ESPN released their second NBA MVP straw poll on Tuesday morning. The poll is voted on by 100 NBA media members. At least two voters from each NBA city and select international and national reporters make up the voting panel.
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers led the first poll, but a meniscus injury has taken him out of the running for 2023-24. Leading the race now is the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić, an already two-time MVP in 2021 and 2022. Let’s dive into the latest polling results.
New Frontrunner in Latest NBA MVP Straw Poll
Nikola Jokic is the favorite to win MVP according to ESPN’s NBA MVP straw poll
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NBA MVP Favorite
Jokić, who was previously ranked second, dominated the poll, accumulating 69 of the possible 100 first-place votes. The big man is enjoying another dominant campaign. He is averaging 26.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, and nine assists.
Jokić’s otherworldly consistency ensures that he’s always in the running for the league’s top individual award. Jokić has only missed 35 of Denver’s 300 regular season games over the past four seasons.
The Nuggets are in the midst of a rare loss of form, having suffered consecutive blow-out losses to the Sacramento Kings and the Milwaukee Bucks. They sit 4th in the Western Conference, with a record of 36-18.
Denver is 1.5 games back of the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, with one game remaining on their schedule before the All-Star break. Should the Nuggets lock down the first seed for the second year running, the MVP will be Jokić’s to lose.
Shai In the Running
The surprise contender this year is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 25 year-old will be one of the starting guards for the Western Conference All-Stars, beating out the likes of Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards. He is the only other player than Jokić to receive double-digit first-place votes, with 24.
Averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game, Gilgeous-Alexander has been the key in the Thunder’s ascension to the top of the West.
Similarly to Jokić, his case for MVP will rest on how high his team can finish in the standings. OKC is in a four-way battle with the Nuggets, the Timberwolves, and the Clippers for the first seed.
Other Candidates
The only other players to receive first-place votes are the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić, the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards.
Antetokounmpo, the MVP in 2018-19 and 2019-20, averages 30.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. Despite his masterclasses this season, including a 64-point effort against the Indiana Pacers in December, the Bucks have endured a turbulent season.
Adrian Griffin was let go as head coach after just six months on the job, and was replaced by Doc Rivers. The Bucks would likely have to catch the first-seeded Boston Celtics in order for Antetokounmpo to stand a chance at securing his third MVP.
Dončić is on pace to lead the league in scoring, averaging a whopping 34.3 points per contest.
The Mavericks are currently the 8th seed in the West, and will need to climb the standings to improve Dončić’s odds of winning the award for the first time in his career.
Dallas was one of the winners at the trade deadline, improving their roster with the additions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.
