Wed Apr 16 05:40:00 UTC 2025: **NBA Awards Ballot Reveals Tight MVP Race, Thompson’s Defensive Dominance**

NEW YORK, NY – A prominent NBA voter, Kevin O’Connor, released his 2024-25 awards ballot, highlighting a fiercely contested MVP race and a rookie defender who impressed despite not being a top draft pick.

O’Connor’s ballot placed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC Thunder) as his MVP choice over Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets), citing SGA’s leadership on a 68-win team as the deciding factor. While acknowledging Jokić’s historically great offensive season, O’Connor noted a dip in the center’s defensive performance. He lauded Gilgeous-Alexander’s two-way impact, stating he was the engine of OKC’s historically great point differential.

The All-Defensive First Team showcased a surprising selection at the top. Amen Thompson of the Houston Rockets earned O’Connor’s top spot, despite being a second-year player. O’Connor highlighted Thompson’s disruptive defense, remarkable versatility in guarding various positions, and exceptional impact in head-to-head matchups against star players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Steph Curry. While Draymond Green was praised for his late-season resurgence, O’Connor ultimately placed him on the second team, emphasizing that Defensive Player of the Year shouldn’t be a lifetime achievement award.

In the All-Rookie First Team, Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs earned O’Connor’s top spot, edging out Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks. O’Connor cited Castle’s relentless attacks on the rim, drawing fouls, and his higher difficulty matchups against top opposing players as key differentiators.

The full ballots, which cover various awards including Most Improved Player and All-Rookie, are available on O’Connor’s show, “The Kevin O’Connor Show.” The detailed breakdown of his reasoning provides insightful analysis of the season’s standout players.

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