Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the three finalists for the NBA MVP title, the league announced on Sunday, while Victor Wembanyama is in the running for the title of rookie of the year and that of best defender .
The North American Basketball League has announced three finalists for each of its individual awards for the 2023-24 regular season. Serbian pivot Jokic, winner of the regular season best player title in 2021 and 2022, is a finalist for the fourth consecutive time, after finishing second behind Joel Embiid of the Sixers in 2023.
This season, Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9 assists for Denver. The defending champion finished tied at the top of the Western Conference with the Oklahoma City Thunder led by Canadian leader Gilgeous-Alexander. He averaged 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2 steals this season.
Slovenian point guard Doncic dominated the league with an average of 33.9 points, as well as 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists for the Dallas Mavericks. For the third year in a row, no American player is in the running among the three finalists for the MVP title.
Gobert power 4?
On the other hand, two Americans, strong winger Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder), and winger Brandon Miller (Charlotte Hornets), will be opposed to French sensation Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs), in the battle for the distinction rookie of the year.
The 20-year-old Wembanyama set numerous records in his first NBA season, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals. Holmgren, 21, was drafted second overall in 2022 but, with a foot injury, only made his big-league debut this season. He averaged 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds for Oklahoma City, while Miller, 21, averaged 17.4 points per game, making 184 three-pointers in the process.
The French pivot of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert, who has already won the title of defender of the year three times (2018, 2019 and 2021), will be opposed to his compatriot Wembanyama and the pivot of the Miami Heat, Bam Adebayo.
2024-04-22 09:17:53
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