Does Jokic get 4th MVP?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Nikola Jokic
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Jaysom Tatum
Donovan Mitchell
The NBA MVP race for the 24-25 season has been exciting and highly debated by a plethora of analysis, commentators, and fans of the NBA. A number of players have shown out this season and make a case for themselves to take home the newly named Michael Jordan trophy. With many spectacular performances and special moments from the season, the race is one of the closest it has been in a while. From well-known players to up-and-coming talents, let’s dive into the contenders and explore what makes this year’s MVP race so captivating.
5. Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell is the starting shooting guard of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is currently averaging 23.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game this season. He has led his squad to a 57-14 record in the eastern conference beating teams like the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. He is having a very efficient season having 44/37/82 shooting splits while also being the driving force of the team with the second-best record in the entire NBA. He currently brings 6.5-win shares to the Cavs squads and look to make a deep run in this year’s playoffs. The knock-on Mitchell is the amount of star power on his team. Even though he is the driving force of the team and their success, he has 2 all-star teammates in Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. This gives him a little more help than the other candidates have and weakens his case for the award. All in all, Donovan Mitchell has had a special season and is very deserving of being a candidate for this award. The betting odds for him to win MVP are +50000 giving him the lowest odds out of the 5 candidates.
4. Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum is the small forward of the Boston Celtics. He is currently averaging 27.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assist per game in the 24-25 NBA season. He has led the Celtics to a 52-19 record while being the leader and go to guy of the team. He is having himself a very spectacular season having 45/35/81 shooting splits. He is coming off his first championship and is on pace to pick up where they left off once the playoffs begin. Tatum is one of, if not the best two-way player; making plays on both ends while leading his team in almost every major statistic. The versatile play of Tatum is what separates him from other players, having the ability to guard positions 1-5. The reasons some may say Tatum should not win MVP is also based on how much talent the Boston Celtics have. The Celtics roster is accumulated with loads of talent coming from players like Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday. Having those guys as teammates makes the job a lot easier and in turn weakens his case for MVP. Even with some of the negatives on Jayson, he has still put himself in a good position to win the award. He currently sits in 4th place with +20000 odds to win.
3.Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the power forward of the Milwaukee Bucks. He is currently averaging 30.2 points, 12 rebounds, 5.9 assists per game in the 24-25 season. He is leading the Bucks to the 5th seed in the East with a 40-30 record. He is having 59/17/60 shooting splits while also being a candidate for defensive player of the year. With the performance he puts on both ends of the court it makes Giannis one of the most dominant players in the entire league. Defensively he is averaging a block a game and guarding teams’ best players regardless of its 1-5. The main reasons some say The Greek Freak should not win this year’s award are voter fatigue and his lack of growth to his game. Giannis has won 2 MVPs in the past with better numbers and more team success. Also, he hasn’t made any adjustments to his game. Even though he is having dominant performances, it’s not the same as the performances he had during his past MVP seasons. Nevertheless The “Greek Freak” is having an exceptional year and is very deserving to be a candidate for MVP. He currently sits at 3rd in the betting odds at +20000.
2. Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is the center of the Denver Nuggets. He is currently averaging 29.1 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game. Jokic is currently averaging a triple double for an entire season which has never been done before by a center. He is leading the Nuggets to the 3rd seed in the West with a 45-27 record. He is having one of the most efficient seasons ever, having 57/41/81 percent shooting splits. Offensively he is an anomaly, being one with of the best pass and playmakers regardless of position. The things holding back Jokic from winning his 4th MVP is voter fatigue and his lack of defense. Jokic is the reigning MVP winning 3 in the last 5 years. The question the voters have is simple; Is he good enough to win a 4th? This is a feat that has never been reached and puts him in conversations with players like Michael Jordan and Lebron James. Once you start to compare resumes you can see that Jokic doesn’t look the same as Jordan or Lebron and weakens his case to get his 4th MVP award. With all that being said Jokic is still having a dominant and illustrious season putting him at second in the betting odds at +350.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeuos-Alexander is the shooting guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He currently leads the league in scoring averaging 33.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. He is the driving force of the 1st seed in the West and best record in the entire NBA at 58-12 with a 13 win lead over 2nd place. He has been the model of consistency this season having 52/37/90 shooting splits. He is on a crazy run scoring at least 20 points in over 64 consecutive games while also handling business on the other end of the court averaging 1 steal and block a game. One of the only reasons some say Shai should not win is simply because of other candidates and the monstrous performances they have put on. With that being said, I look as if Shai is running away with it being his betting favorite to win the award at -550 odds.
As I wrap this up all of these players have had phenomenal individual and team success this year and all are very deserving of being a candidate. Many sports analysts sit and talk daily about this year’s race because it has more parody than years in the past. Analyst Stephen A. Smith and Collin Herd have Shai winning the MVP, while some others like ex NBA star Kenyan Martin have Jokic winning the award. All in all, I’m excited to see the final result at the end of the season.
References
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Stats.” Basketball Reference, 2025, www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilgesh01.html. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
2024-25 NBA MVP Betting Odds: Favorites Include Jokic, Dončić, SGA, Giannis.” ESPN, 23 Mar. 2025, www.espn.com/espn/betting/story/_/id/42952719/2024-25-nba-mvp-betting-odds-favorites-jokic-doncic-sga-giannis. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Kia MVP Ladder: March 21, 2025 Edition.” NBA.com, 21 Mar. 2025, www.nba.com/news/kia-mvp-ladder-march-21-2025-edition. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
NBA Stats. NBA.com, 2025, www.nba.com/stats. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
SGA Ties Career High in Thunder’s One-Point Win Over Wizards.Basketball Forever, 16 Nov. 2022, basketballforever.com/2022/11/16/sga-ties-career-high-in-thunders-one-point-win-over-wizards. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo Lead First 2025 NBA All-Star Game Voting Returns. RealGM, 23 Mar. 2025, basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/278622/Nikola-Jokic-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Lead-First-2025-NBA-AllStar-Game-Voting-Returns. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
The Five: Everything to Know for Week 13. NBA.com, 2025, www.nba.com/news/the-five-everything-to-know-for-week-13.