With the Playoffs now in full swing, I figured I’d put out all my picks for the NBA postseason awards (not that I get a vote, but I enjoy this). The majority of this was posted to social media, but I still have some pieces to add. I watched 165 full games this year, including 4 from every team, which makes the 2024-2025 season probably my most comprehensive in terms of watching. Still, this was hard.

All-NBA Teams

The NBA has gotten rid of positions in All-NBA selection, which I don’t really like, so for the most part, I tried to stick to two guards, two forwards, and one center on each team.

Honorable Mentions:
Donovan Mitchell (G, Cleveland Cavaliers)
Jalen Williams (G, Oklahoma City Thunder)
Ivica Zubac (C, Los Angeles Clippers)
Tyrese Haliburton (G, Indiana Pacers)
Trae Young (G, Atlanta Hawks)

The guards in particular were hard to pick out, especially with Jalen Williams playing the 2 instead of the 3 (I think he’ll probably get in to the real list due to the lack of position rules, and it’d be deserved). Lots of great play at the 1 and 2 position this year.

All-NBA 3rd Team
Jalen Brunson (G, New York Knicks)
Stephen Curry (G, Golden State Warriors)
Pascal Siakam (F, Indiana Pacers)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (C, Memphis Grizzlies)
Karl-Anthony Towns (C, New York Knicks)

All-NBA 2nd Team
Anthony Edwards (G, Minnesota Timberwolves)
James Harden (G, Los Angeles Clippers)
Lebron James (F, Los Angeles Lakers)
Evan Mobley (F, Cleveland Cavaliers)
Domantas Sabonis (C, Sacramento Kings)

All-NBA 1st Team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (G, Oklahoma City Thunder)
Cade Cunningham (G, Detroit Pistons)
Jayson Tatum (F, Boston Celtics)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (F, Milwaukee Bucks)
Nikola Jokić (C, Denver Nuggets)

I feel like the 1st team is mostly a lock except at the Guard position. Giannis and Tatum have been extremely consistent and we’ll talk about Shai and Jokić when we get to the MVP. I felt like Cade Cunningham really had a breakout year leading Detroit after the team came off one of the worst seasons in league history. I think we see either Anthony Edwards or Jalen Brunson in the real first team in Cade’s place.

The second team is led by Anthony Edwards who has developed into a killer 3-point shooter. There was a lot of early negativity about this development, but I think most people have now recognized that Edwards utilized his 3-pointer to open up even more driving lanes.

Evan Mobley had a great season in Cleveland showing a really complete mix of inside playmaking as well as perimeter shooting. Domantas Sabonis led the league in rebounds for the second year in a row. Harden and James both had stellar years, especially considering their longevity with Harden finishing his 16th season and LeBron finishing his 22nd.

The third team features New York Knicks savant Jalen Brunson and the best shooter in league history, Stephen Curry. Joining them, I have Pascal Siakam who has been a consistent piece of the Indiana Pacers this season while Tyrese Haliburton got off to an uneven start. Karl-Anthony Towns has adjusted well to his new home in New York, and I think has shaken off the perception that he was a “soft” player. Rounding out the team is Jaren Jackson Jr. who, though listed as a Center, often played Power Forward alongside Zach Edey.

Clutch Player of the Year

The newest of the NBA’s postseason awards, the Clutch Player of the Year is supposed to be awarded to the player that performs the best “in the clutch.” The league defines the clutch as the last 5 minutes of the game (as well as any overtime) when the score is within 5 points or less. De’Aaron Fox won the inaugural award in 2023, with Steph Curry winning in 2024.

There have tons of great closers this year. After a rough start to the season, Tyrese Haliburton turned into a terror in the 4th quarter. Darius Garland proved to be a strong finisher for Cleveland. LeBron James was oft tasked to win games in the 4th quarter.

That being said, the Clutch Player of the Year is Jalen Brunson. The New York Knick has been amazing (or frightening depending on your viewpoint) in the end of games. Averaging 5.6 points on 51% shooting from the field to go along with an average of 1 assist in the clutch, Brunson often felt unstoppable.

Most Improved Player

Several players took big leaps this year. Norman Powell averaged a career high 21.8ppg after last season’s average of 13.9ppg, but ultimately missed out on the 65-game minimum for this award. Cade Cunningham of the Pistons finally looks like he’s coming into his own as a top point guard in the league. Austin Reaves went from a 6th man to a sometimes first option on a team that has LeBron James and Luka Dončić. But one man turned from a DNP to a Defensive terror.

In 2023-2024, league sophomore Dyson Daniels would play in only 61 games, and start in only 16. He averaged 5.8ppg and a solid, but not eye-opening 1.4 steals per game. His third season saw him blossom, starting in all 76 of the games he played, improving his field goal percentage from 44.7% to 49.3% on higher volume, resulting in 14.1ppg. But the true tell of his improvement was the defensive end. His 229 season steals is the highest total since Scottie Pippen in the 1994-1995 season, while his league-leading 3.0 steals per game is the best since Alvin Robertson in the 1990-1991 season.

Sixth Man of the Year

It’s Payton Pritchard of the Boston Celtics. I don’t know that this one even needs to be explained.

Rookie of the Year

While the 2023-2024 rookie class was filled with talent, it had one clear winner for Rookie of the Year in Victor Wembanyama (though Chet Holmgren proved a worthy rival, he just wasn’t ever going to win against Victor). The 2024-2025 class had both less easily identifiable talent and depth, but this has made the choice for the award a fiercer competition. Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks was the #1 pick in the 2024 draft, but got out to a weak start. Risacher would prove his quality in the back half of the season, though and looks to be a great piece for an Atlanta team that seems ready to turn the corner.

My pick, though, is Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs. Castle proved a solid point guard with some spectacular dunks (something that got him to a 2nd place finish in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest). Castle especially proved his quality when Victor Wembanyama went down for the season with a blood clot, providing a consistency to a team that went through lots of changes.

Defensive Player of the Year

Ivica Zubac has been brilliant for the Clippers. Luguentz Dort has been stellar on a ferocious OKC Thunder team. The media at ESPN is trying to convince people that Draymond Green deserves the nod, (an opinion I greatly disagree with, even though I think Green has been solid).

It might be blasephemy, but I think my Most Improved Player is also Defensive Player of the Year. Dyson Daniels spent the year as a ballhawk we haven’t seen in 30 years. It was so memorable, I flipped to Hawks games midway through just to catch him.

Most Valuable Player

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

This was a hard one. Nikola Jokić is having truly an all-time great season. The stats probably lean Jokić, and some would say that because his teammates play so much worse without him, that he is truly more valuable. That may be true for his team, but I think a test of leadership is how your team performs without you. And the Oklahoma City Thunder are a spectacular team even when Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t on the floor. If Gilgeous-Alexander is Michael Jordan, Jalen Williams is Scottie Pippen. Just because Pippen is an all-time great doesn’t mean Jordan isn’t the shit. And hey, being the best player on the best team in the league and the 7th best NBA team ever in terms of win% ain’t bad either.