The two-way Celtics guard had a career year in Maine. Now, he’s been awarded the league’s highest individual honor.
Maine Celtics guard JD Davison has been officially named the 2024-25 Kia NBA G League Most Valuable Player, the NBA announced Wednesday morning. In his third season as a two-way player with the Celtics, Davison averaged 25.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 48.2% from the field and a career-best 33.3% from three.
@jddavison10 showed the league what he’s made of this year. He’s your 2024-25 @nbagleague MVP. pic.twitter.com/x0pXooDER2
— Maine Celtics (@MaineCeltics) April 2, 2025
Davison, who was selected 53rd overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, led the Maine Celtics to a 21-13 regular season record.
In Tuesday’s opening game of the G League playoffs, a Maine Celtics blowout win over the Capital City Go-Go, Davison exploded for 38 points on 15-22 shooting, 12 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. He was also a +38 in his 37 minutes.
“He’s just really in control of whatever he’s thrown at him,” Lashbrook said after the 115-95 victory. “He’s basically — at this point through this season and last season — seen every coverage that you could possibly see, whether people are being aggressive with it, whether they’re trying to go under, whether they’re weakening, whether they’re playing zone, he’s seen all those coverages. He works on those coverages every day, and he’s got answers for all of them.”
Lashbrook also noted that Davison improved tremendously as a defender this season.
“Just trying to be one the best defensive players on the court every night, just knowing, to get to the next level to play every night, you got to be able to guard guys,” Davison said.
Davison’s Celtics teammates expected him to win the award.
“That’s the G League MVP,” center James Banks III told CelticsBlog last month.
And, the veterans on the Boston Celtics have also seen a remarkable improvement in his game.
“You could tell he took it to another level in training camp,” said Jaylen Brown. “I think he’s been able to learn from our guys, going against Payton [Pritchard], going against Jrue [Holiday] and Derrick [White].”
Jaylen Brown, who calls JD Davison ‘Bama’, has been impressed with what he’s seen from the two-way this season.
“He’s gotten so much better.”
“I saw it in training camp — JD, you could tell he took it to another level.” https://t.co/D5E3BH2Ypd pic.twitter.com/FdevpXVt7y
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) April 1, 2025
Holiday said he’s confident that Davison is going to be a really good NBA player.
“You can tell anytime he comes back, and we throw him out there – he’s so comfortable. He fits right in,” said Jrue Holiday.
Utah Jazz two-way forward-center Oscar Tshiebwe (Salt Lake City Stars) and Capital City Go-Go guard Jaylen Nowell finished second and third in voting, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Maine Celtics continue their quest for a franchise-first G League title on Thursday against the Westchester Knicks.