Nikola Jokic is on the verge of joining an exclusive list of some of the best players in NBA history.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps released the latest MVP Straw poll for the 2023-24 season on Wednesday, with Denver Nuggets big men, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dallas Mavericks guard, He comfortably outperforms challengers like Luka Doncic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis. Antetokounmpo and Boston Celtics guard Jayson Tatum.
Below are the top five in this poll, which asked 100 members of the media about their opinions on MVP and assigned 10 points for a first-place vote, 7 points for a second-place vote, and 5 points for a third-place vote. This is a list of vote-getters. , 3 points for 4th place, 1 point for 5th place:
- Nikola Jokic: 953 total points, 85 first place votes
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 626 total points, 10 first place votes
- Luka Doncic: 493 total points, 1 first place vote
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: 334 total points, 2 first place votes
- Jayson Tatum: 119 total points, 2 first place votes
Jokic won back-to-back MVP awards in 2020-21 and 2021-22, and finished second to Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid in 2022-23. Embiid has played in just 35 games this season, falling short of the NBA's new minimum of 65 games to win awards such as MVP.
The Nuggets star, who received 85 of the 100 first-place votes, will join the list of three-time winners if he wins MVP this season.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record with six MVP awards, while Michael Jordan and Bill Russell each have five. LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain followed them with four wins, followed by Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson with three each.
There aren't any more elite players in the NBA, but Jokic has been great this season, averaging 26.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 57.9 percent from the field and from deep. He had a shooting success rate of 34.1%.
His Nuggets are also in ideal position to defend the championship at 53-23, a half-game behind the Minnesota Timberwolves and Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
He would definitely trade MVP for another championship, but he has a great chance to win both this season.
