The 2025-26 NBA regular season is over, with only the Play-In tournament standing between us and the 2026 playoffs!

The Western Conference’s playoff bracket is looking especially spicy, with teams such as the Thunder, Spurs, and Nuggets all looking to add another championship banner.

And if Luka Dončić can return early, the Lakers and the 41-year-old LeBron James could make a shocking run.

But we’ve heard more than enough about those guys; what about the league’s players from schools in the West? How did they do this season?

I’m back with my final SuperWest report of the 2025-26 NBA season, covering the top veterans, rookies, and everyone else in between.

Let’s dive in and take a look at my SuperWest selections for the best players of the year from schools in the West.

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SuperWest Most Improved Player of the Year

Dillon Brooks (Phoenix Suns, Oregon)

Dillon Brooks was on his way to becoming a secondary star for the Memphis Grizzlies before he spent much of the 2022-23 season feuding with seasoned veterans such as Draymond Green and LeBron James.

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That led Green to say, “The dynasty starts after you, not with you,” when asked about Brooks. The Grizzlies finally had enough of Brooks’ antics and traded him to the Rockets.

Brooks spent a couple of seasons as a solid starter for Houston, but it seemed like his potential as a scorer and secondary option would never be realized.

So, when he was traded to Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant to Houston trade, nobody really cared.

Most NBA fans expected the Suns to be one of the worst teams in the league, but Brooks proved everyone wrong in his age-30 season.

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Brooks put up 20.2 points a night as the team’s second option behind Devin Booker, and the Suns had an unexpected 45-win season in a stacked Western Conference.

Those stats weren’t empty calories, either, as the Suns went 13-13 without Brooks, an absence mostly due to an untimely DUI arrest.

Even with the arrest, he hasn’t been nearly as controversial as he was in his final year with the Grizzlies, and he’ll seek a big payday soon, as his contract will expire after the 2026-27 season.

Also, the Grizzlies completely fell apart and never became a “dynasty”, and one could assume that Brooks had been praying for their downfall for the past few years.

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SuperWest Defensive Player of the Year

Derrick White (Boston Celtics, Colorado)

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Typically, when a two-way player gets older and realizes that they can’t keep up playing at a high level on both ends of the floor, they’ll choose to focus on the offensive side of the ball, while “coasting” on the defensive end.

The exact opposite of this has happened for Derrick White.

He just had the worst season of his career shooting the ball (52.9 true shooting percentage and 39.4% field goal percentage), but he is still an absolute menace on the defensive end.

White averaged 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game this season, becoming only the third guard in the 21st century to record more than 95 blocks in a season (joining 2000-01 Tracy McGrady and 2008-09 Dwyane Wade).

White’s advanced stats are also great. He is one of two players under 6’5 with a defensive EPM (per Dunks&Threes) over +2.0 (+2.4), while CraftedNBA has his +2.6 defensive plus/minus in the 98th percentile of all players.

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SuperWest Rookie of the Year

Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies, Washington State)

For the second year in a row, a Memphis Grizzlies player who is a Washington State alum wins my Ex-SuperWest Rookie of the Year award.

As mentioned previously, the Grizzlies are imploding, but at least they have Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells for the foreseeable future.

Coward started the season on the bench, but quickly played his way into the starting lineup following multiple 20-point games.

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He was easily one of the most valuable players on the team, as he averaged an impressive +10.1 Plus/Minus Net Per 100 Possessions.

Coward’s first major road bump came in the form of knee and back injuries, which kept him sidelined after the All-Star break.

However, he looked solid once he returned and finished the season strong once the Grizzlies’ fate had been sealed.

Coward put up 15.4 points in just 24.4 minutes per game while shooting 49.6% from the floor in his last 10 games of the year, and his 27-point season finale showed that he can become a star scorer one day.

The only major flaw in his game is his three-point shooting (33.8% on 4.4 attempts per game), and if he can improve that, the sky will be the limit for him.

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SuperWest Sixth Man of the Year

Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Heat, UCLA)

From 2025’s Ex-SuperWest Biggest Letdown of the Year to 2026’s Ex-SuperWest Sixth Man of the Year, Jaime Jaquez Jr., has revived his career beautifully.

In my 2025 awards article, I mentioned how Jaquez’s 41-point performance in the final game of the 2024-25 season could help him regain his confidence, and that’s exactly what happened.

Jaquez averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists a night while shooting 50.7% from the field this season, a huge jump from the 8.6 PPG he put up last season.

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He also had an above-average PER (15.7) and VORP above 0.4 (1.1) for the first time in his career. Despite Jaquez’s success, the Heat are reportedly looking to trade most of their core after missing the playoffs.

If Tyler Herro and the modern NBA’s all-time leading single-game scorer, Bam Adebayo, aren’t safe from being dealt, then Jaquez isn’t either.

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SuperWest Biggest Letdown of the Year

Brandin Podziemski (Golden State Warriors, Santa Clara)

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

Despite a slow start, he ended his sophomore regular season with a bang, averaging 15.1 points while shooting 46.6% from the field and 41.0% from deep in his final 33 games of the campaign.

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Unfortunately, Podziemski struggled mightily in the 2025 playoffs, and his struggles carried over into the next season.

Podziemski shot below 40% in 30 games this season, and went 80 games (almost 2,300 minutes) before he had his first truly great game of the year, a career-high 30-point night in a loss to the lowly Kings.

The 2025-26 season was the first time he recorded a negative Defensive Box Plus/Minus (-0.1) and a negative Plus/Minus Net Per 100 Possessions (-0.8).

With Stephen Curry getting older and more injury-prone, Podziemski has to step up next year.

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SuperWest Most Valuable Player of the Year

Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics, California)

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Kawhi Leonard had the best offensive season of his career, but since the Clippers missed the playoffs after losing to the Warriors in the Play-In, I had to pivot and give the award to Jaylen Brown.

Many expected the Celtics to bottom out due to Jayson Tatum’s injury and the lack of depth in the frontcourt. After a winless start in their first three games, the doubters thought that they were going to be proven right.

But Brown gave his blood, sweat, and tears (and yes, even a bit of his hair) to keep the team relevant.

Brown averaged 28.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 48.0% field goal shooting before Tatum’s return in March to lead the team to a 41-21 record.

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And after Tatum returned, the Celtics looked unstoppable, going 15-5 to end the year.

In all, the former Finals MVP had 35 30-point games and had career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, and free throws made per game.

Even with the increased volume, he shot the best free-throw percentage of his career (79.5%) while also leading the league in two-point attempts per game (16.0).

He also averaged the highest PER (22.0), Wins Above Replacement (8.9), Box Plus/Minus (3.3), and Win Shares (6.9) of his career.

With Tatum now back and fully healthy, Brown is looking to add another championship and potentially even another Finals MVP to his resume.

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Aidin Ebrahimi covers the NBA for SuperWest Sports.

Latest posts by Aidin Ebrahimi (see all)

In Kaizen, you can engage in combat in different ways that suit your gameplay. Cursed Techniques are one of these options, making this Roblox title more immersive and closer to the original anime series, Jujutsu Kaisen. As of now, there are 19 of them in the game, divided into five classes (Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 2, Grade 1, and Special Grade).

This article ranks all Cursed Techniques in Roblox Kaizen.

Ranking all Cursed Techniques in Kaizen

S tier

The S tier features the strongest Cursed Techniques in Kaizen. These abilities provide excellent damage, mobility, and utility, making them extremely powerful in both PvE farming and PvP battles.

Mythical Beast Amber

• Notes: Mythical Beast Amber is widely considered the best Cursed Technique in the game. It offers powerful lightning-based attacks along with high mobility, allowing players to start combos easily and chase enemies effectively. Many of its moves deal heavy area damage, making it excellent in group fights and PvE farming. When paired with the Kashimo Clan, its damage potential becomes even higher.

Ten Shadows

• Notes: Ten Shadows is one of the most versatile techniques in Kaizen. It allows players to summon different creatures that assist in combat, giving strong combo potential and steady damage. The Mahoraga summon is especially powerful and can overwhelm opponents in PvP or deal massive damage to bosses in PvE. However, unlocking all its abilities requires a lot of grinding.

A tier

A-tier Cursed Techniques are very strong and reliable, though they may lack the overwhelming power or versatility of S-tier abilities.

Cursed Energy Discharge

• Notes: Cursed Energy Discharge focuses on large area damage, making it extremely effective for clearing enemies in PvE. Its long range allows players to control space in fights, especially when zoning opponents in PvP. While it deals serious damage, it lacks additional utility compared to higher-tier techniques.

King Curses

• Notes: King Curses provides some of the highest damage potential among cursed techniques. Its powerful attacks, including Divine Flame and its Domain Expansion, can hit multiple enemies at once. It performs very well in PvE, but mastering it requires a lot of grinding and resource farming.

Idle Transfiguration

• Notes: Idle Transfiguration offers a flexible moveset with both single-target attacks and area damage. It is especially effective against humanoid enemies thanks to its grab abilities. The technique is easier to obtain compared to Special Grades, making it a solid option during progression.

Pure Love

• Notes: Pure Love deals serious damage with most of its base moves, making it useful for farming enemies and bosses. However, its Domain Expansion can be inconsistent in PvP, since players must reach the swords to gain stronger attacks. Despite this drawback, the technique can still perform well in combat with the right combos.

Cryofrost

• Notes: Cryofrost shines in PvP due to its combo potential and ability to control enemies during fights. It can also perform well against bosses when used correctly. However, its damage output is lower than that of many high-tier techniques, which limits its effectiveness in PvE.

Straw Doll

• Notes: Straw Doll is often underestimated because of its lower grade, but it offers strong utility. Its abilities can immobilize enemies, making it easier to chain combos with melee weapons or other attacks. This technique is especially useful during early progression and farming.

Grand Luck

• Notes: Grand Luck mainly becomes powerful when its Domain Expansion is unlocked. Without the Domain, the base abilities are fairly weak compared to other techniques. Once the Domain is obtained, however, the technique becomes much more effective in PvE.

B tier

B-tier Cursed Techniques provide decent performance, but they lack the power or consistency of higher-tier options.

Finger Bearer

• Notes: Finger Bearer offers solid damage bursts and works well for farming enemies in the mid to late game. It is relatively easy to obtain compared to some other techniques. However, its combos are limited, which makes it less effective in PvP situations.

Shock Amplification

• Notes: Shock Amplification is a good farming tool because of its strong area attacks. It is easy to obtain and helps players progress through the early stages of the game. However, it quickly becomes outdated once stronger techniques are unlocked.

C tier

C-tier Cursed Techniques have situational usefulness but are generally weaker than most other options.

Blood Manipulation

• Notes: Blood Manipulation allows players to fight from a distance and focus on a ranged playstyle. Some abilities can deal serious damage when fully landed, and the associated clan buffs provide healing and speed bonuses. However, its overall damage and combo potential fall behind stronger cursed techniques.

Rot

• Notes: Rot offers decent mobility and safe attacks, making it somewhat usable in PvE fights. However, its overall damage output is quite low compared to other Grade 1 techniques, which makes it a less attractive option for most players.

Devil’s Broom

• Notes: Devil’s Broom provides good mobility and some utility, but its damage output is fairly weak. It can still have niche uses for weapon-focused builds since its basic attacks scale with weapon stats.

Cursed Speech

• Notes: After its rework, Cursed Speech became more useful for PvE farming due to its area damage attacks. However, stronger techniques easily outperform it in both damage and versatility, limiting its long-term value.

D tier

D-tier Cursed Techniques are the weakest choices in the game. They may work in the early stages, but quickly become ineffective as players progress.

Boogie Woogie

• Notes: Boogie Woogie mainly provides mobility and positioning tools rather than damage. While it can occasionally help in PvP setups, it has almost no value in PvE combat.

Construction

• Notes: Construction can help players during the early stages of the game, but it becomes nearly useless once better cursed techniques are unlocked.

Cloning Technique

• Notes: Cloning Technique is generally considered the weakest cursed technique in Kaizen. Its abilities provide very little damage or utility compared to other options, making it a poor choice for both PvP and PvE.

FAQs on Kaizen

What is the best Cursed Technique in Kaizen?

Mythical Beast Amber and Ten Shadows are widely considered the best Cursed Techniques in the game. Both provide excellent damage output, strong abilities, and great performance in both PvP battles and PvE farming.

Which Cursed Technique is best for PvE farming in Kaizen?

Techniques like Curse Energy Discharge, King Curses, and Ten Shadows are excellent for PvE farming because they deal massive area damage, allowing players to defeat groups of enemies quickly.

Which Cursed Technique is the easiest to obtain for beginners?

Straw Doll, Shock Amplification, and Finger Bearer are some of the easier techniques to obtain early in the game. They provide reliable damage and utility, helping players progress until they unlock stronger Special Grade techniques.