Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were revealed on Sunday as the finalists for the Most Valuable Player award, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Doncic led the league in scoring (33.9 points per game) and finished second in assists (9.8) while also grabbing 9.2 rebounds per contest. Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to the top seed in the Western Conference by averaging 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.0 steals per contest. Jokic, who is widely considered the favorite to win his third MVP trophy, averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists per night.
The NBA also announced the finalists for six other postseason awards. Here are the finalists for all of those awards:
Most Valuable Player
- Luka Doncic, Mavericks
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
Sixth Man
- Malik Monk, Kings
- Bobby Portis Jr., Bucks
- Naz Reid, Timberwolves
Defensive Player of the Year
- Bam Adebayo, Heat
- Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
Most Improved Player
- Tyrese Maxey, Sixers
- Alperen Sengun, Rockets
- Coby White, Bulls
Note: Sengun appeared in just 63 games but was eligible for award consideration based on the season-ending injury exception described in our glossary entry on the 65-game rule.
Coach of the Year
- Mark Daigneault, Thunder
- Chris Finch, Timberwolves
- Jamahl Mosley, Magic
Rookie of the Year
- Chet Holmgren, Thunder
- Brandon Miller, Hornets
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
Clutch Player of the Year
- Stephen Curry, Warriors
- DeMar DeRozan, Bulls
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Maxey has been very good player since last season.
Not so much about that, statistically he made a leap 6 more pts and 3 more assist. His % did drop a few.
Coby will probably win though.
As great as Maxey has been, he was already quite good before this season. I’d give it to White.
White came out of nowhere and his averages are outstanding considering he wasn’t getting the minutes at the beginning of the season.
I hope you are right. I placed a bet on Coby early in the season and felt good about it. But even late in the season Maxey was still odds on favorite. He was already a good player. White truly took that next step from average to borderline all star this year.
I thought Sengun didn’t meet the 65 game threshold? Divencenzo didn’t qualify even though he played in like 80 games bc of minutes, but this dude does bc he played 63? Wtf kinda logic is that
Sengun had a freak injury, he didn’t rest because of load managements. He played 63 games so the injury excuse allows.
Pretty sure, that’s not supposed to be the case. DiVencenzo wasn’t bc of load management either so there goes that argument.
But he didn’t hit 20min in games where he could have so why didn’t he play 20min?
It is like when someone has an active streak of playing. They log them in for a minute to keep the streak active. In NFL you take 1 snap the streak continues.
Except that’s not what happened. His lowest min total in appearing in 81 games was 14. He doesn’t control his minutes the coach does
I know the 65-game minimum doesn’t apply to some of the awards. Can’t remember which ones, but MIP might be one of those that it doesn’t apply too?
That’s why they need to work the kinks because as it’s written now it’s a stupid rule.
The minimum does apply to MIP but since Sengun had a season ending injury he only had to play in 62 games and 85% of the team’s games before the injury occurred. He also hit the minimum minutes restriction in the games he played in.
Donte DiVincenzo actually played in more games and played more total minutes but since he didn’t hit the minimum minutes restriction and didn’t have a season ending injury he’s disqualified.
Laughable no mention of Brunson who carried the Knicks to the 2 seed without him they are a play in team at best
For what award?
He already won a most improved.
and are you taking him over Luka for MVP finalist?
If Bam doesn’t win DPOY over a rookie and Gobert… im gonna be calling on the anti Miami Bias.. Bam should have 2-3 of these now.. HE’S THE ONLY BIG IN THE NBA THAT CAN COVER ALL 5 POSITIONS
Bam’s the only big that can defend all five positions other Anthony Davis, Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama.
Also depending on one’s definition of “big” there’s Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Mobley.
1) Big is PF+ 2) Can you show me anyone you named guarding 6’0 PG’s on the perimeter like Bam does every night?
Bam’s great but not one of the guys I named including Bam guard 6’0 PG’s every night on a regular basis yet all of them I named plus Bam and others do it in spots regularly do so and none of the guys I named or Bam look uncomfortable doing so. So why is Bam anymore special?
Th Clutch one is funny, but like Ernie said they look at the stats. 2 were in the play in, Bulls were below .500 so not very clutch. SGA can get it since his clutch moments should have meant more wins.
MVP: SGA #1 seed in toughest West, better defensive impact while having the offense to match other 2.
6th man: Monk
DPOY: Gobert #1 defensive team
Improved: Coby
Coach:Mark #1 seed 2nd youngest team in the NBA
RoY:Wemby
Clutch:SGA
The new rules apply to MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, the All-NBA teams and the All-Defensive teams.
Not one Celtic in the top three of ANY category yet they are favorites to win it all
BTW, DEN is the only favourite to win it all, BOS can’t beat them for sure!
Tough situation for voters. Jokic and Luka are 1.A and 1.B in the league. Joker has a better record but Luka carries his team more than Jokic does, which this season is saying something. I think Luka earned it but numbers don’t lie. Good on Shai for making top 3 though. Balmer is kicking himself directly in the behind every moment of every day.
Presti is probably the leagues MVP…
SGA is MVP…
Both Luka & Jokic have better “Robin” and experienced supporting cast.
Most fans don’t look to OKC games, they had like 3-5 national tv games, while Den and Dal seem to be on every other week.
Ridiculous to say Dallas is deeper than OKC. Same goes for Denver honestly. Aside from a solid back up big, there’s not a lot of holes in an OKC roster thats still growing into their roles.
Also not sure why you’re boasting about OKC being the one seed like they blew everyone out of the water…. Tied Denver for the best record and Denver missed Murray for a lot of games. One game in front of Minny who missed KAT for 6 weeks. Not really the Celtics/Bucks scenario you seem to be pitching…
They are the 2nd youngest team and the fact that they tied Denver means a lot. They had the tiebreaker over them.
I didn’t say deeper… said better “Robin”. Kyrie and Murray are better than Jalen Williams.
More experienced supporting cast.
Dallas has THJ, Irving, Kleber playoff experience. Green & Powell were on the team too.
Denver well they were just champs so duh. Their starting 5 is getting ranked ahead of OKC starting 5 even if SGA is the best one on the floor it goes Jokic, Murray, Jalen Williams but Aaron Gordon has argument for 4th best too. JW is better than Porter Jr, but KCP is a better shooter than Dort so KCP gets picked over him. This makes 8,9,10 Chet, Giddey, and Dort in whatever order. On the bench I would take Joe but then Braun and Reggie Jackson are the next best.
Uhh I never mentioned Celtics or Bucks… but if you want to make it matter. The west is tougher so duh they didn’t have a wider win margin. Sorry they couldn’t have two way below.500 teams be in the play in.
Pretty sure the award is Most Valuable PLAYER. Not most deserving player based on his TEAMS overall record and who one presumes has the most talented second best player as well as most playoff experience amongst their teammates.
I’m a Wolves fan so got no skin in this game but I even agree SGA is deserving of it this year. His team is young. No-one would have predicted him to have lead his team to the #1 seed in the tough west. What he’s done is incredible. Young teams usually don’t hold up to that type of pressure. That says a lot about him as team leader. Luka and Jokic are great no doubt but they’ve got way more experienced teammates and their individual performances aren’t translating into team success in the same way SGA’s are. That being said, look out because when Ant gets a few more years experience he’s going to be hard to beat! :)
I want what you’re smoking
Joe Mazulla easily the biggest snub. if it were Pop or Doc coaching the C’s they would have just given them the award and not named other finalist.
The Celtics were supposed to be this good. The Thunder and the Wolves weren’t, on top of playing in the harder conference. It shouldn’t automatically go to the team with the best record, otherwise what’s the point in having the award?
You could stick an AAU coach on the celts and they’d still finish the same.
Mazzulla is an AAU coach. That is about his level.
Brad runs the Celtics. Its his players, his offense and his overall philosphy.
Donic or SGA, Monk, Gobert or someone else not on the list (not midget center Bam who cannot block a shot to save his life), Maxey and all three coaches have done great job, Orlando has surprised me. OKC coach will get it.
Clutch award lol. Must be a new age award in this new NBA ( Not Basketball Anymore)
Stats got the three in for MVP, but if we’re going with the true MVP for this year it has to be SGA. He doesn’t have the cast Joker has had for some time or the other star like Irving plays for Luka. And getting top seed is an accomplishment in its own.
Funny how coming into this year the Mavs were “quitters” and Kyrie was going to be a cancer by the middle of the season ruining the team. Now we are saying that Luka shouldn’t win MVP because Kyrie is TOO GOOD of a teammate. What a difference a year can make smh.
Jokic, Monk, Adebayo, Maxey (even though he’s the least deserving, as he already was very good), Daigneault, Wemby, Shai.
Was wemby really that good defensively? Dude blocked a lot of shots sure, but seemed like he wasn’t very good besides that.
MVP finalists:
3 foreigners
The world has caught up
Might want to hold that opinion until after the US team destroys the field in Paris.
MVP: SGA
Lead the youngest team in the league to first in the west, which is not at all what anyone expected. None of his teammates average over 20 points per game. He’s also one of the leagues better defenders too.
Jokic and Luka both meet the expectations they had in front of them. Jokic has improved defensively which helps his case but he’s also got the better supporting cast of teammates so…
6th Man: Malik Monk
He was huge for the kings and was a large part of why they won a bunch of games. Portis and Reid were cool and all but they play on great teams which would win more often than not even without their contributions sometimes.
DPOY: Bam Adebayo
Gobert is great and all but he also has a bunch of good defenders around him, can’t credit one guy for his team’s achievements. Gobert doesn’t even finish games cause he can’t play switches.
Vic was insane for a rookie but also makes rookie mistakes occasionally. Plus can hardly days he’s the best defender in the league when his team sucked so badly.
MIP: Coby White
He just put up near all star level numbers out of no where when going into the season he was battling for the starting position.
Maxey we all knew was great and Sengun again we kinda expected it a little.
COTY: Daigneault
Youngest team in the league to first in the west. Exceeded expectations and because of team record beats Finch and Mosley.
ROTY: Vic
Nothing needs to be said here
Clutch: SGA
Insane 4th quarter numbers and clearly won his team a bunch of games near the end as they finished first in the west.
Although because SGA is in the running for clutch they won’t give him both awards and out of pity they will give him the Clutch one although he deserves both
Wow this comment section is fully brain dead. So many people just openly disrespecting the rest of OKCs roster to put Shai on a pedestal. OKC is a good team. Just because you didn’t think they would be at the start of the year, it doesn’t mean Shai lifted the roster to heights they’d never be able to reach on their own.
I love Shai but to think he has more of an impact on his team winning or losing than either Jokic or Luka is ridiculous.
Playoffs bring the worst out of these people I swear.
Denver without Jokic could still probably make the playoffs.
Mavs absolutely no way.
I mean if that’s the only way you want to judge it tho then why about Steph on GSW, without him they are probably the worst team in the league. What about NY without Brunson, Nets without Mikal or Lakers without Bron.
Great thanks.
So ill mark that as a “no” for you on Shai…