MVP Mock Voting Version 2.0: Alexander Leads with 930 Points, Jokic Second, Doncic Fifth

On February 20th Beijing time, although this NBA season has been plagued by star injuries and uncertain participation, the leaderboard for the MVP contest has yet to shift. At least, that’s the case currently. In ESPN’s second MVP poll this season (involving 100 voters from local, national, and international media), Thunder guard Alexander widened his advantage over Nuggets center Jokic. Alexander scored 930 points and secured 78 first-place votes, being the only player to appear on all 100 ballots.

There are 11 players who received MVP votes, ranked by total points as follows: 1. Alexander, 2. Jokic, 3. Cunningham, 4. Wembanyama, 5. Doncic, 6. Jalen Brown, 7. Mitchell, 8. Leonard, 9. Brunson, 10. Maxey, 11. Edwards.

Alexander, the current MVP, continues to shine this season, averaging 31.8 points and 6.4 assists per game for the Thunder, who lead the Western Conference, with an impressive shooting percentage of 55.4%.

Although the defending champion Thunder have declined since the first poll in mid-December, Alexander’s lead has actually grown. The Thunder started the season with a blistering 24-1 record aiming for 70+ wins, but injuries brought them back to reality—they’ve since gone 17-13. This includes seven games missed by Alexander due to an abdominal injury, and the team announced today he will be re-evaluated in a week, meaning he’ll miss several more games.

This downturn in performance should have opened the door for rivals, but the main storyline this season remains: injuries have completely reshaped the awards race.

Jokic remains in second place (700 points, 18 first-place votes), but a bone bruise suffered in late December sidelined him for nearly a month, clearly slowing his MVP campaign.

That doesn’t mean Jokic is out of the running. His stats are still outstanding: averaging 28.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game, with shooting splits of 59% from the field, 42% from three, and 84% from the free-throw line.

However, his margin for error has greatly diminished; if Jokic misses two more games, he will lose eligibility for MVP and all end-of-season awards.

This would also end his streak of finishing in the top two of MVP voting for five consecutive years—just one short of the longest record held by Celtics legends Russell and Bird.

Many others face the same 65-game attendance threshold pressure: Spurs center Wembanyama jumped from eighth in December’s poll to fourth, earning three first-place votes and 75 total votes. However, he has already missed 13 games (14 including the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count), meaning he can only miss up to four more games this season.

Still, the French phenom is exploding in his third season: averaging 24.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and leading the league with 2.7 blocks per game. If he stays healthy and the Spurs close the three-game gap with the Thunder to top the Western Conference, Wembanyama could replicate Joel Embiid’s 2022-23 season script by overtaking Jokic to win MVP.

Meanwhile, ranked fifth in the poll, Lakers guard Doncic has already missed 12 games.

Two other vote-getters—the Clippers forward Leonard (missed 13 games) and Timberwolves guard Edwards (missed 10 games)—risk losing eligibility if they suffer further injuries.

Not to mention Giannis and LeBron, both already below the 65-game threshold. (Warriors guard Stephen Curry received no votes this time and will also lose award eligibility if he misses two more games.)

But the collective injuries to top stars have opened opportunities for others.

Cunningham (Pistons) received one first-place vote and ranks third. He is the driving force behind the Pistons’ rise this season, leading the team to first place in the Eastern Conference and potentially securing their first home-court advantage in a playoff first round since 2008.

With Tatum still recovering from last year’s playoff Achilles tear (close to return), Celtics forward Jalen Brown continues to perform at his career peak, climbing from ninth to sixth. This rise reflects both his individual excellence and the Celtics’ resilience in maintaining second place in the East before the All-Star break despite key absences.

The final Eastern Conference All-Stars on the list are—

Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers, 7th)

Jalen Brunson (Knicks, 9th)

Tyrese Maxey (76ers, 10th)