Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic finalists for NBA MVP Award – Firstpost

Nikola Jokic is on pace to win a third MVP award in the last four seasons. Victor Wembanyama is surely on his way to a trophy – or maybe two. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might get a few as well.

The NBA revealed the finalists for most of the league’s playoff awards on Sunday — and unsurprisingly, Denver Nuggets star Jokic was one of the top three vote-getters for the highest individual honor, the Michael Trophy. Jordan which is awarded to the league’s most valuable player.

The others: Luka Doncic of Dallas and Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City. Last season’s MVP, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, was ineligible this year due to the league’s new rule that players must play in a certain number of games to be eligible for awards.

If he wins, Jokic would become the ninth player with three or more MVPs, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Jordan and Bill Russell (five), Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James (four), as well as Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic. Johnson (three).

Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander would be MVPs for the first time. Gilgeous-Alexander was a finalist for Most Improved Player last year – and this year he’s in the running for the MVP award.

This is already assured: this will be the sixth consecutive year that an international player has won the MVP title, thus extending the longest such streak in NBA history. Giannis Antetokounmpo – of Greek and Nigerian descent – ​​won in 2019 and 2020, Serbian Jokic won in 2021 and 2022 and Embiid won last season. Embiid was born in Cameroon, but became a U.S. citizen in 2022 and was selected to the team that will represent USA Basketball at the Paris Olympics this summer.

The awards are voted on by a panel of journalists and broadcasters who cover the league and are based solely on regular season games. Ballots were due last week before the start of the play-in tournament, and the league is expected to begin announcing winners periodically over the coming days.

ROKIE OF THE YEAR

Be surprised when Wembanyama wins.

San Antonio’s French player and first overall pick in last year’s draft – who finished the year averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a career-high 3.6 blocked shots per game – is the big favorite to become the Spurs’ third player. to win the Rookie of the Year award. The others: David Robinson in 1990 and Tim Duncan in 1998.

The other finalists are Chet Holmgren of Oklahoma City – who helped the Thunder rise to first place in the Western Conference – and Brandon Miller of Charlotte.

“Being rookies in most categories and leading the league in blocks, I’m pretty proud of that,” Wembanyama said.

Wembanyama is expected to become the first international winner of the award since Dallas’ Luka Doncic in 2019 and the fifth such winner in the last 10 seasons. Andrew Wiggins (Canada) won in 2015, Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic) won in 2016, Ben Simmons (Australia) won in 2018 and Doncic followed the following season.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Wembanyama were the three finalists, meaning the Spurs rookie is now guaranteed to be in the top three in two different sets of voting.

None of last season’s finalists made the top three this year. Jaren Jackson Jr. of Memphis won the award last season, with Brook Lopez of Milwaukee and Evan Mobley of Cleveland the other finalists in 2023.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

Tyrese Maxey of Philadelphia, Coby White of Chicago and Alperen Sengun of Houston are this year’s finalists.

Lauri Markkanen of Utah won last year, with Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson of New York as other finalists.

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR

Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis is once again a finalist, along with Sacramento’s Malik Monk and Minnesota’s Naz Reid.

Malcolm Brogdon, then of Boston, won the award last year, with Portis and Immanuel Quickley of New York as other finalists.

CLUTCH PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Stephen Curry of Golden State. Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan and Oklahoma City’s Gilgeous-Alexander are the finalists for clutch player of the year.

DeRozan was also a finalist last year, when Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox won.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Mark Daigneault of Oklahoma City, Chris Finch of Minnesota and Jamahl Mosley of Orlando were the top three vote getters.

Daigneault previously won the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year award — not the NBA’s official award, but one that, since its introduction in 2017, often reflects the eventual results of the league’s vote . In his first seven seasons, one of the NBCA selections (there was a two-time co-winner) was a five-time NBA winner.

Mike Brown of Sacramento was last year’s unanimous winner, with Daigneault and Joe Mazzulla of Boston the other finalists in 2023.