NBA Awards: Jokic, Cunningham, Flagg, Knueppel, Wallace, Barnes & More Win Monthly Honors! (2025)

The NBA's monthly awards for October and November have been announced, with some surprising choices and record-breaking performances. Nikola Jokić and Cade Cunningham were named the Players of the Month, while Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel were recognized as Rookies of the Month. Cason Wallace and Scottie Barnes were named Defensive Players of the Month, and Mark Daigneault and JB Bickerstaff were named Coaches of the Month.

Players of the Month:

• Western Conference: Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets - The 3-time NBA MVP averaged a triple-double with 28.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 10.9 assists, leading the Nuggets to a 14-5 record. He also tied Oscar Robertson's record for the most triple-doubles to start a season.
• Eastern Conference: Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons - The star guard averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 assists, and 6.4 rebounds, leading the Pistons to a dominant 16-4 record.

Rookies of the Month:

• Western Conference: Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks - Flagg averaged 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 steals, leading the Mavericks to a strong start.
• Eastern Conference: Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets - Knueppel led all rookies in scoring with 18.4 points per game and ranked first in 3-point percentage and free throw percentage.

Defensive Players of the Month:

• Western Conference: Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder - Wallace led the league in steals with 2.2 per game and averaged 4.0 deflections, helping the Thunder to the best defensive rating in the NBA.
• Eastern Conference: Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors - Barnes recorded 64 steals and blocks in October/November, the most in the NBA, and was the only player with 30+ steals and 30+ blocks over the first two months.

Coaches of the Month:

• Western Conference: Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder - Daigneault led the Thunder to a 20-1 record, the best in the NBA.
• Eastern Conference: JB Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons - Bickerstaff led the Pistons to a 16-4 record, the best in the East.