Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Finishes Second In Final MVP Straw Poll

The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put together a solid MVP campaign though it seems likely he will finish runner-up.

Mar 22, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) goes to / John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have watched Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put together a fantastic Most Valuable Player campaign throughout the 2023-24 NBA season. Though, similar to his rookie teammate Chet Holmgren in his chase for rookie of the year, they each would take home their respective awards in nearly any other season.

Instead, they sit this season against historic counterparts that will likely have each finishing runner-up. Each season, ESPN puts out a straw poll for the Most Valuable Player Award which has done a great job of predicting the year's winner. They compile a panel of 100 journalists and poll them at different benchmarks in the season.

On Wednesday, Tim Bontemps released the final straw poll of the 2023-24 season. Gilgeous-Alexander remained in second place as he did before the all-star break. The Thunder superstar is one of just two players (the other being Jokic) to appear on all 100 ballots.

Gilgeous-Alexander earned 10 first-place votes, 45 second-place votes, 39 third-place votes, five fourth-place votes and somehow a fifth-place vote.

Jokic claimed 85 first-place votes and was put no lower than third (one vote) on anyone's ballot. Luka Doncic (1), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2) and Jayson Tatum (2) were the only other players to garner first-place votes.

The Thunder superstar is set to miss his second game this week and fourth in the last five games with a quad contusion that he suffered against the Utah Jazz back on March 20. His MVP campaign appears to be over.

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