Nikola Jokic is once again near the top of the latest NBA Straw Poll
Apr 2, 2025, 11:17 AM
The NBA Straw Poll has been the best way to assess the MVP race throughout the season since it was first introduced in the 2016-17 season, the year Russell Westbrook won MVP with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This year, Nikola Jokic was in first place in the first of three polls, but dropped behind Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the second edition.
Six weeks later, nothing has changed from the second poll.
Latest MVP straw poll results: pic.twitter.com/4N8u4UyyDV
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 2, 2025
The good news this time is that all the votes Jokic received were for first or second place, as he received a third place vote last time around. The bad news? The chance for a fourth MVP to come to the Mile High City in 2025 looks slim.
In the previous five seasons, the final Straw Poll has accurately reflected the final voting for the award. Given the last two results of the poll, it seems that voter fatigue has set in against Jokic.
After putting up a historic triple double on Tuesday night, Jokic is now averaging 29.7/12.8/10.2 splits on the season, on pace to become just the third player to average a triple double in an NBA season (Oscar Robertson, Russell Westbrook 4x). He has carried the Nuggets to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with just six games to go in the regular season, and is second in the entire NBA in steals.
However, Gilgeous-Alexander is also having a phenomenal season. Averaging 32.8/5.0/6.4 splits, he has the Thunder head and shoulders above the rest of the Western Conference with the No. 1 seed with a chance to be the first team to win 70 games in a season since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors.
The sportsbooks reflect the latest poll, as SGA is the heavy favorite (-4,000) to win his first MVP on Fanduel Sportsbook. Jokic is at +1,000 odds.
The bottom line is that the best player in the league doesn’t always win the MVP, and that’s okay. If that was the case, Michael Jordan and LeBron James would have at least 10 MVPs a piece! Voter fatigue is a real thing in all of sports with any award, and that’s just how it is. Jokic already has three under his belt, and if he never wins another one, that would still be a phenomenal career accomplishment.
