2024 NBA MVP finalists: Jokic, Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander

As the NBA playoffs continue, the 2023-24 NBA MVP will be announced on Wednesday. This season's finalists are Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

After Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid won the award last year, Jokic is the favorite this time around.

If Jokic actually wins, it would be his third MVP in four seasons. Jokic, who already has a Finals MVP under his belt, could join a historic effort if he leads the Nuggets to another title. Only five players have won three regular season MVPs and two Finals MVPs: Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and LeBron James.

Doncic led the NBA with 33.9 points per game and ranked second in assists per game. He is the third player in NBA history to record a triple-double averaging 30 points after the All-Star break, joining Oscar Robertson (1961–62) and Russell Westbrook (2016–17). Doncic would join Dirk Nowitzki (2006-07) as the only players to win the MVP title in Mavericks history.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished third in the league with 30.1 PPG – behind Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks – and led the Thunder to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. He posted a career-high 51 30-point games this season and would join Kevin Durant (2013-14) and Westbrook (2016-17) as the team's third MVP since moving from Seattle in 2008.

ESPN senior Zach Lowe explained last month why Jokic is this season's pick, while NBA reporter Tim Bontemps' latest MVP poll reveals why the Nuggets star is the odds-on favorite.

2023 NBA MVP finalists

Nikola Jokic | Center | Denver Nuggets

79 games | 26.4 PPG | 12.4 Role play | 9.0 APG

Luka Doncic | Point Guard | Dallas Mavericks

70 games | 33.9 PPG | 9.2 Role play | 9.8APG

Shai Gilgeous Alexander | Point Guard | Oklahoma City Thunder

75 games | 30.1 PPG | 5.5 Roleplay | 6.2APG

Zach Lowe's MVP choice

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

2. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

5. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic in particular caused a real debate, even if Jokic will likely end up winning his third trophy.

Their relative vote totals (presumably for No. 2) should be close to each other. The advanced numbers are split between them, although they may lean slightly toward Gilgeous-Alexander. He is a much better defender than Doncic. He shot at a higher rate, but the gap shrinks to zero when you consider how many more threes Doncic attempted; They hit 2s at almost identical speed.

Gilgeous-Alexander had the stronger start. Due to a leg injury, he finished a bit slowly. Doncic has been an inferno for more than two months as the Mavericks rocketed up the standings. The Thunder were on top wire-to-wire.

It's impossible to imagine a team this young, this good, without an experienced superstar to anchor it – taking over the offense when the game gets busy and creating a good shot from the ground up. Gilgeous-Alexander is elusive, a spinning phantom. He has developed into a playmaker. He gave this young team a calm and proud demeanor in fiery moments: We have it, so we're good.

The Thunder outscored their opponents by 11.3 points per 100 possessions with Gilgeous-Alexander on the court and were nearly even – minus 5 total points! – as he sat. In many seasons Gilgeous-Alexander would win this. That he finishes third here – that Antetokounmpo finishes fourth with averages of 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists on 61% shooting – is a testament to the historic greatness at the top of the league.

What makes Doncic the slimmest for the No. 2 pick is his combination of size and skill. He spent 9.8 dimes compared to 6.2 for Gilgeous-Alexander. Doncic's ball-dominating style contributed to that difference, but it's not like Gilgeous-Alexander plays like Stephen Curry.

Read more about Zach Lowe's picks for the NBA's top individual honors.

NBA MVP Straw Poll 3.0

Nikola Jokic was never particularly excited about making basketball history.

As the Denver Nuggets superstar center accepted his first NBA Most Valuable Player award in 2021, he was asked if he was excited to get the ceremony over with. “To be honest, yes,” Jokic told reporters.

The next year, as Nuggets coach Michael Malone was pushing hard for Jokic to win the league's highest individual award, Jokic was asked what it would mean to win back-to-back MVPs. “I don't know it. That doesn't mean anything special. I’m just trying to win basketball games,” he told reporters.

After leading the Nuggets to the franchise's first NBA championship in June, Jokic stated matter-of-factly in his postgame interview with ESPN: “The job is done. We can go home now.”

Whether he likes it or not, Jokic is on his way to further cementing his place in the innermost circles of NBA history. The MVP threesome features some of the greatest players in league history: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose six MVPs are the most ever; Bill Russell and Michael Jordan, who won five each; Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James, who won four each; and Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, all three of whom won.

In ESPN's final NBA MVP poll of the 2023-24 season, Jokic not only put himself in a position to be included in that elite group, but he also increased his already comfortable lead.

Read more from Tim Bontemps on the NBA MVP Straw Poll 3.0.