It’s now a valid assumption to consider that Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo might have secured third place in this season’s NBA MVP voting.
On Sunday night, the NBA disclosed the three top contenders for its prominent awards, featuring Antetokounmpo in the MVP race against Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who are the strong favorites for the accolade.
Jokic, the previous season’s MVP, is eyeing his fourth MVP win in the past five years. Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the league in scoring this season and steered the Thunder to an impressive 68-game win record while conquering a new benchmark for scoring margin, is chasing his maiden MVP title.
Such was the dominance of the favorites that BetMGM Sportsbook found little reason to offer substantial odds for anyone else by the season’s end. In this lineup, Gilgeous-Alexander emerged as the frontrunner, with Jokic trailing as the second option while others lagged with odds longer than 500-1.
Considering that All-NBA voting seems to reflect MVP voting patterns, being named an MVP finalist virtually assures placement on the All-NBA first team. This will mark the ninth time for Antetokounmpo, the seventh for Jokic, and the third for Gilgeous-Alexander.
The prior year’s MVP contenders were Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic, who has since transferred from Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The voting panel, which comprises writers and broadcasters dedicated to covering the NBA, concluded their award decisions last week. The league will start revealing the winners of these awards, along with the All-NBA and All-rookie designations, in the weeks to follow.
Coach of the Year
Finalists for the Coach of the Year include Kenny Atkinson from Cleveland, J.B. Bickerstaff from Detroit, and Ime Udoka from Houston.
This year presented a fiercely contested race; notably, Mark Daigneault, despite leading Oklahoma City to a 68-win season, did not clinch a top-three spot.
Atkinson headed the Cavaliers to a 64-win season, securing the top spot in the Eastern Conference. He was heralded on Saturday as the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year, a separate recognition apart from the NBA accolades.
First-year Pistons coach Bickerstaff, along with Udoka, succeeded in guiding their teams into the playoffs, with the Rockets capturing the No. 2 seed in the West.
The preceding year witnessed Daigneault’s victory, with Minnesota’s Chris Finch and Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley rounding out the finalists.
Rookie of the Year
The contenders for Rookie of the Year are Stephon Castle from San Antonio, Zaccharie Risacher from Atlanta, and Jaylen Wells from Memphis.
Castle, who was the 4th overall pick in last year’s draft, could follow in the footsteps of the previous winner, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, who was the unanimous Rookie of the Year.
Risacher and Wells rank just behind Castle in terms of rookie scoring this season. Notably absent from this list is Washington’s Alex Sarr, who averaged 13 points this season.
Last year saw Wembanyama taking home the award, with Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Charlotte’s Brandon Miller also in the running.
Sixth Man of the Year
The shortlisted athletes for Sixth Man of the Year are Malik Beasley from Detroit, Ty Jerome from Cleveland, and Payton Pritchard from Boston.
Pritchard is leading as the favorite, though Beasley impressed voters with over 300 three-pointers from the Pistons’ bench, while Jerome delivered a commendable consistency for the Cavs throughout the season.
The previous winner was Minnesota’s Naz Reid, with Sacramento’s Malik Monk and Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis being the other finalists at that time.
Most Improved Player
Candidates for Most Improved Player are Cade Cunningham from Detroit, Dyson Daniels from Atlanta, and Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Cunningham was instrumental in Detroit’s remarkable transition from a 28-game loss streak last season to becoming the No. 6 seed this season and is likely to earn an All-NBA title as well. Daniels and Zubac also showcased significant performances, excelling particularly on defense.
Last season, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey was honored with the award, featuring Houston’s Alperen Sengun and Chicago’s Coby White as the other nominees.
Defensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year nominees are Dyson Daniels from Atlanta, Draymond Green from Golden State, and Evan Mobley from Cleveland.
Daniels excelled in securing steals, Mobley demonstrated prowess in rim defense while avoiding fouls, and Green is in contention for his second trophy following a prior win in the 2016-17 season.
Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, who has accumulated four such accolades, shares the record with Hall of Fame legends Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace. Wembanyama likely would have been a clear favorite for the award if not for a health setback due to deep vein thrombosis after the All-Star break.
Gobert’s victory was the highlight from the previous year, with Miami’s Bam Adebayo and Wembanyama being the other contenders.
Clutch Player of the Year
Nominated for Clutch Player of the Year are Jalen Brunson from New York, Anthony Edwards from Minnesota, and Nikola Jokic from Denver.
This close field features Edwards with 157 clutch-time points this season, closely followed by Brunson and Jokic with 150 and 140 points respectively.
In the preceding edition, Golden State’s Stephen Curry claimed the award, where he was accompanied by DeMar DeRozan and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as fellow finalists.