Nikola Jokic is getting closer to winning his third MVP award in the last four seasons. Victor Wembanyama is likely to win a trophy or maybe even two. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might also receive a couple of his own.
The NBA announced the finalists for most of the league’s postseason awards on Sunday. It’s no surprise that Jokic, the star of the Denver Nuggets, was one of the three top vote-getters for the most valuable player award, the Michael Jordan trophy that is presented to the league’s Most Valuable Player.
The other finalists are Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City’s Gilgeous-Alexander. Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, who was last season’s MVP, was not eligible this year due to a new league rule that says players must appear in a certain number of games for award participation.
If Jokic wins, he 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), and Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson (three).
Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander would be first-time MVPs. Gilgeous-Alexander was a finalist for Most Improved Player last year and this year, he’s in line for the MVP prize.
It’s already certain that it will be the sixth consecutive year an international player wins MVP, extending the longest such streak in NBA history. Giannis Antetokounmpo won in 2019 and 2020, Jokic won in 2021 and 2022, and Embiid won last season. Embiid, who was born in Cameroon but became an American citizen in 2022, has been chosen for the USA Basketball team at the Paris Olympics this summer.
The awards are decided by a panel of reporters and broadcasters who cover the league, and are based on regular season games only. Ballots were due last week before the start of the play-in tournament, and the league is expected to start announcing winners periodically over the next few days.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Act surprised when Wembanyama wins.
The standout from San Antonio, France, and No. 1 pick in last year’s draft is the heavy favorite to become the third Spurs player to win the Rookie of the Year award. The other finalists are Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Charlotte’s Brandon Miller.
Leading rookies in most categories and leading the league in blocks, I’m pretty proud of this,” Wembanyama said.
Wembanyama should 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 next 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 assured of being top-three in two different sets of voting.
Last season's top three finalists didn't make it this year. Jaren Jackson Jr. of Memphis won last year, while Brook Lopez of Milwaukee and Evan Mobley of Cleveland were the other finalists in 2023.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
This year's finalists are Tyrese Maxey of Philadelphia, Coby White of Chicago, and Alperen Sengun of Houston.
Lauri Markkanen of Utah won last year, with Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson of New York as the other finalists.
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
The finalists this year are Bobby Portis of Milwaukee, Malik Monk of Sacramento, and Naz Reid of Minnesota.
Malcolm Brogdon, who was with Boston at the time, won the award last year, while Portis and Immanuel Quickley of New York were the other finalists.
CLUTCH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The finalists for the clutch player of the year are Stephen Curry of Golden State, DeMar DeRozan of Chicago, and Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City.
DeRozan was also a finalist last year, when De'Aaron Fox of Sacramento 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 already won the coach of the year award given by the National Basketball Coaches Association, which often reflects the eventual results of league voting.
Mike Brown of Sacramento was the unanimous winner last year, with Daigneault and Joe Mazzulla of Boston as the other finalists in 2023.
Nikola Jokic is on track to win a third MVP award in the last four seasons. Victor Wembanyama is likely to win a trophy, or maybe two. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might also win a couple of his own.
