With the 2024 NBA season coming to a close, we thought it would be a good idea to recap the MVP candidates for the final month of the season. There’s a familiar face frontrunning- along with a young, fresh face giving him a run for his money. As well as another magical player making history on a nightly basis. What’s even more interesting is that almost every candidate is an international player. So, without further ado, here are the top 5 contenders according to Vegas.

Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets

The Joker might just do it again. It would be his 3rd MVP in 4 seasons after winning back-to-back in 20-21, and 21-22. Jokic is averaging 26 points, 12.2 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game. He’s having the second highest rebound and assist rates of his career and is a triple-double machine. With 20 triple-doubles on the season, the Joker now has 125 regular season ones to go along with 16 more in the playoffs.

The all-time leader in triple-doubles is Russell Westbrook with 198. However, a major thing to note is that Jokic has done all of this in just over half of the games played Westbrook has in his career. Russ has played 1,152 games, while Jokic has only played 658.

It’s a massive discrepancy that all but assures the record will be owned by Jokic one day. Sitting around -200 on most betting sites, Jokic is the leader of MVP candidates heading into the final month of the NBA season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai is the closest to Jokic in the MVP race. And depending on who you ask, SGA is actually leading the race. A guy who’s leading the youngest team in the NBA to a top seed in the West. SGA is averaging 31.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. He’s certainly not the triple-double presence that Jokic is, but regardless OKC owns the season series over Denver 3-1, and they have the better record.

The biggest separator between SGA and Joker though is the defense. Shai averages 2.1 steals and 1 block a game- both higher averages than Jokic. The 2.1 steals are also best in the NBA. He would be only the 4th player in NBA history to finish with 31 points per game and 2+ steals per game. The other names on that list include James Harden, Allen Iverson, and Michael Jordan- so nobody important, really.

Shai has been proving all season that he is consistent and reliable. All NBA fans know about voter fatigue, and it may just propel SGA to his first ever MVP if he can lead OKC to 1st in the West.

Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks

An MVP top-10 finisher the past four seasons, Luka magic is back on full display. Averaging a ridiculous 34.7 points, 9 rebounds and 9.8 assist per game- Doncic’s numbers still aren’t good enough to have the Mavericks competing for a top seed. Instead, the Mavs are down at the 8 seed just fighting to make the play-in tournament. And it’s a shame because this is starting to become a commonality for Luka and the Mavs.

Aside from a Western Conference Finals run back in 2021-22, Dallas hasn’t really constructed a competent roster around Luka since. They should always regret not figuring out a way to resign Jalen Brunson. But also, they seemingly gave up on Kristaps Porzingis because of injuries and instead they decided to go and get Spencer Dinwiddie. Porzingis is now a key cog in the Celtics dominance, while Dinwiddie’s career is fading into the LA sun.

Nevertheless, Doncic has had a 73-point performance against the Hawks in January and is now the all-time leader in consecutive 30+ point triple-doubles with 6 (and counting). He should definitely be considered as one of the leading MVP candidates this NBA season, and his +700 odds reflect that. But the Mavs’ performance as a whole may hold him back.

Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

The Greek freak is quietly having another elite season. Along with the inclusion of all-star guard Damian Lillard, Giannis is still averaging 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Those numbers are on par/better than his back-to-back MVP seasons in 18-19, and 19-20. Even with the addition of Doc Rivers as head coach, the Bucks have still been really good.

At 42-23, Milwaukee is second in the East, 8 games behind Boston. The Celtics have just been making mincemeat of teams below .500 with a record of 22-1. The Bucks on the other hand are 21-8 against opponents of the same type.

With odds that average out to around +1500, Giannis is a name that should be higher on this list. But as we will get into with Tatum, his supporting cast definitely detracts from the idea that he is the most valuable player to his team’s success. He’s still very important and a top 5 player in the NBA right now.

Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

Tatum is a guy who should maybe be higher on this list. In a different era, the best player on the best team would undoubtedly be leading the MVP race. Nevertheless, Tatum sits at +5000 behind the players listed above. The thinking behind it being that Tatum is getting more help from Jaylen Brown and an all-star littered roster. Tatum is simply a victim of his team’s success.

Multiple times, Tatum has had 40-point games, and he’s been the driving force leading the Celtics to success. The five-time all-star’s MVP moment is coming in the future should he continue to produce at this rate for the rest of his career. He’s just caught up in a grueling race against players who are averaging better numbers.

Honorable Mentions:

Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves

Ant Edwards may not win the award this season, but he’s showing his capabilities to win it in the future. Edwards is a fan-favorite for his crazy athleticism that produce highlight real plays on a regular basis. Like his game-saving block against the Pacers the other night where he sacrificed his body to make an incredible play. Add in the unfortunate Karl Anthony-Towns injury, and we’ll see if Ant is capable of being the “bus driver” for the Timberwolves.

De’Aaron Fox – Sacramento Kings

De’Aaron Fox, or “Swipa” as they call him, has kept the Kings in the playoff discussion in a tough Western conference. He’s a player who deserves his flowers at this point in his career, although Fox probably isn’t in serious consideration for the award. Nevertheless, Vegas still has him at +15000.

Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers

Joel is probably going to be the first victim of the 65-game minimum rule that was newly implemented this season. The rule states that a player has to play in at least 65 games to be considered for any award. It has been a very controversial talking point all season. Embiid would most certainly be one of the top MVP candidates to end the NBA season had he stayed healthy. He’s had multiple 50-point games, including a 70-point game against the Spurs just before he got injured.

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