SGA, Jokic, Flagg and More: NBA Award Winners at the Quarter Mark of the Season

The Thunder’s Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP so far, just ahead of Denver’s Jokic. And who’s going to argue with Cooper Flagg as rookie of the year?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder leaves the court after a win over the Trail Blazers at Moda Center in Portland, Ore., on Nov. 30, 2025. Soobum Im/Getty Images

The NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint, and we still have more than four months of action before the playoffs. But we’re six weeks into the 2025-2026 season, just past the one-quarter mark, and it’s a good time to recognize the standout players.

Here’s a look at the award winners so far.

MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder

The most prominent of the NBA awards also has the closest race between the two favorites. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is aiming to be the 14th back-to-back MVP winner, while Denver’s Nikola Jokic is looking to become just the sixth four-time winner. While Jokic is somehow having the best year of his career, averaging a triple-double and leading the league in both assists and rebounds, SGA gets the edge as the best player on the league’s best team.

Oklahoma City’s 21-1 start—most of it coming without Jalen Williams—somewhat overshadows the fact that Gilgeous-Alexander is also having his best season yet. He’s increased his scoring average, assists, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage, despite playing fewer minutes than a year ago. SGA has also cut down his turnovers, leading to an increase in overall efficiency. This is the 80th season in NBA history, and Gilgeous-Alexander’s PER through 22 games (33.13) is higher than what any player in any of the previous 79 NBA seasons has ever finished the year with.

Runner-up: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

Defensive Player of the Year: Jalen Suggs, Magic

This would be Victor Wembanyama’s award, but a calf injury has sidelined the league leader in blocks for roughly half of the season thus far. Without the San Antonio center as a candidate, there’s no clear-cut player next in line, but Orlando’s Suggs may have had the biggest impact. He ranks fourth with 2.0 steals per game but actually leads the NBA in steal percentage, which means no player is taking the ball away on a per-possession basis more than he is.

Last year, Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks led the league in steals and finished as DPOY runner-up. That was partly due to Daniels’ defense not having much of an impact on the Hawks, who ranked 19th in defensive rating and 27th in points allowed. That’s not the case with Suggs: Orlando ranks in the top 10 in both categories.

Runner-up: Chet Holmgren, Thunder

Rookie of the Year: Cooper Flagg, Mavericks

After a rocky start when he was playing out of position, Flagg has looked every bit like the No. 1 overall pick that he is.

He’s been a do-everything player, which gives him the edge over fellow contenders Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe. Flagg is putting up 20.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 steals over his last 11 games, while knocking down 53 percent of his shots. His defense also shouldn’t be overlooked—he’s guarding every position on the floor and is a big reason that Dallas, despite its struggles, has a top-five defensive rating.

Runner-up: Kon Knueppel, Hornets

Sixth Man of the Year: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Heat

After a strong rookie year, then a sophomore slump, Jaquez has rebounded in his third season and kept Miami’s offense afloat while Tyler Herro was out. Jaquez leads all bench players in points and assists, while ranking third in rebounds. He’s also one of nine NBA players averaging at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists, and shooting 50 percent from the floor. The other eight have combined for 159 games started and 0 games off the bench, while Jaquez has played as a reserve in all 21 of his games.

Runner-up: Tim Hardaway Jr., Nuggets

Most Improved Player: Jalen Johnson, Hawks

This may be the hardest award winner to pick, as there are so many deserving candidates.

Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker has doubled his scoring average to become a 20-points-per-game scorer, while Houston guard Reed Sheppard and Milwaukee guard Ryan Rollins have tripled their scoring averages, with superb shooting splits. Then there’s Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers, who’s gone from someone who’s never made an All-Star Game to someone deserving consideration as a possible starter at this season’s exhibition.

But Johnson gets the nod because of his two-way play and being the Hawks’ fulcrum at both ends of the court. Trae Young has played just five games, while Kristaps Porzingis has missed half the season, and with their absences, Johnson is simply averaging 23.2 points, 10 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.6 steals, with over 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. His all-around play was epitomized in a Nov. 13 win over the Utah Jazz when he became the first player in NBA history to post a stat line of 31 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists, and seven steals.

Runner-up: Austin Reaves, Lakers

Coach of the Year: Jordan Ott, Suns

A team that went 36-46 last year and missed the playoffs, then traded away Kevin Durant and released Bradley Beal, while getting only two games out of prized acquisition Jalen Green, shouldn’t be where it’s at in the NBA standings. And yet, the Phoenix Suns are on pace for 48 wins under the guidance of rookie coach Jordan Ott. The Suns are actually performing better on offense this year than any of the three they had with Durant on the team, and the first-year coach has gotten the best out of journeyman players. Outside of Devin Booker and Mark Williams, the Suns’ other four double-digit scorers—Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, Collin Gillespie, Royce O’Neale—are all averaging career highs in points.

Runner-up: J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons