Every year, around mid-December, ESPN conducts a survey on the MVP race by interviewing no less than 100 journalists, while respecting the end-of-season voting procedures as much as possible. Ideal for clearing a first favorite after thirty games played regularly. And that favorite is Jayson Tatum.
Every two weeks, you can find on TrashTalk our own ranking in the race for the MVP. And ten days ago, in our last edition, le podium looked like this: Jayson Tatum in the lead, Giannis Antetokounmpo just behind, and Luka Doncic in third place.
According to Tim Bontemps ofESPNthis is also the ranking that emerges after a survey of a hundred journalists, who each gave their Top 5 in the race for the MVP by using the formula used by the NBA at the end of the season (10 points for the 1st, 7 points for 2nd, 5 points for 3rd, 3 points for 4th, and 1 point for 5th).
- Jayson Tatum : 759 points overall (first 47 times, 98 votes)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo : 687 points (first 36 times, 93 votes)
- Luka Doncic : 392 points (first 10 times, 80 votes)
- Stephen Curry : 250 points (first 6 times, 58 votes)
- Nikola Jokic : 195 points (1 time first, 62 votes)
- I Morant: 70 points (30 votes)
- Kevin Durant : 61 points (23 votes)
- Zion Williamson : 55 points (23 votes)
- Devin Booker : 40 points (14 votes)
- Joel Embiid : 22 points (8 votes)
- Donovan Mitchell : 10 points (6 votes)
- Anthony Davis : 4 points (4 votes)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander : 1 point, (1 vote)
For all the reasons already mentioned in the last edition of our Race to the MVP 2022-23, the Top 3 is not surprising. Tatum’s magnificent individual campaign (30 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists average) and the Celtics’ first place in the standings (22 wins – 7 losses, best record in the NBA) make JT the logical favorite after about thirty games . The monster Giannis is never far behind, while Luka’s exploits can’t be ignored despite the Mavericks’ very average season so far. Stephen Curry and two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic complete the Top 5, nothing shocking even if Steph should not remain fourth for very long knowing that he will miss several weeks of competition because of his sore shoulder.
What surprises us a little more is to see a guy like Donovan Mitchell outside the Top 10, knowing that the Cavaliers are today on the Eastern podium under the impetus (among other things) of the big performances from Spida. Devin Booker in ninth place is also a bit weird, even if it is true that he and the Suns have been experiencing a very big air hole for ten days. Right in front of him, we find a certain Zion Williamson, who justly martyred Phoenix recently and who is slowly gaining power. Ditto for Kevin Durant who is surfing on the excellent results of Brooklyn at the moment to climb the hierarchy, just like Ja Morant who today guides his team at the top of the Western Conference (the Grizzlies just took first placebilan de 19-9).
The season is still long. There are a good 50 games left to play, and a lot can happen in this race for the MVP. But if the 2022-23 campaign were to end on December 16, the Michael Jordan Trophy would logically end up in the hands of Jayson Tatum.
Source texte : ESPN