Entering the 2024/25 season, the top three finalists for last year’s MVP appear to once again be the leading candidates for the award. A panel of ESPN’s sportswriters and analysts predict how the upcoming season’s award season will pan out and Luka Doncic received 48% of first-place votes for Most Valuable Player (ESPN+ link). Nikola Jokic, the reigning MVP, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander round out the top three.
Neither of the 2024 draft’s top two picks crack ESPN’s top five Rookie of the Year predictions. Houston’s Reed Sheppard is the overwhelming favorite among the finalists, earning 62% of first place votes. Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan round out the top three. As explained in the article, Sheppard potentially playing big minutes right away for a team with playoff aspirations may have factored into the voting.
Another race ESPN’s writers don’t think will be close is that of the Defensive Player of the Year award. Victor Wembanyama is the overwhelming favorite with 67% of first-place votes, with Bam Adebayo (14%) and Rudy Gobert (5%) rounding out the top three. Wembanyama made an immediate impact on the defensive end last season, putting up multiple outings with video game-level box scores en route to averaging 1.2 steals and 3.6 blocks as a rookie.
As usual, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player and Coach of the Year had less of a consensus in terms of preseason favorites. Malik Monk and Alex Caruso lead the way for the Sixth Man award, but Naz Reid, Jaime Jaquez, T.J. McConnell and Bobby Portis all earned at least 10% of the first-place votes. Wembanyama and other young players were atop the list of Most Improved candidates, while Coby White, who finished second in MIP voting last season, also ranked highly. After his team made several moves this offseason, New York’s Tom Thibodeau led the way in votes for the top coach spot.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Former CEO of Family First agency, Chris Gaston, is making the move to Octagon Basketball, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Gaston is the agent of former NBAers Damyean Dotson, Chris Smith and Josh Gray. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo are among current NBA players repped by Octagon.
- The Mavericks trading Tim Hardaway Jr. and second-round picks for Quentin Grimes is one of the more underrated moves of the offseason, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines. Moving Hardaway not only brought in a young wing in Grimes but it also set the stage for Dallas to have enough cap flexibility to sign Naji Marshall and acquire Klay Thompson. Another underrated move in Hollinger’s eyes was Phoenix adding Tyus Jones, which gave the Suns a starting-caliber point guard without sacrificing any further draft capital. Other moves Hollinger liked were the Warriors‘ additions, The Rockets‘ draft capital maneuvering and the Timberwolves‘ trade to move into the top 10 of this year’s draft.
- Brodric Thomas is the latest player to join the G League United roster for the September exhibition tournament, as announced by the league (Twitter link). Thomas has appeared in 44 games across two NBA seasons with Houston, Cleveland and Boston. The tournament is set to take place on Sept. 4 and 6 against KK Mega Basket.
GSW swapping out Saric, CP3 and Klay for Anderson, Melton and Hield is huge in terms of team-build. If everyone stays healthy GSW will be nasty next season, and then they might also be able to trade for Lebron? Fun year incoming…
Getting under the tax apron for the Warriors is huge in they can go after free agents again unlike the past 3 years.
This guy lol.
Best off season….knicks, Celtics, Philly, Memphis, OKC. Bombed and or took backward steps….Lakers, Warriors, Nuggets, Bucks.
How was warriors trades a negative? Explain.
Not enough top end talent and Steph getting on. He can’t piggyback Warriors to a high enough seed by himself at this stage to be a legit threat. Stuck between all in because of Steph and developing young guys at the same time. When has that ever worked?
Spurs bombed too. Could have finished the rebuild and start moving forward but instead are making mistake after mistake after mistake. The Spurs are not top notch anymore. Time for pop to retire (let him keep all his money like Monty did)
While I do agree that SA could have done more to improve but “Could have finished the rebuild” in this one offseason was never going to happen.
Who are the players that were available that would have catapulted SA up in the standings? Paul George? Why would he want to go to a team one season removed from the 1st overall pick? DeRozan? They’ve already seen that movie in SA. Any other player that changed teams this summer wasn’t going to change San Antonio’s situation of moving forward by much.
Could they have kept and used that 8th pick? Sure but apparently there wasn’t a player available there that they thought was worth drafting or they would have drafted someone. Like Dillingham. He could develop into a great player down the road but that’s not a given.
Honestly, I think that the Spurs did draft a solid building block in Castle and added a couple vets that may help them win a few more games in 24/25 but who could also turn into valuable trade chips by the trade deadline in CP3 & Barnes. Wemby maybe dreaming of making the playoffs but Pop and the front office are probably looking to tank without going into full-on tank mode.
Landing Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper or Nolan Traore would be a better move for the Spurs future than adding a past their prime star like Paul George or Demar DeRozan.
They should have drafted Cody Williams or someone else, maybe another PG prospect in Ajay Mitchell as well with their traded 2nds picks, draft Nunez too. If Williams and Mitchell are nothing than I am wrong. Move Castle to play SG sometimes. Look at young PF’s on two way contract, sign veterans on the bench (Not Chris Paul), tank for next year like you said, draft a too guy and the rebuild is done with young guys to grow with each other and ready to move forward, but instead they want draft assets when Wemby in 28 idk why.
I like the Castle pick but I give them a C- at the draft. Should have done more instead of getting draft picks in 20 years and Chris overrated Paul
Warriors articles do seem to bring out extreme views in both directions.
Have a look at the Pacific man. Suns, kings, lakers, warriors, clips. Who’s coming last in that division? If you still include Kawhi and Harden as all star level or close to every other team bar the warriors have two all star level players. Just simple mathematics. Clips are loaded with solid guys, they’re pretty deep which should help in the regular season and they’re predicted 5th, warriors 4th with betting agencies, why is that? Warriors fans will point to Draymond….the man can’t score. Who’s the 2nd or 3rd option for the warriors? Wiggins been getting paid appearance fees a while now. Is it kuminga? The guy gets his before the D is set or off hustle, that’s not a go to scorer. Not in the 4th and he’s hardly getting stats that equit to wins. Suns got KD and Book. Minneapolis lakers got Bron and Ant, who played like a top 10 guy last season. Kings added DeRozen, who can still get a bucket. With two all star level guys in Fox and Sabonis. Havnt even mentioned Keegan or monk off the bench. Warriors don’t have the fire power man, the organisation has let Steph down last two offseasons, especially this one. Warriors may start well, that’s about it. Shoot for the prestigious NBA Cup.