The 2023-24 MVP Award was announced this week with Denver Nuggets star big man Nikola Jokic winning his third career MVP. While Jokic is certainly a deserving candidate, the voting caused no shortage of uproar on social media with many believing Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic had cases themselves. Both Mavericks coach Jason Kidd and Thunder coach Mark Daigneault shared their thoughts on the voting.
Mark Daigneault remarked that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's impact on the team isn't validated by award voting finishes as per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
“I don't think the individual awards validate anything in terms of the work that's been done with any of our players, all the guys that have been up for awards,” Daigneault said. “It doesn't change the fact that he had a great. . .regular season. . .the impact that he's had on our team not only this season but over the course of this build. You can't even measure it. An award wouldn't change anything.”
Jason Kidd remarked how it's an honor for Luka Doncic to be mentioned among such great players as per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
“The results are the results. You talk about three of the best players in the world, The Joker, Shai and Luka, it's incredible to be mentioned with those three,” Kidd said. “Luka has no control over The Joker or Shai or who votes for who. That's the media's right and that's the way the results came out. . .the other two candidates had incredible seasons.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic finish second and third, respectively in MVP vote
While Nikola Jokic won the MVP Award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic were not far behind. Gilgeous-Alexander finished second and Doncic finished third. With both players still being relatively young and not quite in the prime of their careers, it's not hard to picture both players eventually winning an MVP at some point.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been a huge reason for the Thunder's accelerated rebuild. Since joining the Thunder ahead of the 2019-20 season, he has blossomed in a full blown franchise centerpiece.
This past season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.0 steals with splits of a career high 53.5 percent shooting from the field, 35.3 percent shooting from the three point line and 87.4 percent shooting from the free throw line. Through the Thunder's first five playoff games, he's averaging a playoff career high of 27.6 points per game.
Luka Doncic meanwhile has been the driving force behind the Mavericks ascent in the Western Conference. He has a perfect supporting star in Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks have but a solid mix of shooters and lob threats around their two stars.
This season, Doncic averaged a career high and league leading 33.9 points per game, 9.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.4 steals with splits of 48.7 percent shooting from the field, 38.2 percent shooting from the three point line and 78.6 percent shooting from the free throw line. In the playoffs so far, he's averaging 28.3 points per game.
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