[ESPN] NBA 2026-27赛季夏季预测：各大奖项归属预测

ESPN · 2026 年8 月 26 日 12:21

By NBA insiders, 2026-08-26 19:00:00

下赛季，哪些球星将跻身NBA最受瞩目的各大奖项竞争行列？

上赛季，谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大连续第二年捧起MVP奖杯，成为现役球员中仅有的五位实现背靠背获此殊荣的球员之一。维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 将是MVP和最佳防守球员奖项的主要热门人选，这位法国天才上赛季以全票当选最佳防守球员。

年度最佳新秀的竞争同样值得关注，一批才华横溢的新秀将踏入职业赛场，领衔的是华盛顿奇才的状元秀AJ·迪班萨和犹他爵士的榜眼秀达林·彼得森。与近年不同的是，这一奖项似乎没有既定的领跑者，这些新秀如何适应联盟将成为值得关注的看点。

在周一预测了各队战绩、周二预测了分区冠军和总决赛之后，我们邀请夏季预测专家组——一群NBA专家，包括记者、编辑和分析师——对NBA六大奖项的前三名人选进行排名，第一选票计5分，第二选票计3分，第三选票计1分。

以下是投票结果：

（注：夏季预测将于周四继续，NBA专家将解答2026-27赛季前最重大的问题）

谁将赢得NBA MVP？

1. 维克托·文班亚马，圣安东尼奥马刺： 102分
2. 尼古拉·约基奇，丹佛掘金： 31分
3. 卢卡·东契奇，洛杉矶湖人： 28分
4. 谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大，俄克拉荷马城雷霆： 26分
5. 扬尼斯·阿德托昆博，迈阿密热火： 8分

文班亚马上赛季为MVP奖项奋力拼搏，最终在投票中位列第三，落后于吉尔杰斯-亚历山大和三次获奖者约基奇。尽管如此，文班亚马带领球队在季后赛中走得比这两位球员都更远。马刺上赛季闯入NBA总决赛，这显然让文班亚马在进入2026-27赛季时占据了奖项竞争的领先地位。对他来说幸运的是，考验来得早，从揭幕战对阵吉尔杰斯-亚历山大和雷霆开始，三天后在德克萨斯州奥斯汀对阵凯文·杜兰特和休斯顿火箭。22岁的文班亚马在上赛季揭幕战于达拉斯砍下40分15篮板，你可以期待他在对阵雷霆时同样有精彩表现。

令人意外的是28岁的吉尔杰斯-亚历山大仅排在第四位。他已经连续四个赛季场均得分达到30分以上，带领一支有望在三个赛季内第二次夺冠的球队。

31岁的约基奇也应该在竞争行列中，尤其是如果他能够提升一支在休赛期交易走佩顿·沃森而流失人才的掘金队。东契奇的前景取决于新面貌的湖人队能多快磨合到位。他今年夏天在自己的祖国斯洛文尼亚接待了大部分湖人队友，加速了这一进程。– 迈克尔·C·莱特

谁将赢得年度最佳新秀？

1. 卡梅隆·布泽尔，孟菲斯灰熊（探花秀）： 61分
2. 达林·彼得森，犹他爵士（榜眼秀）： 56分
3. AJ·迪班萨，华盛顿奇才（状元秀）： 54分
4. 凯莱布·威尔逊，芝加哥公牛（4号秀）： 32分
5. 小达里厄斯·阿库夫，萨克拉门托国王（7号秀）： 3分

这份名单上的名字不会让你感到意外，但有趣的是预测投票结果如此接近，布泽尔、彼得森和迪班萨在前三名的差距仅有极其微小的7分。

这些球员都落入了从早期球权和出场时间角度来看有利的处境，但布泽尔将是三人中角色最大的，孟菲斯很可能在可预见的未来围绕他来组织进攻，因为他们需要一名能够承担得分重任并串联队友的进攻球员。从纸面上看，他似乎是略微的热门人选。

彼得森很可能在新秀得分榜上领跑，但他将在后场与基扬特·乔治分享球权，而且爵士还有劳里·马尔卡宁、小贾伦·杰克逊和正在成长中的埃斯·贝利都在争夺出手机会。迪班萨也需要在特雷·杨和安东尼·戴维斯身边开辟自己的进攻空间。

虽然公牛预计不会太具竞争力，但不要排除威尔逊，他也将拥有巨大的发展空间，成为芝加哥所需要的球星，而且没有立即赢球的压力。– 杰里米·吴

维克托·文班亚马上赛季成为最佳防守球员奖项历史上最年轻且首位全票当选的得主。EPA/MANUELA SOLDI SHUTTERSTOCK OUT

谁将赢得最佳防守球员？

1. 维克托·文班亚马，圣安东尼奥马刺： 108分
2. 扬尼斯·阿德托昆博，迈阿密热火： 20分
3. 切特·霍姆格伦，俄克拉荷马城雷霆： 13分
并列第4. 阿门·汤普森，休斯顿火箭： 12分
并列第4. 巴姆·阿德巴约，迈阿密热火： 12分
6. 鲁迪·戈贝尔，明尼苏达森林狼： 10分

在可预见的未来，一个简单的数据可能成为最佳防守球员投票的主要决定因素：文班亚马将出战多少场比赛？

如果文班亚马达到65场的最低出场标准，他将是每年这一奖项的压倒性热门。他上赛季勉强达到标准——需要借助NBA杯决赛的出场加成（该场比赛不计入常规赛）——并成为该奖项历史上首位全票得主。

几乎可以肯定的是，文班亚马将在仍处于巅峰期时创造最佳防守球员获奖次数最多的纪录。目前这一荣誉由他的法国同胞戈贝尔，以及本·华莱士和迪肯贝·穆托姆博共同保持，三人各获得四次。

作为2019-20赛季最佳防守球员，阿德托昆博成为亚军是一个有趣的选择。也许转会迈阿密会激发他的防守复兴，但他在防守端的影响力近年来已经减弱。他上赛季场均盖帽仅为0.7次，创生涯新低，而且阿德托昆博在过去四年中仅有一个赛季场均抢断达到至少1.0次。

霍姆格伦上赛季是亚军，如果保持健康，他理应成为常年候选人。他是联盟最佳防守球队中最具影响力的防守者，也是除文班亚马之外NBA最具统治力的护框者。– 蒂姆·麦克马洪

亚历克斯·卡鲁索下赛季将进入他在俄克拉荷马城雷霆的第三个赛季，也是他在联盟的第十个赛季。（美联社照片/Julio Cortez）

谁将赢得最佳第六人？

1. 亚历克斯·卡鲁索，俄克拉荷马城雷霆： 34分
2. 迪伦·哈珀，圣安东尼奥马刺： 23分
3. 阿贾伊·米切尔，俄克拉荷马城雷霆： 22分
4. 里德·谢泼德，休斯顿火箭： 20分

数据并不能完全体现卡鲁索对雷霆的价值。卡鲁索凭借他的换防能力和承担重大防守任务的意愿可以改变比赛——这两点都足以影响并掩盖他上赛季29%的三分命中率。另一方面，哈珀场均得到11.8分和3.9次助攻，似乎已经准备好迈向NBA球星之路的下一步。他是少数几位在NBA总决赛舞台上作为新秀不怯场的马刺球员之一。他的天赋要求首发位置，因此本赛季马刺在平衡阵容时可能会面临微妙的局面，尤其是如果哈珀能像许多人期待的那样实现詹姆斯·哈登式的飞跃。

米切尔上赛季在这一奖项的投票中排名很高；他的得分从新秀赛季的场均6.5分跃升至上赛季的13.6分，并且在右小腿拉伤导致他在分区决赛三场比赛后赛季报销之前，他打了两轮出色的季后赛。如果他能够延续上赛季的势头，在没有伤病的情况下，他应该与队友一起稳居这一奖项的竞争行列。

谢泼德将极大受益于弗雷德·范弗利特的回归，后者因ACL伤病缺席了整个上赛季。一个更多无球、拥有更多得分自由的角色将有助于他的持续发展，因为火箭将迫切需要他的投射能力。谢泼德上赛季场均出手7次三分，命中率接近40%。– 文森特·古德威尔

谁将赢得最快进步球员？

1. 斯蒂芬·卡斯尔，圣安东尼奥马刺： 34分
2. 卡森·华莱士，俄克拉荷马城雷霆： 32分
3. 迪伦·哈珀，圣安东尼奥马刺： 21分
4. 阿门·汤普森，休斯顿火箭： 20分
5. 凯莱尔·韦尔，密尔沃基雄鹿： 17分

从NBA第一年到第二年，卡斯尔作为射手有所进步，同时得分、篮板、助攻和投篮命中率都有所提升。但这位21岁的球员上赛季在决策方面有所退步，导致失误增加（3.2次）。卡斯尔在2025-26赛季结束时失误数排名NBA第9。如果这位攻防兼备的天才能够纠正这些失误并在投射方面取得进步，他有机会在最快进步球员的激烈竞争中脱颖而出，其中包括队友哈珀。哈珀已经是更好的射手，失误也比卡斯尔少。但哈珀的球权使用率不如卡斯尔。

雷霆的华莱士在竞争中占据重要位置，尤其是如果他如预期那样承担更大的角色。上赛季华莱士首发出战的比赛中，雷霆取得了49胜9负的战绩，净效率为+11.9。

和卡斯尔一样，汤普森需要提升投射能力。由于老将范弗利特赛季报销，他被推入更重要的角色，投篮数据在上赛季有所下滑。汤普森是NBA最顶级的运动员之一。– 莱特

谁将赢得年度最佳教练？

1. 里克·卡莱尔，印第安纳步行者： 33分
2. 米奇·约翰逊，圣安东尼奥马刺： 32分
3. 威尔·哈迪，犹他爵士： 28分
4. 克里斯·芬奇，明尼苏达森林狼： 20分
5. 尼克·纳斯，费城76人： 19分

预测NBA年度最佳教练往往像掷骰子一样难以捉摸。这个奖项通常颁给超出预期的球队教练，比如2025-26赛季的得主、波士顿的乔·马祖拉，他上赛季甚至没有出现在投票前五名中。

这一奖项的不可预测性正是本赛季投票如此接近的原因，前三名得票者各自有着截然不同的季前赛理由说明他们为何可能进入竞争。卡莱尔上赛季在没有球星泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿的情况下带领步行者度过了一个噩梦般的赛季，伤病从第一天起就接连打击球队，使他们几乎没有竞争的机会。如果步行者本赛季顺利找回冠军状态，卡莱尔将是重要的原因。

刚刚闯入NBA总决赛的马刺，或许有望统治联盟，可能成为西部头号种子。这样的表现——也许伴随着达龙·福克斯的救赎——可能让圣安东尼奥有望斩获多项季后赛奖项。

或者，异军突起的球队可能是爵士，他们多年来一直在默默积累年轻天赋，并加入了榜眼秀彼得森。尽管球队战绩不佳，哈迪仍然是联盟中最受尊敬的教练之一。– 贾马尔·科利尔

附加题！谁将成为本赛季得分王？

1. 卢卡·东契奇，洛杉矶湖人： 11票
2. 谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大，俄克拉荷马城雷霆： 5票
3. 安东尼·爱德华兹，明尼苏达森林狼： 3票
4. 维克托·文班亚马，圣安东尼奥马刺： 1票

作为过去三个赛季中两个赛季的得分王得主，我们的专家组认为东契奇是压倒性的热门，有望成为自乔尔·恩比德（2021-22、2022-23赛季）以来首位连续两个赛季蝉联得分王的球员。

这位湖人球星上赛季场均得到33.48分，这是他职业生涯第二高的场均得分，也是他在联盟八年中第三次场均得分超过32分。随着勒布朗·詹姆斯和他上赛季场均15.3次出手机会转投费城，值得关注的是东契奇将吸收其中多少得分机会，以及他的场均得分能攀升到多高——哈登（2018-19赛季36.1分）、科比·布莱恩特（2005-06赛季35.40分）和迈克尔·乔丹（1986-87赛季37.09分）是过去60年中仅有的三位单赛季场均得分超过35分的球员。在赛季末腿筋受伤之前，东契奇在三月份接近巅峰状态，16场比赛场均得到37.5分，投篮命中率为49/39/79。

背靠背MVP得主吉尔杰斯-亚历山大曾在2024-25赛季领跑得分榜，上赛季仅次于东契奇位列第二。他在过去四个赛季中场均得分均突破30分大关。

爱德华兹的场均得分在联盟的六个赛季中逐年提升，上赛季以28.8分创下个人新高。随着拉梅洛·鲍尔加入，森林狼的进攻将如何运转仍有待观察。而文班亚马在常规赛场均得到25分、投篮命中率51.2%创生涯新高之后，一路闯入NBA总决赛，但他在季后赛的得分略有下降，场均23.8分，命中率48.5%。– 戴夫·麦克梅纳明

由生成式 AI 翻译，翻译内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。

查看原文：NBA Summer Forecast 2026-27: Predictions for every major award

NBA Summer Forecast 2026-27: Predictions for every major award

Which stars will be in the race for some of the NBA’s most highly touted awards next season?

Last season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took home his second consecutive MVP award, becoming only the fifth active player to claim that honor in back-to-back seasons. Victor Wembanyama will be one of the major front-runners for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors after the French phenom took home the latter award unanimously.

The race for Rookie of the Year will also be one to watch with a talented wave of first-year players joining the pros, led by Washington Wizards’ No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa and Utah Jazz’s No. 2 selection Darryn Peterson. Unlike in recent years, there seems to be no set front-runner for this award, and how these rookies adjust to the league will be the storyline to observe.

After forecasting each team’s record on Monday, plus conference and Finals predictions on Tuesday, we asked our Summer Forecast panel – a group of NBA experts, including reporters, editors and analysts – to rank its top three choices for the NBA’s six major awards, with a first-place vote receiving five points, a second-place vote receiving three and a third-place vote receiving one.

Here are the results:

(Note: Summer Forecast continues Thursday with NBA experts answering the biggest questions heading into the 2026-27 season)

By finishing second in last season’s MVP voting, Nikola Jokic became the third player in NBA history with a top-two finish in five or more consecutive seasons. Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Who will win NBA MVP?

1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs: 102 points
2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: 31 points
3. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers: 28 points
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder: 26 points
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami Heat: eight points

Wembanyama campaigned hard last season for the MVP award, only to finish third in voting behind Gilgeous-Alexander and three-time winner Jokic. Still, Wembanyama pushed his team deeper into the playoffs last season than either of those players did. San Antonio’s run to the NBA Finals last season clearly gives Wembanyama the upper hand in the award race heading into 2026-27. Luckily for him, the tests come early, starting on opening night against Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, followed by a matchup three days later in Austin, Texas, against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. Wembanyama, 22, opened last season in Dallas with 40 points and 15 rebounds, and you can expect similar fireworks against the Thunder.

The surprise here is Gilgeous-Alexander, 28, sitting at fourth. He’s averaged 30 points or more for four straight seasons, leading a team expected to compete for its second title in three seasons.

Jokic, 31, should be in the mix too, especially if he can elevate a Denver club that lost talent in the offseason by trading Peyton Watson. Doncic’s prospects depend on how quickly the new-look Lakers come together. He’s accelerated that process by hosting most of the Lakers this summer in his native Slovenia. – Michael C. Wright

Boozer finished with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, four rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes during his summer league debut for the Grizzlies. Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Mike Kirschbaum/NBAE via Getty Images)

Who will win NBA Rookie of the Year?

1. Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies (No. 3 pick): 61 points
2. Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz (No. 2 pick): 56 points
3. AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards (No. 1 pick): 54 points
4. Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls (No. 4 pick): 32 points
5. Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings (No. 7 pick): three points

The names on this list won’t surprise you, but what’s interesting is just how tight the predictive voting came out, with Boozer, Peterson and Dybantsa falling within an extremely narrow seven-point band in the first three slots.

These players all landed in situations that should be beneficial from an early usage and minutes standpoint, but it’s Boozer who should have the biggest role of the three, with Memphis likely to orient its operation around him for the foreseeable future as it needs an offensive player who can shoulder a scoring load and connect teammates. On paper, he looks like the slight favorite.

Peterson could easily lead all rookies in scoring but will be sharing usage with Keyonte George in the backcourt, plus the Jazz have Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and the developing Ace Bailey all commanding shots. Dybantsa will also have to carve out his offensive game next to Trae Young and Anthony Davis.

Although the Bulls don’t figure to be overly competitive, don’t rule out Wilson, who will also have a huge runway to develop into the star Chicago needs, without pressure to win games right away. – Jeremy Woo

Victor Wembanyama became the youngest and first unanimous winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award last season. EPA/MANUELA SOLDI SHUTTERSTOCK OUT

Who will win Defensive Player of the Year?

1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs: 108 points
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami Heat: 20 points
3. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder: 13 points
T-4. Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets: 12 points
T-4. Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat: 12 points
6. Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves: 10 points

For the foreseeable future, one simple statistic could be the primary determinant in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. How many games will Wembanyama play?

If Wembanyama hits the 65-game minimum, he’s the overwhelming favorite to win this award annually. He barely reached the criteria last season – needing the bump from the NBA Cup final appearance, which doesn’t count as a regular-season game – and was the first unanimous winner in the award’s history.

It’s a pretty good bet that Wembanyama will set the record for most DPOYs while he still has plenty of his prime remaining. That distinction is currently shared by his fellow Frenchman Gobert, plus Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo, who won four apiece.

Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year, is a curious choice as a runner-up. Maybe a move to Miami will spark a defensive renaissance for him, but his impact on that end of the floor has diminished in recent seasons. He averaged a career-low 0.7 blocks last season, and Antetokounmpo has averaged at least 1.0 steal only once in the past four years.

Holmgren was the runner-up last season and, if healthy, figures to be a perennial candidate. He’s the most impactful defender on the league’s best defense and the NBA’s most dominant rim protector aside from Wembanyama. – Tim MacMahon

Alex Caruso will enter his third season with the Oklahoma City Thunder and tenth season in the league next season. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Who will win Sixth Man of the Year?

1. Alex Caruso, Oklahoma City Thunder: 34 points
2. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs: 23 points
3. Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder: 22 points
4. Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets: 20 points

The numbers don’t entirely exhibit Caruso’s value for the Thunder. Caruso can change games with his switch ability and willingness to take on big defensive assignments – both large enough to impact and obscure the fact that he shot 29% from 3 last season. Harper, on the other hand, who averaged 11.8 points and 3.9 assists, appears ready for the next step in NBA stardom. He was one of the few Spurs who didn’t seem awed by the stage of the NBA Finals as a rookie. His talent demands a starting role, so the dance could be delicate this season as the Spurs try to balance their lineups, especially if Harper can make a James Harden-like jump as many expect.

Mitchell finished high in this category’s voting last season; his scoring jumped from 6.5 points per game his rookie season to 13.6 last season, and he had two strong playoff rounds before a right calf strain ended his season in the conference finals after three games. If he can continue the same momentum from last season, barring any injuries, he should be squarely in this awards race alongside his teammate.

Sheppard should benefit greatly from the return of Fred VanVleet, who missed all of last season with an ACL injury. A more off-ball role with more freedom to score will aid him in his continued development, as the Rockets will desperately need his shooting. Sheppard shot nearly 40% from 3 on seven attempts per game last season. – Vincent Goodwill

Who will win Most Improved Player?

1. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs: 34 points
2. Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder: 32 points
3. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs: 21 points
4. Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets: 20 points
5. Kel’el Ware, Milwaukee Bucks: 17 points

From Year 1 to Year 2 in the NBA, Castle improved as a shooter while increasing his scoring, rebounding, assists and shooting percentages. But the 21-year-old regressed somewhat last season with his decision-making, which led to an increase in turnovers (3.2). Castle finished 2025-26 ranked No. 9 in the NBA in turnovers. If the two-way talent corrects the miscues and makes strides as a shooter, he has got a chance to fend off some stiff competition for Most Improved Player, which includes teammate Harper. Harper is already the better shooter and commits fewer turnovers than Castle. But Harper’s usage rate isn’t on the same level as Castle.

Oklahoma City’s Wallace figures prominently in the mix, especially if he assumes a larger role as expected. The Thunder finished with a record of 49-9 last season with Wallace in the starting lineup with a point differential of plus-11.9.

Like Castle, Thompson needs to improve as a shooter. His shooting numbers regressed last season when thrust into a more significant role due to the season-ending injury to veteran VanVleet. Thompson is one of the NBA’s most elite athletes. – Wright

Who will win Coach of the Year?

1. Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers: 33 points
2. Mitch Johnson, San Antonio Spurs: 32 points
3. Will Hardy, Utah Jazz: 28 points
4. Chris Finch, Minnesota Timberwolves: 20 points
5. Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers: 19 points

Predicting the NBA Coach of the Year is often a crapshoot. It’s an award given to the coach of the team that overachieved expectations, such as the 2025-26 winner, Boston’s Joe Mazzulla, who didn’t even appear in the top five of the voting last season.

The unpredictability of the award is why the poll for this season was so close, and each of the top three vote-getters has vastly different preseason cases for why they could be in the mix. Carlisle navigated a nightmare season for the Pacers last year without star Tyrese Haliburton, and as a bevy of injuries hit the team from day one, leaving it without much of a chance to compete. If the Pacers rediscover their championship form without much of a hitch this year, Carlisle will be a big reason why.

The Spurs, fresh off an appearance in the NBA Finals, could be set up to dominate the league as, perhaps, the top seed in the Western Conference. Such a performance – with perhaps a De’Aaron Fox redemption – could put San Antonio in line to capture several postseason awards.

Or the team out of nowhere could be the Jazz, who have been quietly collecting young talent for years and added the No. 2 pick in Peterson. Despite the team’s record, Hardy is still one of the most respected coaching minds around the league. – Jamal Collier

Bonus! Who will be the scoring champion this season?

1. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers: 11 votes
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder: five votes
3. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves: three votes
4. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs: one vote

Winner of two of the past three NBA scoring titles, our panel has Doncic as the overwhelming favorite to become the first player with back-to-back seasons of scoring supremacy since Joel Embiid (2021-22, 2022-23).

The Lakers star averaged 33.48 points a season ago, accounting for the second-best mark of his career and the third time he’s averaged north of 32 points in eight years in the league. With LeBron James and his 15.3 field goal attempts per game from a season ago relocating to Philadelphia, it will be interesting to see how many of those scoring opportunities Doncic will absorb and how high his average can go – Harden (36.1 in 2018-19), Kobe Bryant (35.40 in 2005-06) and Michael Jordan (37.09 in 1986-87) are the only players to average more than 35 points in a season in the past 60 years. Before his season-ending hamstring injury, Doncic was nearing peak form in March, averaging 37.5 points on 49/39/79 shooting splits over 16 games.

Back-to-back MVP Gilgeous-Alexander, who was tops in scoring in 2024-25, finished second behind Doncic last season. He has topped the 30-point plateau in each of his past four seasons.

Edwards’ scoring average has increased in each of his six seasons in the league, with him setting a personal best with 28.8 points a season ago. It remains to be seen how the Wolves’ offense will operate with LaMelo Ball added to the mix. And Wembanyama followed up a regular season in which he averaged 25 points on a career-best 51.2% shooting with a run to the NBA Finals, but his scoring dipped slightly in the postseason to 23.8 points on 48.5%. – Dave McMenamin

By NBA insiders, via ESPN