The race for the prize MVPthe most prestigious individual award given by the NBA during his normal phase, it is one of the biggest and hardest battles to win. Not only do you have to perform at an excellent level and be consistent, you also have to be in a team that occupies relevant positions.
With one month of activity in the 2022-2023 season, the race for the MVP it is as open as the rest of the competition. It is not yet very clear who the applicants are and who should think about the draft soon. The same goes for this award.
With all this in mind, his writing Sports news He picked his five favorites to be MVP this past November. The grading system is very simple: 1st gets 5 points. the 2nd, 4; and so on.
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Click here to see the votes and positions
5 – Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
The current winner of the last two awards has made it clear that when he has a healthy and good squad, he will continue to be a strong contender for the award. The Serb copies the traditional numbers he had recorded in the past, except that they are best throw (62.1% accuracy) and reaching his own best data in assists (8.8).
Jokic continues to be a sight to behold, someone capable of running the game through his hands with incredible ease. Add that to the fact that Denver manages to find the balance between giving opportunities to those who have recovered from injury and their newcomers without affecting the level of the Serb, and there are reasons to believe in them.
Despite the great work done by the Sombor native, it’s hard to see him hoisting the MVP trophy at the end of this run. No one since Larry Bird in the 1980s has won three consecutive awards. and seeing the equality of the West it is difficult to happen.
4 – Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
what are you doing Luka Doncic this season is a very strange thing to see. The Slovenian has taken it upon himself to make up for his Mavs’ shortcomings the only way he knows how: production on offense. The 23-year-old star is assuming about 37% of his team’s offensive usagehaving attempted 92% of his shots without an assist or previous pass in between and all with some outrageous numbers.
Luka Doncic is on track to sign his fourth straight season with more than 28 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assistswhich would make him only the second player in history to do so since Oscar Robertson (5 campaigns in a row). In addition, the former Real Madrid player is the leading scorer in the entire NBA by some margin compared to his direct competitors, Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry.
The downside to Luca’s MVP candidacy comes down to very simple math: the dallas mavericks are not winning games. Or at least not regularly enough. And that’s too much for Doncic to have any real chance of winning after the regular season.
3 – Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
A similar case to Luka’s in collegiate terms with the slight difference that his Warriors have been on the rise for a week now. Stephen Curry is always consistent in these ratings early in the season. The MVP Since previous Finals he’s usually started at a different level, but as December and January roll around, he tends to put in more effort and lower his output in favor of resilience.
However, it is worth mentioning an important fact of Steph’s candidacy and that is that next March he will be 35 years old. A related fact that, if it were maintained at this level for the rest of the course, would make him the second-oldest player to win the MVP (Karl Malone, 35 in 1999).
Curry is back in the conversation thanks to a consistent performance that seems to have no end: His triple percentage is the highest of his entire career (44%), is averaging more assists than ever in his career and is the third leading scorer in the league.
On a narrative level, Steph is well positioned to receive recognition. Golden State comes from being a champion, the star won it a long time ago and would be one of the oldest to do so.
2 – Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the verge of repeating as the NBA draft favorite Sports news. The Greek is back to his most dominant self, raising the bar even (if that was possible) and turning the Milwaukee Bucks into an unstoppable force in the East once again.
Giannis is a calculator with offensive ease in this start as well He has shot 74% at the basket and 36.5% from mid-range. Numbers solid enough to maintain a scoring pace that would see him top 30 points per game in his first campaign.
All this without mentioning the great pillar of his candidacy such as defense. Antetokounmpo is leaving opponents with an incredible 39.2% shooting percentage, the best percentage in the entire NBA. Which includes only 39.5% in painting.
1 – Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
Jayson Tatum has been a superstar for some time now, but it wasn’t until this year that he emerged as more than a legitimate MVP candidate. Despite only being in the competition for a month, the Celtics have proven the strength of their case based on numbers, performance and determination.
The bitter experience of losing in previous Finals has served as fuel for a Tatum who could easily contend for best defender.
In addition, the 24-year-old player has a history to support and strengthen his candidacy. Boston is coming close to success and has come back stronger, all thanks to Tatum’s step forward. The forward has matured, is making better decisions with the ball and choosing his shots better, which makes him one of the two big MVP contenders this season.
First time ever Tatum is gaining favor with the NBA newsroom TSNY I’m sure it won’t be the last.
votes and positions
| pos. | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Tatum | 44 |
| two | John Antetokounmpo | 43 |
| 3 | Stephen Curry | 32 |
| 4 | Luka Doncic | 22 |
| 5 | Nikola Jokic | eleven |
Others who received votes: Devin Booker (6), Ja Morant (4), Donovan Mitchell (2) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1)
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
