.
My vote went to Mazzulla because of how the Celtics recovered after losing several critical veteran players last summer – Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday via trade and Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free agency – and realigned the roster around a new set of talent. Jayson Tatum also missed most of the season while recovering from a right Achilles tear. Tatum’s fairly seamless reintegration into Mazzulla’s lineups has been no small feat, either.
Rookie of the Year
- Cooper Flagg
- Kon Knueppel
- VJ Edgecombe
This was a painful decision, one I’ve wrestled with for several weeks. I went with Flagg over his former Duke roommate (and no, not because Knueppel struggled and was benched in Tuesday’s play-in game against the Miami Heat).
The raw statistical argument is in Knueppel’s favor, including leading the league in 3-point shooting this season, and he has had a remarkable rookie campaign. However, Flagg led his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals, something not done by a rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85. Flagg recorded the first 50-point game by a teenager and the most 40-point games by a teen in NBA history. Both feats highlight his all-around ability and talent.
The third spot has been locked in for months. Edgecombe has become an immediate fit in Philadelphia and a critical component on a playoff team. He has earned the trust of coach Nick Nurse and is already beloved by his teammates.
Most Improved Player
- Jalen Duren
- Deni Avdija
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
This is a difficult award to decide every year, in part because the criteria are so vague. My choice, by a narrow margin, was Duren. I evaluate this award through the lens of players making the most important leaps of their careers: from good to great.
Duren and Avdija did that this season. Both became first-time All-Stars, and they could also become first-time All-NBA selections. Not surprisingly, both also had massive upticks in their individual production. The edge goes to Duren, whose improvement seemed more unexpected and who carried Detroit effectively down the stretch when Cunningham missed a few weeks after suffering a collapsed lung.
The final spot on the ballot was between Alexander-Walker and Neemias Queta, who has blossomed into a quality starting center for the Celtics. Queta’s improvement was probably more drastic, given how little he had played previously, but Alexander-Walker’s leap is closer to the “good to great” development. He averaged 11.4 more points than last season, the largest increase in the NBA this season, and his shooting also improved from the field and the 3-point arc, an extremely difficult combination. That ultimately gave him the edge over Queta.
Sixth Man of the Year
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.
- Ajay Mitchell
- Jamal Shead
Jaquez gets the nod because he was one of Miami’s main offensive engines, thriving in the up-tempo system Heat coach Erik Spoelstra installed this season. Jaquez scored a career-high 15.4 points per game, was in the top 10 in the NBA in total drives this season and scored the most bench points in the league.
Mitchell is a worthy entrant and was among several options on the Thunder – including Alex Caruso, whose 1,020 minutes this season wasn’t enough for him to get the award in my mind. Mitchell had an outstanding sophomore season for Oklahoma City and should be a big factor in the team’s title defense.
Shead might be an out-of-the-box candidate, but he led the NBA in assists off the bench this season, and Toronto was 5.4 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court.
Clutch Player of the Year
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Cade Cunningham
- Anthony Edwards
Gilgeous-Alexander won this award and MVP, in my opinion, thanks to his clutch shotmaking in wins against the Nuggets and Pistons last month. He averaged 6.5 points in the clutch this season, the most by any player since play-by-play tracking data began in 1997-98. Oklahoma City had the best plus/minus in the clutch (plus-92) in the league.
Cunningham’s Pistons were 21-10 in clutch games he played in this season, and he was seventh in clutch points while shooting 50% from the floor. Edwards, who is eligible for this award because it doesn’t fall under the 65-game rule, shot a blistering 56% in the clutch this season and was sixth in total points.
All-NBA
First team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Nikola Jokic
Victor Wembanyama
Luka Doncic
Cade Cunningham
Doncic and Cunningham being eligible made later choices difficult. (Also, though Doncic had a clear-cut case to win eligibility due to the birth of his child in December, Cunningham’s victory, which centered on his rare injury, was surprising. As a result, I’d expect this grievance process to become annual as players fight to get on the ballot.)
Second team
Jaylen Brown
Kawhi Leonard
Jalen Brunson
Donovan Mitchell
Jalen Johnson
The second team was pretty straightforward because the first four names were all considered for my first team before Doncic and Cunningham returned to eligibility. All had tremendous seasons and were no-brainer second-teamers.
But the debate for the final spot was among Johnson, Holmgren and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray. Holmgren’s two-way contributions are the anchor to his case, and Murray finally put together a full season that mirrored his peak playoff performances, scoring 25 points per game on high efficiency.
But I chose Johnson, who carried a massive load for Atlanta during a tumultuous season, which included the Trae Young trade in January. Johnson is one of five players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
The others: Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Jokic and Russell Westbrook.
Third team
Chet Holmgren
Jamal Murray
Jalen Duren
Tyrese Maxey
Kevin Durant
Holmgren and Murray were automatic picks to top this list, and Duren got the nod for his two-way play and how his partnership with Cunningham pushed Detroit to new heights this season. Maxey led the NBA in minutes for Philadelphia, and he powered the 76ers to a playoff berth while Joel Embiid and Paul George missed significant chunks. Maxey also helped along Edgecombe as his starting backcourt mate.
That left one final spot for three players: Durant, Avdija and Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes. Had Doncic and Cunningham not been eligible, it would’ve made this very easy.
Avdija was the first to go. He battled a back injury the last couple of months in the season and finished with 66 games played and 2,199 minutes, falling well behind Durant (78 and 2,840) and Barnes (80 and 2,681). When it’s hard to break a tie, playing that much more can be the edge, though Avdija has driven Portland’s offense this season.
That leaves Durant, who had yet another ridiculously efficient season, averaging 26 points while threatening another 50-40-90 season for Houston, and Barnes, who led Toronto in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks and is a two-way menace. But I couldn’t get past leaving Durant off the team, so he claimed the final spot.
All-Defense
First team
Victor Wembanyama
Chet Holmgren
Rudy Gobert
Derrick White
OG Anunoby
A few seasons ago, the NBA changed its voting policy for All-Defense teams, allowing voters to select any position, rather than two backcourt and three frontcourt players. However, I try to keep the same two backcourt/three frontcourt alignment for my first and second teams to reward defenders from across the game.
The first three All-Defense spots were easy, going to my three choices for DPOY, all of whom were frontcourt players. That leaves two backcourt spots, for which I turned to White and Anunoby.
White, arguably the best shot-blocking guard of all time, had the most blocked shots (98) by any player 6-foot-4 or shorter since Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade in 2009. White was also first in points allowed per direct drive as the ball handler defender, per Genius IQ, and is one of the smartest defenders in the league.
Anunoby, meanwhile, is a rangy wing with the ability to guard anyone at virtually any position in the league. That sort of versatility is a huge reason the Knicks – despite playing Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns heavy minutes – were a strong defensive team this season.
Second team
Bam Adebayo
Scottie Barnes
Neemias Queta
Ausar Thompson
Toumani Camara
Adebayo and Barnes are two of the most versatile defensive bigs in the league, and I went with Queta as my third big man because the Celtics are more than eight points per 100 possessions better with him on the court this season.
The competition for the final two guard spots, however, was intense, as Thompson, Camara, OKC’s Cason Wallace and San Antonio’s Stephon Castle all got strong consideration. Wallace led the league in total steals and deflections, and his activity is a huge part of OKC’s stellar defense. Castle’s on-ball defense is as good as that of anyone in the league.
The edge, though, went to Thompson and Camara. Thompson is a bigger and stronger version of Wallace, including posting the best mark of any defender on ball handlers in direct picks this season, per Genius IQ, and leading the league in steals per game. Camara, meanwhile, drew a remarkable 106 offensive fouls this season – 40 more than any other player – in addition to being an outstanding defensive player.
All-Rookie
First team
Cooper Flagg
Kon Knueppel
VJ Edgecombe
Cedric Coward
Dylan Harper
The first three names here were easy because they came over from my ROY ballot. Though it was a disastrous season (partly by design, at least over the final few months) in Memphis, Coward, the 11th pick in last year’s NBA draft, was a bright spot, averaging 13.6 points.
Harper, meanwhile, might have been a Rookie of the Year contender if he had been drafted by a team that could give him a bigger role. But he still showed big-time flashes in San Antonio, and he will have a heck of a career.
Second team
Ace Bailey
Derik Queen
Collin Murray-Boyles
Ryan Kalkbrenner
Maxime Raynaud
I will make my annual declaration that there should be one All-Rookie team. But this year’s class didn’t make it difficult to field a second. Bailey showed some flashes as the season went on, averaging over 17 points over the final 2½ months of the season. Queen displayed an intriguing combination of touch and skill – at least on offense.
Murray-Boyles had to play through a thumb injury for a chunk of the season, but he has a chance to be an outstanding long-term defensive partner with Barnes in Toronto. Kalkbrenner led rookies with 1.5 blocks per game, and Raynaud averaged 17.3 points and 9.2 rebounds for the Kings after the All-Star break to round out the squad.
By Tim Bontemps, via ESPN