2024-25 NBA Midseason Awards: MVP, top rookie and the league’s most pleasant surprise

Now that every team will have hit the 41-game mark Friday night, it’s time to honor the best performers from the season’s first half. Without further ado, here are our midseason award winners …

The Midseason MVP is …

Kevin O’Connor: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is having the best season on one of the most dominant teams in recent memory. The Thunder are dominant with him on the floor — he leads the NBA in scoring, makes his teammates better and defends at a high level — and they’re quite average without him. I’d lean toward making him my choice at the midway point of the season. But Jokić is better than he’s ever been and his case will be strengthened if Denver can close the wins gap with OKC by the end of the year. The Nuggets have the NBA’s second-best net rating since Dec. 8, the day they turned their season around. If the Nuggets grab the second seed in the West, and get to mid-50s in wins, then it’ll be hard to argue against Jokić no matter how great SGA has been.

Ben Rohrbach: Nikola Jokić. Third in points per game. Third in rebounds per game. Second in assists per game. Fourth in steals per game. Second in 3-point percentage. This is for the entire NBA. We have to seriously start considering whether this is the best statistical season ever. With Thursday’s 35-22-17, Jokic’s Player Efficiency Rating climbed to the highest in history (33.6) — ahead of Jokic’s own 2021-22 MVP campaign. And quietly his Denver Nuggets are two wins from second place.

Vincent Goodwill: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Not because “it’s his time” or anything arbitrary that has led to some questionable MVP finishes, and it’s not because he suddenly turned into the best player, because that’s still Nikola Jokić. But he’s been consistently, pole to pole, the most impactful player on winning thus far, on both ends. Jokić has caught him on the advanced metrics, but having a team that’s fourth in the West is a demerit. SGA is incredibly efficient (32 points on 53 percent shooting), plays every night and you could argue he’s been without his second-most talented player all season — but they haven’t missed a beat because he’s carrying the load. Jokić is coming, though.

Dan Devine: I’m sticking with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s leading the NBA in scoring while also playing a vital role on the NBA’s best defense. He’s the best player on what’s been either the best (by net rating) or second-best (by win-loss record) team in the NBA. He leads the NBA in raw plus-minus by more than 150 points. Look at virtually any advanced metric out there, and it’s Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić running 1-2 atop the leaderboard … and SGA has played more games and minutes than the big fella, on a team that’s eight games ahead of Jokić’s Nuggets in the standings. The Thunder are in position to be one of the most dominant regular-season teams we’ve ever seen, and all of that starts with SGA.

The Midseason Rookie of the Year is …

Devine: Let’s go with Jaylen Wells — a.k.a., the Grizzlies’ other rookie. In fairness, Zach Edey does sit at or near the top of the rookie leaderboard in a number of advanced metrics. Wells, though, has played nearly twice as many minutes as the big fella, leading all rookies in total points and plus-minus while serving as the starting small forward on the West’s No. 3 seed and taking on some of the toughest defensive assignments the league has to offer. According to The BBall Index, he is only one of seven players this season who ranks in the 97th percentile or higher in average matchup difficulty, amount of time spent guarding the NBA’s highest-usage players and individual perimeter isolation defense. He is also the only rookie among 35 players shooting at least 38% from deep on five-plus launches a night.

I get the argument that it’s harder for players who weren’t drafted onto good teams to make a positive impact. But stepping right into starter’s minutes and No. 1 defensive stopper-level responsibility is really, really hard. Wells has handled it beautifully.

Goodwill: There are good rookies? I kid, I kid. Jared McCain would’ve gotten this if he didn’t get hurt, but I tend to agree: Jaylen Wells. On a veteran team trying to reclaim real estate in the West, Wells is making a real impact. Shooting 38 percent from 3 on good volume and being able to handle minutes when the main eventers are out is not an easy task. That’s not to say Alex Sarr or Stephon Castle aren’t performing, even somewhat surprisingly well, but the nod goes to Wells because the impact is through winning.

Rohrbach: Jaylen Wells. When was the last time the same team produced two top Rookie of the Year candidates? Among the top-10 scoring rookies this season, Wells and Zach Edey are the only ones who own a positive plus-minus. Edey has missed 14 games, while Wells has registered the most points of any eligible candidate, all while playing stout defense. If only every team could find a starting-caliber 3-and-D wing in the second round of the draft.

O’Connor: Jaylen Wells, for all the reasons my colleagues listed. But I bet Kel’el Ware ends up winning it at the end of the year. The Heat rookie center has looked good all season in limited opportunities, and recently Erik Spoelstra finally unlocked his minutes. In his four games playing over 30 minutes, he’s averaging 21.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. At 7-feet, he’s naturally a lob threat, but he’s also draining nearly 40% of his 3s and finishing some self-created opportunities. Spoelstra has fed him big minutes in three consecutive games, and there’s no reason to believe that’ll stop anytime soon.

The Midseason Most Improved Player …

Rohrbach: Cade Cunningham. This time last year we might have been wondering if Cunningham was worth the No. 1 overall pick. We were certainly wondering whether he was a piece worth building around. His performance this season — worthy of his first All-Star nomination — has answered every question. He was worth the pick, and he is worth building around. These are not easy questions to answer. To go from having no clue to being so certain is one heck of a glow-up.

O’Connor: Tyler Herro. He has completely changed the way he plays basketball. He has nearly eliminated early-clock midrange jumpers in favor of more at-rim chances, 3-pointers and playmaking looks. With better off-hand finishing, passing vision and perimeter scoring, he looks like a borderline All-Star.

Devine: I’ll give you two: The more conventional pick is Norman Powell, who spent the bulk of his first nine NBA seasons coming off the bench before being pressed into duty as the starting two-guard for a Clippers team without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George … and promptly becoming one of the smoothest and most efficient scorers in the league. Powell’s averaging nearly 10 more points per game than he did last season, posting career-best effective field-goal and true shooting percentages despite shouldering by far his heaviest offensive workload as a pro; the only other players scoring as much and as efficiently as Norm on a per-minute basis are Jokić and SGA. Company like that demands hardware.

A less conventional pick: How about Jaren Jackson Jr.? Yes, he’s been an All-Star, and yes, he’s been the Defensive Player of the Year … but he’s never been this good. He’s scoring more in fewer minutes per game and facilitating more effectively while keeping his turnover rate down. He’s more adept at punishing defenders with variety — and while he’s blocking fewer shots, he’s generating more steals and deflections while still protecting the rim at a top-10 level and serving as the heartbeat of a top-five defense. Estimated plus-minus pegs this as the best season of his career; it also says that, on a year-over-year basis, he’s improved more than any other player in the NBA. They give out an award for that, don’t they?

Goodwill: How about another unconventional pick? Russell Westbrook. I was convinced he was done as a player who had an impact on real winning after his last few years — and maybe this is a testament to Nikola Jokić. Now Westbrook looks like the perfect mini-engine to Jokić, rising from the ashes, capable of forcing an imprint on a game for a team that desperately needs that. Since becoming a permanent starter: 15 points, seven assists, 6.5 rebounds on 53/39 shooting. The Nuggets are 12-4 in those games.

Name a Midseason Award Winner from another category

Devine: The Midseason Sixth Man of the Year is Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets. I understand and respect your intellectual arguments for Payton Pritchard. I also forget about them every time Amen checks in and immediately changes the temperature of a game, simultaneously cranking up the Rockets to 1 million kelvins and freezing an opposing offense in its tracks. For my money, Thompson rivals Victor Wembanyama as the most breathtaking player to watch in the NBA … and, since he’s been starting for most of the last month with Jabari Smith Jr. on the shelf and will likely continue to do so, he might not be eligible for this award come season’s end. Might as well give it to him now.

Rohrbach: Victor Wembanyama is the Defensive Player of the Year, and it is not even close. The gap is so far that we do not even need to debate who the other candidates should be. (Give me Dyson Daniels on the perimeter any day, though.) The NBA should not even name two other finalists at season’s end. List Wembanyama, his wingspan and his pet dog, if he has one. (Please tell me Victor has a miniature French bulldog.)

O’Connor: Wemby is the DPOY in a landslide. If it’s not a consensus vote then something is seriously wrong.

Goodwill: Trajan Langdon, executive of the year. His Pistons have reached the point that if they finish with only three times as many wins as last year (14), people would wonder what happened in the second half of the season. That statement would’ve been unfathomable to consider at the start of the season, and now it seems very likely some spring basketball in downtown Detroit is on the horizon. The franchise seemed neglected, wracked by indecision and bad decisions the last few years. He’s added competence and a defined direction by not panicking, adding quality vets and letting them influence and build with the young players. Now, Detroit is a destination and has the flexibility to do things.

Name a Midseason Award Winner from a made-up category

Goodwill: The Unintended Consequences Award: The Miami Heat and the Players’ Association. Maybe the players knew when they agreed to this very restrictive collective bargaining agreement some gridlock would occur, but it’s highly doubtful. There’s more money than ever for players to get, but fewer mechanisms to get there. And … when stars don’t get their extension it means some uncomfortable marriages will dissolve in an arson-like fashion. But who’s holding the kerosene? Players like Jimmy Butler will have to be traded, but it’s so hard to make deals, what happens in the meantime? Nobody looks good here and if the rules were loosened just a bit, this ugly saga would’ve been over. If the league thinks instances like these are just the cost of doing business, business ain’t booming, and it ain’t worth it.

O’Connor: The Tank Commander of the Year is Jordan Poole. You gotta give Poole credit: He’s made the Wizards fun despite being 6-37 on the season. Poole is playing basketball like it’s 2022 all over again, posting the best volume and efficiency numbers of his career. And yet, the Wizards stink: Losers of 12 in a row with the worst record in the NBA by 4.5 games. At least Poole makes them somewhat entertaining to watch.

Rohrbach: The Best Human Victory Cigar: Bronny James. Did anyone see the end of Celtics-Lakers on Thursday? In a blowout victory, Lakers fans chanted for Bronny as if he were Brian Scalabrine, and JJ Redick gave in, waving the white flag in the form of the son of one of the greatest players in the game’s history. I do not know who needs to feel embarrassed by this, but maybe we all should.

Devine: The NBA’s Most Pleasant Surprise at Midseason is … Deeeeetroit baaaaaaaaasketball! I expected the Pistons to look more like an actual NBA team this season, after bringing in J.B. Bickerstaff, Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. to throw Cade Cunningham a lifeline. I did not expect them to hit the halfway mark above .500, in sixth in the East, with an above-average defense, a bona fide All-Star and Most Improved Player candidate in Cunningham, and, depending on your projection model of choice, somewhere between a 71% and 99% chance of making the postseason. Finally: a new reason to get excited for April in the D. You love to see it.