NBA Award Race (Week 9) Shai Drops After Emirates Cup Loss?

Joel Piton
4 hours ago
4 min read

With the NBA Emirates Cup finale approaching, the league’s award races have officially heated up. Players are competing with a different edge now, and the results are showing. Compared to the start of last month, the list looks almost unrecognizable, as injuries, availability, and rapid midseason surges have completely altered the conversation. Some candidates have fallen off, others have skyrocketed, and a few players have made serious pushes for first-time All-Star consideration. Who’s made the biggest jump in recent weeks, and who currently sits in the driver’s seat for each award? Let’s break it down.

Sixth Man — Jaime Jaquez Jr. (MIA)

2025-26 Stats:

15.6 PPG - 5.8 RPG - 5.0 APG

51.2 FG%

Jaime Jaquez Jr. has quietly emerged as the frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year, even if he’s been relatively quiet since his Slam Dunk Contest win. Coming off the bench, Jaquez has been the league’s most efficient reserve scorer by a wide margin, averaging around 15 points per game while shooting well north of 50 percent from the field. He excels as a slasher and rim finisher, generating most of his offense in the paint while knocking down a respectable midrange jumper. While he won’t stretch defenses from deep, he doesn’t need to. With Tyler Herro sidelined, Jaquez has provided a much-needed offensive spark, and as Norman Powell remains on the hot seat, his ability to seamlessly complement Miami’s core makes him the perfect fit, and the clear favorite right now.

Most Improved Player — Deni Avdija (POR)

2025-26 Stats:

25.4 PPG - 7.2 RPG - 6.2 APG

47.3 FG%

Deni Avdija entered the season with expectations of a potential leap, especially after showing real momentum in Portland late last year. What’s happened since has gone far beyond that. The leap in his production and impact has been massive—larger than anyone reasonably anticipated—and it’s why he’s the clear frontrunner for Most Improved Player right now. Even with Jay Huff’s breakout as the league’s premier shot-blocker and Keyonte George’s emergence as a primary scoring option in Utah, Avdija stands apart because his growth is translating directly to wins. He’s scoring at an extremely efficient clip, defending multiple positions, and creating offense as a legitimate facilitator for his size. At this point in the season, it’s Deni’s award to lose.

Defensive Player of the Year — Chet Holmgren (OKC)

2025-26 Stats:

18.7 PPG - 8.0 RPG - 1.5 BPG

57.5 FG%

Chet Holmgren sits firmly at the top of the Defensive Player of the Year race, even with Victor Wembanyama and Jay Huff stuffing the stat sheets. What separates Holmgren is his efficiency, versatility, and—most importantly—his availability. With Isaiah Hartenstein anchoring the five, Oklahoma City has shifted Holmgren to the power forward spot, unlocking his ability to guard all five positions. His mobility has turned OKC’s defense into a nightmare for opponents and serves as the backbone of the league’s most consistently dominant team. Whether it’s disrupting actions with on-ball pressure or erasing shots at the rim, Holmgren impacts possessions in multiple ways. Despite his lean frame, scoring on him—in the post or from oustide the paint—is rarely clean or easy. Right now, he’s the clear frontrunner.

Rookie of the Year — Cooper Flagg (DAL)

2025-26 Stats:

17.5 PPG - 6.3 RPG - 3.4 APG

48.2 FG%

Cooper Flagg got off to an awkward start to his NBA career, with shaky shooting and Dallas experimenting by playing him heavy minutes at the guard position. That experiment has since been scrapped, and the results have been immediate. Slotted back into his natural role on the wing, Flagg has thrived as a small forward and has frequently operated as the Mavericks’ primary scoring option. While the Rookie of the Year race is tight—particularly with Kon Knueppel scoring lights out—Flagg’s recent surge separates him from the pack. He’s been on an absolute tear over the past few weeks, and for now, that momentum gives him the edge.

Most Valuable Player — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)

2025-26 Stats:

32.4 PPG - 4.6 RPG - 6.4 APG

56.0 FG%

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the clear MVP frontrunner, even after Oklahoma City’s elimination from NBA Cup contention at the hands of San Antonio. If anything, the bigger picture tells the real story. A 16-plus game winning streak and a 24–2 record speak for themselves, as the Thunder continue to set the standard for winning basketball across the league. That dominance starts with Shai, whose two-way impact routinely pushes games out of reach so early that fourth-quarter minutes often aren’t even necessary. The odds remain firmly in his favor, and if this pace holds, we may not just be watching an MVP season—we could be witnessing the rise of an all-time great Thunder squad.

Of course, these rankings are anything but permanent. As we’ve already seen over the past few weeks, award races can shift rapidly with one hot stretch, one injury, or one defining performance. That volatility is what makes tracking them so fun. And with the NBA Emirates Cup finale right around the corner, there’s one more big question left to answer: who’s lifting the trophy—New York or San Antonio?