Nikola Jokic is on pace to make history, becoming only the third player in NBA history to win four regular season MVP awards in five years. Only LeBron James and Bill Russell have won four MVPs in five years. According to the latest poll by ESPN, Nikola Jokic is the favorite to win his fourth MVP.
Nikola Jokic Early Favorite to Win His Fourth MVP
The poll conducted by Tim Bomtemps from ESPN tries to replicate the official NBA MVP voting. He polls 100 NBA media members, asking them who they are likely to vote for the official NBA MVP award. Out of the 100 people he polls, more than half are official voters. Each voter gets to cast first-place, second, third, fourth, and fifth-place votes, just like for the official NBA MVP Award.
According to his latest straw poll, Nikola Jokic is firmly in first place, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in second and Giannis Antetokounmpo in third place. In years past, the straw poll has been accurate in guessing the winner, but this is only for the first third of the season. There are two-thirds left to play, and there are chances for someone to overtake Jokic as the Number 1 option. Here are the results.
- Luka Doncic, fifth place, 123 total points, no first-place votes, on 67 out of 100 ballots.
- Jayson Tatum, fourth place, 267 total points, no first-place votes, on 95 out of 100 ballots.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, third place, 643 total points, 19 first-place votes, on 98 out of 100 ballots.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, second place, 678 total points, 24 first-place votes, on 100 out of 100 ballots.
- Nikola Jokic, first place, 827 total points, 57 first-place votes, on 100 out of 100 ballots.
Making the Case for Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum has two arguments on his side: he can be the best player on the best team in the league. Tatum is doing something few players have done: he is leading the team in points, rebounds, and assists, plus he is leading the Celtics in steals as well. Currently, the Celtics are third in the league, behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. As the season goes on, and if the Celtics become the dominant team they were last season, Tatum has a chance to improve his MVP odds. But catching up on one of the first three players will be extremely tough, given the numbers they average.
Making the Case for Giannis
Two people didn’t have Giannis Antetokounmpo on their ballot, and that is hard to believe. Since the 2-8 start, the Bucks have a stellar 12-3 record, the best record in the league, and Giannis is putting up monster numbers.
Giannis leads the league in scoring at 32.7 points, to go along with 11.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.6 blocks. The last number is the second highest in his career. Giannis also has his most efficient season, shooting 61.4% from the floor. Fresh off winning the Emirates NBA Cup and the MVP, Giannis can make a strong case if the Bucks continue to rise in the standings.
Making the Case for SGA
Right before the NBA Emirates Cup, the Thunder looked like the best young team in the league, and they rightfully demanded more media attention. Fun fact: both Giannis and SGA will not be part of the NBA’s Christmas games schedule this year.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averages 30.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists, two steals and a block for the best team in the Western Conference. Depending on how the Nuggets and Thunder finish up in the standings, SGA can have the best player on the best team in the West (or in the league) argument alongside the ridiculous numbers.
Why Nobody Can Top Jokic
To put things in perspective, Nikola Jokic is on pace to do something only Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson have done before: average a 30-point triple-double. When Westbrook did it in the 2016-17 season, he won the MVP even though his team finished sixth in the Western Conference. Westbrook had the narrative of leading the team after the departure of Kevin Durant.
So far this season, Jokic averages 31 points, 13 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and .7 blocks per game on 56% shooting from the floor and 50% from behind the arc. The Nuggets sit in the sixth spot in the West despite Jamal Murray playing poorly. Similar to his second MVP year, Jokic is dragging the team on his back. If he gets some help by the trade deadline, his numbers might fall a bit. But so far, Jokic looks like the best player in the league, and it is not close. After one-third of the season, Nikola Jokic’s fourth MVP looks more realistic.
The post Nikola Jokic Early Favorite to Win His Fourth MVP appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.