Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Lands in Curious Spot in New MVP Poll

Courtney Tate | 5 Hours Ago

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ESPN revealed their latest NBA MVP straw poll, showcasing a new front-runner on the rise. The league’s top players established themselves early with Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum, Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić, and Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way.

Tatum curiously came in fourth place.

Earlier in the season, the top three spots in other MVP Power Rankings stayed pretty consistent, featuring Jokić at number one, Alexander in second, and Tatum comfortably in third place. Their hot starts and team success set them apart from the rest of the league right out of the gate.

However, the Milwaukee Bucks have really made a recent turnaround, and Antetokounmpo has been leading the charge.

During the Bucks’ 2024 NBA Cup run, where Milwaukee was crowned champion, Giannis delivered exceptional performances that caught the attention of many. He is currently leading the league in scoring averaging 32.7 points shooting over 61% per game. He also contributes 11.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists. With the help of seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard, the two have put the Bucks back on the map.

Just as quickly as a team can turn things around in the NBA, the media can change their minds about who the best player in the league is. Antetokounmpo nearly doubled his first place votes since ESPN’s last straw poll, establishing a massive lead over Tatum who dropped down to fourth place. 29 voters changed their minds just like that.

The NBA Cup MVP is now trailing closely behind Gilgeous-Alexander who received 24 first-place votes while Aneteokounmpo received an impressive 19 first-place votes. Both players have separated themselves from the rest of the NBA, with Tatum receiving zero first-place votes, and still sitting in fourth.

The clearest separation from all MVP candidates; however is the top-ranked three-time MVP himself. Jokić is nearly averaging a triple-double right now averaging 30.9 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 9.9 assists. The star center is shooting a career-high 48.9 percent from beyond the arc and shooting over 50% from the field. He continues showcasing the ability to get better and better, and that’s a scary thing for the league.

It would be easy to make the assumption Jokić is the clear favorite to win MVP this season. He received an overwhelming 57 first place votes, more than double the number of first place votes than Gilgeous-Alexander.

Should there be any other player who wants to make a campaign for the title of MVP, there’s a mighty hill to climb to surpass the top three candidates.

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