Mavericks insider reveals his NBA awards ballot, with Cooper Flagg as Rookie of the Year

**Defensive Player of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs**

This was probably the easiest vote to cast. Wembanyama was ineligible for this award last season and likely won’t be denied this year. The 7-4 Frenchman can guard all five positions and poses a significant threat inside the paint, whether he’s deterring shots or swatting them like flies. Wembanyama led the NBA with 3.1 blocks per game to go with 1.0 steal per contest.

**Most Improved Player of the Year: Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons**

This could be my most controversial choice. Duren's leap toward All-Star status helped the Pistons win 60 games for the first time since the 2005-06 season. The fourth-year center went from averaging 11.8 points last season to 19.8 this year to go along with 10.5 rebounds per game. I struggled with choosing Duren over first-time All-Star Deni Avdija of Portland and Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who saw a significant leap in his first year with the Hawks. But Duren kept Detroit afloat down the stretch and led his team to an 8-3 record when Cade Cunningham missed 11 games toward the end of the season.

**Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder**

Gilgeous-Alexander has a good chance of becoming the first back-to-back MVP since Nikola Jokic in 2021 and 2022. He’s put together one of the most dominant seasons in NBA history, averaging 31.1 points with a career-high 6.6 assists. It's his fourth straight season with an average of 30 points or more. Several teams threatened to dethrone the wounded Thunder, who played most of the season without Jalen Williams, but Gilgeous-Alexander kept the team in front of the Western Conference pack.

**Rookie of the Year: Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks**

There hasn’t been a more polarizing Rookie of the Year race in recent memory than the one between two players who were roommates last year. Both Flagg and Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel have had phenomenal seasons and would probably be the overwhelming front-runner for the award if they were in different draft classes, but Flagg stands apart. Billed as a versatile two-way talent before taking the court, Flagg has lived up to those expectations and then some. He can score in multiple ways, from attacking the basket to getting to his spots and rising for midrange jumpers. The Dallas rookie can also use his athleticism on both ends of the floor, which leads to explosive dunks or emphatic rejections. Flagg posted an impressive 82.7% shooting clip from the free throw line and led the Mavericks in every statistical category except blocks, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks in 70 games. Here's more about why I chose Flagg over Knueppel.

**Sixth Man of the Year: Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs**

Johnson is the longest-tenured member of the latest iteration of the Spurs, who finished with the second-best record in the NBA. He played in all 82 games and came off the bench in every one. Johnson averaged 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds, offering consistency and toughness for a young Spurs squad that boasts one of the best players in the league. I considered Jaime Jacquez for this award, but Johnson’s versatility on both ends of the floor gives him the edge.

**Coach of the Year: J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons**

Two candidates stand out most for Coach of the Year. Joe Mazzulla did an excellent job of keeping the Celtics in the championship conversation in what was supposed to be a “gap year” while Jayson Tatum was sidelined. But what Bickerstaff did with the Pistons — improving their record 16 games to 60-22, one season after their first-round playoff loss to the Knicks — was even more impressive. A team doesn’t win 60 games without talent, but Detroit maintained its physical and disciplined identity throughout the season, even without its best player when Cunningham was injured. Bickerstaff has already won the National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year Award, which is voted on by the league’s 30 coaches. It wouldn’t surprise me if he added one more.