NBA Awards Watch: Green shakes up DPOY race

Welcome to our final look at the various individual awards in the Association and who we think merits end-of-season recognition for their performances.

Rookie of the Year

3. Alex Sarr (Wizards): Sarr has climbed back into the third slot of our Rookie of the Year race after a tenacious second half of the season. The 7-footer's six highest-scoring contests have all come after the All-Star break, including a terrific 34-point performance against the Denver Nuggets in mid-March.

2. Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks): The No. 1 overall pick has been the definition of steady this season. Risacher has started 65 of his 67 games for a team that will almost certainly make the play-in and still has an outside shot at the East's sixth seed. The Frenchman is the only rookie with three 30-point games and became just the 10th teenager in NBA history to score at least 36 points during Sunday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

1. Stephon Castle (Spurs): Castle took a stranglehold on the Rookie of the Year trophy after his teammate Victor Wembanyama was sidelined for the rest of the campaign with deep vein thrombosis. In the absence of last season's award winner, Castle was thrust into a more prominent role for San Antonio. Since Wembanyama's exit, Castle is second among Spurs in points per game (17.4), third in assists (4.1), and sixth in rebounding (4.5).

Defensive Player of the Year

3. Dyson Daniels (Hawks): The Great Barrier Thief recently became the first player in 16 seasons to record more than 200 steals in a single campaign and is averaging 3.1 takeaways per game. While his case is purely based on numbers, he's the lone bright spot on the Hawks' 18th-ranked defense. He won't win the award, but still merits praise for an outstanding campaign.

2. Draymond Green (Warriors): Green is close to adding another Defensive Player of the Year award. Over the last 15 contests, the Warriors are third in defensive rating (109.7) and fifth in opponent points (108.9). He's averaging 3.1 stocks (steals and blocks combined) in March, the fourth-most over the last four weeks.

1. Evan Mobley (Cavaliers): Despite Green's ascension, Defensive Player of the Year remains Mobley's award to lose. The Cavaliers have consistently been one of the NBA's best defensive units with the 23-year-old at the helm. He leads the team in blocks (1.6) and is a key reason for Cleveland's second-ranked defense at the rim.

Most Improved Player

3. Tyler Herro (Heat): The 25-year-old has become the Heat's No. 1 option, and he's up for the challenge. Herro is averaging a career-high 23.7 points on 46.9/37.5/86.9 shooting splits paired with 5.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He boasts 3.6 offensive win shares (his previous high was 1.3 in 2021-22) and has played in a career-high 71 games. Availability is the best ability.

2. Dyson Daniels (Hawks): The Australian is one of the NBA's elite defenders, but it's his offensive strides that have him in line for this honor. Daniels is averaging 14.1 points this season, up from 5.8 in 2023-24. He's also playing a career-high 33.9 minutes per night and posting personal bests in assists (4.3), rebounds (5.8), field-goal percentage (48.6), and 3-point percentage (33.9).

1. Cade Cunningham (Pistons): The 23-year-old has made a big leap this year, posting a career-high 25.7 points and shooting a personal-best 46.2% while dishing 9.2 assists per contest. Cunningham has also led the Pistons to a respectable 42-33 record, recording more wins than they have in any of their last five seasons.

Sixth Man of the Year

3. Malik Beasley (Pistons): Beasley has been a vital player for a Pistons squad that has its grasp on a playoff spot. The 28-year-old is shooting the leather off the ball, averaging 16.3 points - the most since his 2020-21 campaign - while knocking down 42.3% of his 9.2 3-point attempts per game.

2. Ty Jerome (Cavaliers): The Cavs unearthed one of the league's best bench bucket-getters in Jerome. The former first-round pick has given the East's best team points at will, averaging 12.2 points on impressive 50.9/43.1/86.8 shooting splits.

1. Payton Pritchard (Celtics): Whenever a player breaks an NBA record, he deserves some recognition. Pritchard has set a new 3-point shooting mark off the bench after knocking down a historic 237 treys this season. The Oregon product went nuclear in early March, hitting 10 threes and dropping a career-best 43 points in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Coach of the Year

3. Mark Daigneault (Thunder): OKC's 62 wins are a franchise best since its move in 2008. The Thunder own the second-best net rating (13.0) ever, trailing only the 72-win Chicago Bulls (1995-96). They also have the top defensive rating (106.1) and their best-ever offensive mark (119.1). A flawless final stretch could see Daigneault and Co. become the third team to win 70-plus matchups.

2. J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons): The Pistons have their highest win total since 2015-16 and are in position to make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. Bickerstaff has created an electric offense, and the team currently own its best offensive rating (114.9) in franchise history and the league's third-best net rating since the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

1. Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers): The Cavaliers have managed three separate double-digit win streaks this season. Atkinson transformed the Cavs into the best offense in the league (121.5) with the second-best net rating (9.7). Cleveland has its highest win total (60) since the 2009-10 campaign, the final season of LeBron James' first stint with the Cavs.

Most Valuable Player

Please check out our most recent MVP Rankings for a detailed look at the top 10 candidates for the award.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks): The Greek Freak remains firmly on the podium. Averaging 30.2 points on an otherworldly 60.1% field goal shooting, no other player in the league is making more than Antetokounmpo's 11.9 shots per game. With Damian Lillard sidelined, it's going to take an MVP-caliber run from Antetokounmpo to give the Bucks any chance.

2. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets): Jokic was making a stellar push to close the gap, but a five-game absence due to elbow and ankle injuries might put the award slightly out of reach for him. Regardless, the 30-year-old remains in the top three in points, rebounds, and assists per contest on the campaign - a truly historical feat for the three-time MVP.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder): The talismanic leader is poised to become the seventh straight MVP born outside of the United States following a late-season push for the award. The Thunder have won 16 of 17 due largely to the consistent displays of the league's leading scorer, and his 2,334 total points are 377 more than the next closest competitor.