EssentiallySports consulted with five NBA assistant coaches and an NBA executive who did not have any of the candidates on their respective teams. The results revealed a tightly contested MVP race and a clearer direction in the Rookie of the Year discussion.

Opinions across the group varied significantly when it came to the MVP race, with multiple candidates receiving strong backing depending on how voters weighed team success, individual production, and overall impact.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received strong support after finishing second in the NBA in scoring at 31.1 points per game while leading the Thunder to a league-best 64-18 record. Meanwhile, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić made a compelling case of his own, averaging a triple-double for a second consecutive season with 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists, a rare level of consistency matched only by a handful of players in league history.

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San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama also entered the conversation after leading a dramatic turnaround that pushed the Spurs near the top of the Western Conference standings with his two-way dominance.

The Rookie of the Year race, however, leaned more clearly in one direction. While the award has historically gone to players on rebuilding teams, Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel earned strong backing from the majority of assistant coaches for his role in pushing the Hornets into Play-In contention.

Knueppel’s impact as a shooter, playmaker, and system fit stood out, especially as he helped elevate a franchise that had struggled for relevance in recent seasons. Meanwhile, Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg still drew support for his versatility and production while navigating a roster impacted by injuries and constant changes.

Notably, Knueppel’s case stands out against historical trends, as most Rookie of the Year winners come from teams outside the playoff picture. His combination of efficiency, consistency, and contribution to winning basketball has helped separate him in a race that once appeared more open earlier in the season.

Three of the NBA assistant coaches spoke more extensively with EssentiallySports about their thought process behind the regular-season MVP and Rookie of the Year selections. They were granted anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss opposing teams’ players publicly.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversations were conducted separately. These interviews have also been edited and condensed.

 Who’s your MVP pick and why?

 Assistant coach # 1: “Probably Shai with the way he’s been playing lately. They’re winning. They’re No. 1 in the West. It’s hard not to go with Jokić and Wemby is playing amazing. If Cade [Cunningham] doesn’t get hurt, he’s right there. Luka was playing out of his before he got hurt. But Shai is getting 20 every night and they’re winning. He’s consistently putting up numbers. When he’s out there on the court, his team is really good.”

 Assistant coach #2: “It’s a tricky one this year. My vote would be for Wembanyama. I like the Spurs and how Wemby plays. Wemby quietly dominates you. You think that sometimes he hasn’t done that much. But then you look at his numbers and it blows you away. You have to game plan for all of these guys that we’re talking about. But with Wemby, it’s not his defense. Wherever he is, there’s a problem everywhere. It’s his scoring, the ways he can score and his play around the rim. He’s virtually impossible to stop. I also like Victor because he’s likeable. He’s not arrogant.”

 Assistant coach #3: “Jokić. He averaged a triple double. That’s significant. The kid at Oklahoma City is on a team that won over 60 games again this year, and there were a lot of injuries. A case can be made that the Thunder’s record is more impressive this year than last year. They were playing with deficiencies. Yet, they still win and he does what he does. But I would say Jokić should win again. Then you have a remarkable team in the East with Cade Cunningham and that group. Cade has had a wonderful year, too. He’s a high turnover guy. But he’s done really well, otherwise. It just depends on how you cut it and what’s important. [Luka] Dončić could be considered, but he hasn’t played enough games.

But guys like Jokić, in a certain way, are undervalued. They do this like clockwork game after game after game. People just take that stuff for granted. What he does is phenomenal. That’s not to say other people are not doing the same. But Denver had a lot of bad fortune early on with injuries. They had a bunch of guys that stepped up. But they stepped up because they’re playing with him.”

 How would you rank the rest of your top five?

 Assistant coach #1: “Injuries aside, I’d go with Shai, Jokic, Luka, Wemby, and Jaylen Brown. JB has been playing out of his mind. He doesn’t get enough love. Watching everybody play this year, this is really hard. You can go with Jokić or Shai. The numbers that Jokić is putting up are insane. When he’s on the court, his team is a totally different team. The things he does is amazing. But Shai keeps winning and is so consistent.

Luka had LeBron [James] and Austin [Reaves] out there, but he had a crazy month last month. All year, he’s been putting up numbers. Wemby is insane. He’s going to be the future of the league. The stuff he’s doing right now is impressive. With Jaylen Brown, no one thought Boston was going to be anything. But Boston is right there in the hunt.”

Assistant coach #2: “It’s a good question. Injuries aside, I’d have Shai, Jokić, Luka and then Cade. I like Cade and Wemby because they’ve dramatically changed their teams. The teams have gotten good this year because of them.”

Assistant coach #3: Assuming they all play enough games, my ranking would be Jokic, Wemby and SGA. If he were eligible, I’d go with Dončić. And then I’d go with Jaylen Brown. He did a lot of heavy lifting at a time when they were little undermanned. But they have a magnificent team. The case for Wemby being at No. 2 is his team has won over 60 games. He’s a major player and averaged about 25 points a game in a pretty thoughtful manner.

One thing that I don’t like about SGA is that he hunts for shots in a lot of games. He can be a statistical guy. But SGA still does a lot for his team, other just scoring. Like Dončić, he can shoot anytime he wants to and that’s a real advantage. They can miss 20 shots in a game, but no one bats an eyelid. That’s a real advantage. But I think Jokić is more thoughtful with his team with what he brings. Brown and Luka have also done a lot for their team. Dončić has gotten a little bit better defensively, but he mostly plays just one end of the floor.

Who’s your pick for Rookie of the Year?

Assistant coach #1: “It’s tough. I want to go with Cooper. What Cooper has done the last couple of weeks has been insane. But for the whole year Kon Knueppel has made the Charlotte Hornets look like a playoff team. That is amazing. But with the numbers that Cooper is putting up, I would probably say him.”

Assistant coach #2: I like Knueppel.. Flagg made a lot of noise lately with his scoring and he’s a very good player. But I’m biased toward Knueppel. I’d vote for him. Knueppel has changed not only the team, but the direction of the franchise. The Charlotte Hornets haven’t been relevant for a while. Now all of a sudden, the culture is better. It seems like he’s the one that changed everywhere there. Ball and Brandon Miller are good. But Knueppel changed it. Unfortunately for Cooper, it’s wrong place and wrong time for Rookie of the Year. He had his two 50-balls, but I’d choose Knueppel because of how he changed a struggling organization.”

Assistant coach #3: “I like Knueppel. But he won’t get the award because most voters go with the top draft pick. Cooper has had a good year. But there have been some poor games. He has a 50-point game and a 40-point game recently, so that’s a cause for celebration. But I’d take Knueppel. He set a 3-point record. He’s really consistent. He looks worn down a little recently and hasn’t been quite as good. But overall, he doesn’t play like a rookie. He plays like a guy trying to win. He doesn’t take a lot of bad shots. He has a very tight game. And he plays well with his teammates. That’s not easy to arrive at as a rookie, either. I thought Knueppel might initially struggle in the pros. But I was dead wrong.”

How much should the team record matter in the Rookie of the Year race? Some may say that should help Knueppel. Others might counter that Flagg had to play through a lot of external challenges with roster fluidity with injuries and trades. Historically, most Rookie of the Year winners are on losing teams, too.

Assistant coach #1: “I feel like you should always put in team record for MVP or any of the awards. But when you have a guy like Cooper Flagg getting 50 or 40 [points], he’s doing stuff that young kids have never done.”

Assistant coach #2: “That is very unfortunate for Cooper. But he was also fortunate to play with a lot of good guys at Duke and help him be in that position. You can look at both sides. Cooper is a very good player and is probably deserving. I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing Cooper win it. But I’ve really been amazed with what Knueppel has done. He’s impressive.”

Assistant coach #3: “It’s not a bad argument. But with how the Mavericks started off this year, yes they didn’t have a point guard, but Dallas wasn’t exactly chopped liver. You could make a case that Dallas underperformed. That can be a part of it. But Knueppel has infused that team with a different mentality. I consider their record, no question. Charles [Lee] could easily be the Coach of the Year. Charlotte is impressive. Their organization did a hell of a job with drafting, and not just Knueppel. They have drafted four people that are all capable and going to be really good NBA players. So I would say that Knueppel is the guy.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for EssentiallySports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.