#Devin booker race free#

If the Nuggets, now in second place in the West, finish with the first or second seed, it will be tough to ignore Jokic’s case.

2 in player efficiency rating which measures a player’s good and bad plays. He remains a dominant and efficient player and is No. He posts 9.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game and shoots a career-high 62.3% from the field. Are voters willing and prepared to put Jokic in that exclusive group? Jokic averages 23.0 points, four fewer than last season, but he’s also taking four fewer shots per game with the return of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Players voted when Chamberlain and Russell won. Just three players (Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Larry Bird) have won three consecutive MVPs, and Bird is the only one to win three in a row with media voting. After reaching the West finals last season, barely making the playoffs or missing them altogether won’t do much for Doncic’s candidacy. Doncic is one of the best players in the league and headed toward an MVP trophy at some point. Still, there has to be frustration about Dallas’ start.

#Devin booker race free#

But his true shooting percentage, which accounts for 3s and free throws, is 60.6%, and he has a high assist rate and low turnover rate, which is remarkable considering how much he handles the basketball. His 33.1% on 3s is a dip from last season’s 35.3%. Doncic averages a league-best 33.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists and 50.5% from the field. (tie) Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericksĭoncic is almost in the same position as Curry: eye-popping stats but on a team that is.

With help from USA TODAY Network staffers Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic and Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, we take a look at the top six MVP candidates after a quarter of the season: 5. Curry finished eighth.Ĭurry is off to another strong start along with Jokic, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Milwaukee’s two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Dallas’ Luka Doncic among others. But it wasn’t enough to overtake Denver’s Nikola Jokic who won his second consecutive MVP. Last season, Golden State’s Steph Curry got off to a hot start, cooled off and finished strong. Start strong and finish strong, a player can remain in the conversation all season.īut that doesn’t mean the player who is atop the MVP poll early in the season wins the award, which is voted on by media. NBA MVP narratives begin early and, right or wrong, help shape the MVP race for the remainder of the season.