Wed Apr 16 05:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Tight Races Mark Close of NBA Regular Season; CBS Sports Predicts Award Winners
**NEW YORK, NY** – The 2024-2025 NBA regular season concluded with remarkably tight races for several major awards, leaving many outcomes uncertain until the final buzzer. While past years often saw clear frontrunners dominating, this season saw multiple contenders vying for each coveted trophy.
CBS Sports’ NBA staff has released its predictions for the year’s awards, acknowledging the exceptionally close competition. While these predictions shouldn’t be considered definitive, they offer insight into the highly contested races.
The MVP race was particularly intense, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets) emerging as the top contenders. CBS Sports’ vote favored Gilgeous-Alexander (4-3), highlighting his exceptional season leading the league’s best team with impressive statistics (32.7 points, 6.4 assists, 5 rebounds per game, while playing strong defense). Jokić, a three-time MVP, countered with a historic season as the first center to average a triple-double.
The Defensive Player of the Year award, usually a straightforward pick, also saw a multitude of strong contenders, the absence of Victor Wembanyama creating an unusually open race. The Rookie of the Year race narrowed to a two-player battle between two late-season standouts. The Sixth Man of the Year award saw a close contest between two impressive bench players. The Coach of the Year award highlighted the strong performances of several coaches who significantly improved their teams’ standings.
The final predictions from CBS Sports will be unveiled as the playoffs progress, adding an additional layer of excitement to the postseason. While the championship battle will undoubtedly dominate the headlines, the individual award races provide a compelling subplot as the NBA season culminates.
First Piper 