The NBA MVP Straw Poll & Victor Wembanyama’s DOMINANCE for the Spurs 🏀 | NBA Today

The NBA MVP Straw Poll & Victor Wembanyama’s DOMINANCE for the Spurs 🏀 | NBA Today

Pulls the three Giannis he’s just loving it the Bucs win this one easy 112 to 95 so the pair of multi-time MVPs they squared off last night and then ESPN’s Tim bontemps had his latest straw poll today remember this is where bontemps asks a 100 voters who their MVP is right

Now which mimics the actual voting that will be conducted in April Nicol leic was the major MVP favorite but look who’s behind him Shay Gil just Alexander 2 jannis third you can see how the top five shakes out here so yic SGA they round up the top three Brian do you see

This as reflective of how the MVP race is going to shake out I do I had yic number one on my straw ballot and I had Shay number two and what Bon Temps has a bunch of data now he’s been doing this for years and over the last couple years

The guy who was in second place in this mid-season poll this Allstar poll is the guy who end up winning it so even though joic has the lead and he has our respect from being a champion and MVP uh Finals MVP if Shay ildis Alexander were able to

Lead the Thunder to the Western Conference number one seat and is impressive in doing so and I don’t see how they would win it unless he’s not I do think there’s a pathway for him but look yic is trying to win his third and fourth years and it’s when you’re

Holding the finals MVP and the the NBA MVP at the same time it’s pretty impressive and he’s on his way there does that logic not apply to Jason Tatum I’m a little curious you know because the Celtics could easily end up with the best record in the NBA and we’re talking

About people’s impact and I know his numbers may not look they may not jump off of the table I think around 25 or 26 points per game he’s still shooting the ball well but I’m just surprised he didn’t get one vote in the straw po now I understand like if I’m voting today

For MVP it’s Nik yic based off of his impact of the game SGA best story and I think he has a great shot at too I’m cool but I was more so like oh no Tatum well but that’s what’s interesting oh go ahead it’s not fair because it’s

Supposed to be on this year’s it’s not supposed to be last year or next year or four years ago or whatever Jason Tatum in the playoffs last couple of years particularly in the finals two years ago didn’t play his best and so now fair or

Not no matter what you want to say the far for him is a little bit higher so would that apply for Donovan Mitchell absolutely applies to Donovan Mitchell Donovan Mitchell was in my top five but he wasn’t in the top five with the straw

Who was in your top five Brian I had uh jic and then um Inay and then I had Kawai third I had Donovan fourth and I had luuka fif so no Giannis that that’s where it’s going to get really tough for voters this year like and you know you

Do this vote right now when they’re going through a coaching change and let me say that will affect voters that will affect voters and we’ve seen it in in in the if a coach gets fired if things start to change over they often times look at the

Stars and those stars are the ones that are going to be voted on for MVP but let me be very clear when we talk about a pathway I think there’s a pathway for three people Shay Kawai and Donovan Mitchell I think those three if Shay finishes number one keeps putting up

Stats keeps doing a great job like he has or even just top two again and then if you look at Ka uh Kawhi Leonard if his team continues this trajectory that they’ve been on for the last six seven weeks same thing Donovan Mitchell same way they’re number two right now out of

Nowhere I’m stunned kaw’s not in the top five that I mean he was firmly in third in my view and so you’re s you know I’m surprised that he’s not there at all that’s one of the big surprises for me because he’s played so great well the

Only thing I would say is this it is so difficult and why I think this is the era of big men big men get to put up Gody Gody stats like you’re not like joic is almost average in a trip the skill sets have Evol agreed so when

You’re looking at a guard right when James Harden won it when um Russell Westbrook won it their numbers were off the charts big a triple double exactly so now you’re talking about Giannis joic and embiid what those guys are able to do from a statistical number especially with less defense let’s say elevated

Numbers those things jump off the chart Jason Tatum Kawhi Leonard Shay Donovan Mitchell those guys are not going to put up those Gody numbers of a James Harden of a Russell Westbrook and they’re definitely not going to put it the same or the centers that get the rebound so

So they’ve got to be number one if joic is stuck there at number four and Shay and these guys get to number one if Kawai gets to number one then that helps their argument if jokic’s numbers are or if his numbers are crazy and his team is

At four or five then that kind of drops him in my opinion I also think that what helps your argument is expectation of winning and that’s where I think Kawai could potentially Edge Shay I know that looking at the records okay OKC is up there but if this is the year which we

All believe it could be where the Clippers finally get to the Western Conference Finals and advance and win a championship that narrative helps Kawai and he’s having his best shooting season of his career but that goes back to what Brian was saying about how maybe the year before if that’s something that

Happens this year then that affects how he’s viewed next year versus that expectation because we vote on this in the regular we got to talk about Victor wanyama I mean he is starting to really separate himself in the Rookie of the Year race and guys last night it may

Have been the most impressive game of his young career because I’m finding myself watching a blowout between Victor Rama who shows up Rock and this do you have an outfit like that I I do not have an outfit to many butt dunk like that exactly yes I could do a dunk like that

But but I would have to jump a lot higher trampol lot higher well we’re going to he already had 19 points six rebounds five assists three blocks two steals in the first half so we’re just going to go ahead to the second half it’s the blocks for me y’all I mean to

Be able to put up double digit blocks and this is your rookie campaign you’re playing for a team that is playing for different reasons like he shows up to every match up with the right intensity and defense is the best manifestation of that noan sound like E40

Over I have I have some hater thoughts we’re going to save those later we’re to save those for later we have some ha I have some hater thoughts what a tease yes we’ll save it for later though Victor I mean the way watching him just hunting those blocks the way

That the vision that he has on the floor here today at that you’re hating from outside the club cuz you could never ever get in ever I’m just glad they’re winning I’m glad they’re winning and he put up great numbers under seven in the fourth are they grd dick what what are

You doing Grady dick this is number 10 for him wem’s 10th block which gives him a triple double Vel misses it nope yep wanyama 27 points 10 blocks 14 rebounds five assists two Ste he was looking back he was like oh that was a great pass and

He’s making history I mean wemi is the first rookie a 10 block triple double since David Robinson in 1990 the Admiral did it three times as a rookie That season because was7 years old so let’s let’s keep that it wasn’t just rookie history though for Vic right he’s the

Fifth player in NBA history with a game of 25 points 10 rebounds 10 blocks five assists the other four hakee Kareem Robinson and Ralph Samson and then wemi I mean he’s consistent as well right he’s putting up numbers for the season we just haven’t seen by any player since

Shaq in 2000 and that was the season that O’Neal won the league MVP and Victor is putting up those numbers as a freaking rookie so I think it’s easy to ignore the fact that this kid he’s 20 he’s 20 years old he’s already putting up numbers at a historic level I’m going

To let you get to your hater thoughts but just keep them for one more second because he’s already exceeded expectations I want to go love before hate I got so much hate he has not exceeded my expectations because this is what I expected him to do wow because I

Thought he would be an impact player right away he’s averaging 20 points 10 rebounds and three blocks a game in 29 minutes 29 minutes because he’ been on a minute restriction and last night by the way he did all that in 29 minutes okay here’s the other thing the thing that

You’re probably going to say is that he had he’s he’s trouble has trouble shooting I would going to say nothing like that well in the last 13 games he’s shooting 39% on threes the three-point shot is getting better and he does turn the ball over now that is a legitimate

Problem they got to do something about that he’s got to get better there but he is only scratching the surface of what he can be he would be the first guy to say though that he needs to get better there he was already talking about that

Okay Richard no no no no this is the thing I want to be clear I don’t want to tarnish anything that that young man is doing just said I have so much hate I no no no I not so much hate I just have a hate statement that I but I’m gonna say

I’m I’m Gonna Save it because no no no because I don’t want it to take away from what he’s doing currently right now no you already dug yourself you dug yourself this whole come man absolutely all those it safe space Richard safe space it’s a secret we won’t tell

Anybody it has to do with some of the criticism that our guy Will Chamberlain got that’s it that’s it but we’ll I’ll save it for that it’s it’s it’s it’s who is criticizing will was that I just want save it just guys trust me guys I am definitely not trusting you what I

Will say Victor has surpassed in my opinion Chad hombr from the way he has played I’ve been Chad all year long he has pass CAD but I still think is neck and neck I still think that the pressure that CAD hren is under to provide a

Highle lift for the team that he’s on that’s you’re to be the biggest tease come on yes I am I’ve been called that minan night oh gosh here we go let me get us back on track okay I ne I’ve always had Victor you know the guy to win Rookie of

The Year just because I see his impact Richard I feel like you’re faulting Victor because he’s in a bad situation versus benefiting you know chat because he’s in a good one he’s in a bad situation he can’t control that he’s not playing with people that you know Chad

Is playing with but what has he done with the opportunity he has he’s put up numbers points rebounds you know all blocks like he’s he’s been the class of all of that among wait really quickly I 100% agree with you with but you give the edge to Chad right yes but does Chad

Have more pressure on him like understand we’re not going doesn’t doesn’t Victor wey pressure being you called Victor wey the greatest Prospect ever you said pressure okay can I finish what say can I can I finish I’m say it really quickly if you want to really quickly no I’ll say it in a

Second this is what I want to say in a second when we talk about pressure when we talk about pressure right yes there is looming pressure because I said he was the greatest Prospect and I still stand by that but we’re talking about in game it’s not about being a prospect in

Game when you’ve got to make shots late game only thing I’m saying we’re not going to fault if you don’t want to fault Victor for being on a crappy team there is still pressure applied as a rookie as you know when you show up and

Your team is the number one seed and you are having to play in these high level games every single night that is a different type of pressure than just expectations yeah but that doesn’t diminish what Victor web and Yama has been able to do in the small amount of

Time all it’s been one you start the segment with hate what’s your Hat

The NBA MVP Straw Poll & Victor Wembanyama’s DOMINANCE for the Spurs 🏀 | NBA Today

On NBA Today, Richard Jefferson, Brian Windhorst and Chiney Ogwumike discuss the NBA MVP Straw Poll and Victor Wembanyama becoming a dominant NBA player.

0:00 NBA MVP Straw Poll
4:46 Wembanyama shows out
8:05 Criticism for Wemby?

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