Here’s the thing about this year’s MVP vote: There is no wrong answer here. You like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Plenty of statistical evidence to support it. Victor Wembanyama? A vote for an inimitable defender whose offense is catching up quickly is a fair one. Nikola Jokić? The three-time MVP is putting up absurd numbers that best the ones he put up during any of his MVP seasons. Jaylen Brown, Luka Dončić, Cade Cunningham? It’s easy to make arguments for all of them.
Usually by this point the MVP has been whittled down to a couple of candidates. Jokić over Shai. Shai over Jokić. Since 2009, only once—the ’22–23 race between Jokić, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo—has more than two players collected double-digit first-place votes. This season’s ballot has six players who can make strong arguments that they deserve one.
