With roughly five weeks remaining in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, the race for MVP is still up in the air. Barring injury, it's a two-man race between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić, but there are a lot of interesting debates to be hard for the positioning of players behind them.

Who are the top candidates for Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and other trophies as we hit the stretch run?

From picking up new training partners at an open gym to exploring different movements, the Thunder guard has become a star in his own way.