Victor Wembanyama Ascends in MVP Rankings, Cade Cunningham Emerges as a Strong Contender
An analysis of the latest NBA MVP rankings highlights Victor Wembanyama's rise to the top three, while Cade Cunningham demonstrates his potential to secure the award by default.
As noted by Tom Haberstroh, Cade Cunningham and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the only current NBA MVP candidates on track to meet the 65-game minimum for eligibility.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is closely edging the threshold, having missed seven of the last ten games due to injury. Cade Cunningham, on the other hand, has only missed six games, potentially positioning him as a frontrunner by default.
Concurrently, Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama face tight eligibility constraints, needing to maintain their game participation to remain contenders.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
MVP odds (via FanDuel): -145
SGA’s injury struggles lead to diminishing expectations for his MVP candidacy, impacting critical matchup outcomes. -
Cade Cunningham, Pistons
MVP odds: +600
Cunningham proved pivotal for the Pistons, whose offensive capability sees a stark decline without him on the court. -
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
MVP odds: +2500
His transformative influence on the Spurs’ enhanced performance is drawing more eyes as a playoff contender compared to earlier evaluations. -
Nikola Jokić, Nuggets
MVP odds: +300
Concerns persist over Jokić’s game time as he navigates a busy schedule, potentially limiting his candidacy. -
Jaylen Brown, Celtics
MVP odds: +5000
Brown’s notable contributions to a resurgent Celtics team highlight his status as a serious contender despite a shifting roster.
Quote from LeBron James: “JB is playing great basketball… I don’t understand why he’s not talked about as much.”
