For much of the season, the talk has been that the NBA is set for the most competitive awards races in recent memory. That still might be true for several of the major awards. However, according to ESPN’s straw poll of the MVP race, the drama for this particular trophy has disappeared.
Nikola Jokic has emerged as the runaway favorite after most of the other leading candidates suffered injuries that led to extended absences in recent weeks. Jokic earned 90 of the 101 first-place votes as he more than doubled up the second-place point total of Joel Embiid.