Overview
- ESPN’s initial straw poll shows Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 57 first-place votes and 865 points, ahead of Nikola Jokic’s 42 first-place votes and 822 points.
- Luka Doncic ranks third with 432 points and the only other first-place vote, with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Brunson rounding out the top five.
- Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.4 points with career-best shooting splits (55.9% FG, 43.2% 3PT) in 33.0 minutes per game.
- Jokic is posting 29.6 points, a career-high pace, while leading the league in rebounds (12.3) and assists (10.9) per game and shooting 61.2% from the field and 42.6% from three; Denver is 20-6.
- A Deadspin model also places Gilgeous-Alexander first post–NBA Cup, though differing evaluation methods underscore that the race remains fluid.