In a good year, there might three exciting awards races by the time we reach April in the NBA. There are often one or two. It's a function of the 82-game season. Favorites tend to pull away from the pack by the end of the season.

Bondy: Stephon Castle, Spurs. Tops the underwhelming 2025 rookie class, but his spotty 3-point shooting has to improve to make it to the next level. Lewis: Castle. His work after Wembanyama’s blood clot puts him clearly atop a poor rookie class that includes Zaccharie Risacher and Zach Edey.