Nikola Jokic the clear favorite for MVP in latest ESPN straw poll
Feb 13, 2024, 11:38 AM | Updated: Apr 3, 2024, 12:22 pm
Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic is in great position to win his third NBA MVP in four years.
ESPN released its second straw poll of the season on Tuesday, collecting the thoughts of 100 voters, and Jokic is in firm control. He received 69 first-place votes and 25 second-place votes. His 889 total points easily passed Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who finished with 709 points. “SGA” earned 24 first-place votes.
Rounding out the top-5 were Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic from the Mavericks and Kawhi Leonard from the Clippers. None of them received more than three first-place votes, suggesting this is a two-man race between Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander.
Of course, with the unfortunate news that 76ers star center Joel Embiid underwent knee surgery, he’s now out of contention to win back-to-back MVP awards. Embiid won’t play at least 65 games, the new minimum to earn the honor. He was leading Jokic in the first version of this straw poll.
The Nuggets center is having another monster season, posting averages of 26.3 points per game, 12.2 rebounds and 9.0 assists. Denver has a 36-18 record and is right there in the Western Conference for the No. 1 seed along with the likes of the Timberwolves, Thunder and Clippers.
Jokic is looking to become the ninth player in NBA history to win the award at least three times. Many felt he should’ve taken it last season and gone back-to-back-to-back, but some late momentum for Embiid took the trophy away.
It didn’t matter in the end, as the Nuggets won their first NBA championship and Jokic was named Western Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP. He’d much rather have the team trophy and those individual awards any day of the week.
Still, he’s in good position to win the NBA MVP this season, barring something fluky. To see the full ESPN straw poll, click here.
