2025-26 NBA Awards for Gamers From Colleges in West

SuperWest Most Improved Participant of the 12 months

Dillon Brooks (Phoenix Suns, Oregon)

Dillon Brooks was on his method to turning into a secondary star for the Memphis Grizzlies earlier than he spent a lot of the 2022-23 season feuding with seasoned veterans corresponding to Draymond Inexperienced and LeBron James.

That led Inexperienced to say, “The dynasty begins after you, not with you,” when requested about Brooks. The Grizzlies lastly had sufficient of Brooks’ antics and traded him to the Rockets.

Brooks spent a few seasons as a stable starter for Houston, however it appeared like his potential as a scorer and secondary possibility would by no means be realized.

So, when he was traded to Phoenix as a part of the Kevin Durant to Houston commerce, no one actually cared.

Most NBA followers anticipated the Suns to be one of many worst groups within the league, however Brooks proved everybody fallacious in his age-30 season.

Brooks put up 20.2 factors an evening because the group’s second possibility behind Devin Booker, and the Suns had an surprising 45-win season in a stacked Western Convention.

These stats weren’t empty energy, both, because the Suns went 13-13 with out Brooks, an absence largely on account of an premature DUI arrest.

Even with the arrest, he hasn’t been almost as controversial as he was in his closing 12 months with the Grizzlies, and he’ll search an enormous payday quickly, as his contract will expire after the 2026-27 season.

Additionally, the Grizzlies utterly fell aside and by no means grew to become a “dynasty”, and one may assume that Brooks had been praying for his or her downfall for the previous few years.

SuperWest Defensive Participant of the 12 months

Derrick White (Boston Celtics, Colorado)

Typically, when a two-way participant will get older and realizes that they will’t sustain enjoying at a excessive degree on each ends of the ground, they’ll select to give attention to the offensive facet of the ball, whereas “coasting” on the defensive finish.

The precise reverse of this has occurred for Derrick White.

He simply had the worst season of his profession taking pictures the ball (52.9 true taking pictures share and 39.4% subject objective share), however he’s nonetheless an absolute menace on the defensive finish.

White averaged 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per sport this season, turning into solely the third guard within the twenty first century to report greater than 95 blocks in a season (becoming a member of 2000-01 Tracy McGrady and 2008-09 Dwyane Wade).

White’s superior stats are additionally nice. He’s one in all two gamers underneath 6’5 with a defensive EPM (per Dunks&Threes) over +2.0 (+2.4), whereas CraftedNBA has his +2.6 defensive plus/minus within the 98th percentile of all gamers.

SuperWest Rookie of the 12 months

Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies, Washington State)

For the second 12 months in a row, a Memphis Grizzlies participant who’s a Washington State alum wins my Ex-SuperWest Rookie of the 12 months award.

As talked about beforehand, the Grizzlies are imploding, however a minimum of they’ve Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells for the foreseeable future.

Coward began the season on the bench, however rapidly performed his manner into the beginning lineup following a number of 20-point video games.

He was simply one of the priceless gamers on the group, as he averaged a formidable +10.1 Plus/Minus Internet Per 100 Possessions.

Coward’s first main street bump got here within the type of knee and again accidents, which stored him sidelined after the All-Star break.

Nevertheless, he regarded stable as soon as he returned and completed the season robust as soon as the Grizzlies’ destiny had been sealed.

Coward put up 15.4 factors in simply 24.4 minutes per sport whereas taking pictures 49.6% from the ground in his final 10 video games of the 12 months, and his 27-point season finale confirmed that he can grow to be a star scorer at some point.

The one main flaw in his sport is his three-point taking pictures (33.8% on 4.4 makes an attempt per sport), and if he can enhance that, the sky would be the restrict for him.

SuperWest Sixth Man of the 12 months

Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Warmth, UCLA)

From 2025’s Ex-SuperWest Greatest Letdown of the 12 months to 2026’s Ex-SuperWest Sixth Man of the 12 months, Jaime Jaquez Jr., has revived his profession superbly.

In my 2025 awards article, I discussed how Jaquez’s 41-point efficiency within the closing sport of the 2024-25 season may assist him regain his confidence, and that’s precisely what occurred.

Jaquez averaged 15.4 factors, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists an evening whereas taking pictures 50.7% from the sector this season, an enormous bounce from the 8.6 PPG he put up final season.

He additionally had an above-average PER (15.7) and VORP above 0.4 (1.1) for the primary time in his profession. Regardless of Jaquez’s success, the Warmth are reportedly seeking to commerce most of their core after lacking the playoffs.

If Tyler Herro and the trendy NBA’s all-time main single-game scorer, Bam Adebayo, aren’t secure from being dealt, then Jaquez isn’t both.

SuperWest Greatest Letdown of the 12 months

Brandin Podziemski (Golden State Warriors, Santa Clara)

As a Warriors fan, I’m desperately hoping for a Jaquez-type turnaround for Brandin Podziemski. Podziemski famously despatched the legendary Klay Thompson to the bench in his rookie season.

Regardless of a sluggish begin, he ended his sophomore common season with a bang, averaging 15.1 factors whereas taking pictures 46.6% from the sector and 41.0% from deep in his closing 33 video games of the marketing campaign.

Sadly, Podziemski struggled mightily within the 2025 playoffs, and his struggles carried over into the subsequent season.

Podziemski shot under 40% in 30 video games this season, and went 80 video games (virtually 2,300 minutes) earlier than he had his first actually nice sport of the 12 months, a career-high 30-point evening in a loss to the lowly Kings.

The 2025-26 season was the primary time he recorded a destructive Defensive Field Plus/Minus (-0.1) and a destructive Plus/Minus Internet Per 100 Possessions (-0.8).

With Stephen Curry getting older and extra injury-prone, Podziemski has to step up subsequent 12 months.

SuperWest Most Helpful Participant of the 12 months

Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics, California)

Okayawhi Leonard had the most effective offensive season of his profession, however for the reason that Clippers missed the playoffs after shedding to the Warriors within the Play-In, I needed to pivot and provides the award to Jaylen Brown.

Many anticipated the Celtics to backside out on account of Jayson Tatum’s damage and the shortage of depth within the frontcourt. After a winless begin of their first three video games, the doubters thought that they had been going to be confirmed proper.

However Brown gave his blood, sweat, and tears (and sure, even a little bit of his hair) to maintain the group related.

Brown averaged 28.9 factors, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 48.0% subject objective taking pictures earlier than Tatum’s return in March to steer the group to a 41-21 report.

And after Tatum returned, the Celtics regarded unstoppable, going 15-5 to finish the 12 months.

In all, the previous Finals MVP had 35 30-point video games and had career-highs in factors, rebounds, assists, and free throws made per sport.

Even with the elevated quantity, he shot the most effective free-throw share of his profession (79.5%) whereas additionally main the league in two-point makes an attempt per sport (16.0).

He additionally averaged the best PER (22.0), Wins Above Substitute (8.9), Field Plus/Minus (3.3), and Win Shares (6.9) of his profession.

With Tatum now again and totally wholesome, Brown is wanting so as to add one other championship and probably even one other Finals MVP to his resume.