Tag: MVP

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named a finalist for 2023-24 MVP award

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nominated for 2023-24 MVP award.

The NBA announced its award finalists for the 2023-24 season on Sunday. The Oklahoma City Thunder had several representatives among the groups.

The biggest one is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP finalist nod. This shouldn’t be a shocker. The 25-year-old has been the face of the youngest first seed in league history.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the best players in the league this season, consistently scoring 30-plus points on high efficiency.

After finishing fifth in MVP voting last season, Gilgeous-Alexander has evolved into one of the best players in the league. He averaged 30.1 points on 53.5% shooting, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds in 75 games this season.

Other finalists are Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. The 2023-24 MVP winner will be announced during the NBA playoffs, Gilgeous-Alexander was also named a finalist for Clutch Player of the Year along with Stephen Curry and DeMar DeRozan.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and Chet Holmgren were named finalists for Coach of the Year and Rookie of the Year, respectively.

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Every No. 1 WWE Draft pick through the years

Who deserved to go No. 1? Who was a surprise when they were picked? We go back through the entire history of WWE Draft top picks.

Is it an honor to get drafted, whether it’s in traditional sports or WWE? Sure. But there’s something to be said for being the No. 1 pick.

The WWE Draft is, of course, not the same thing as a pro sports draft, in the sense that it’s done all for entertainment value. It’s not GMs or authority figures sitting around and selecting the best available wrestler, as much fun as that would be.

Still, most years the WWE Draft has been around, the No. 1 overall pick has been a big name, someone you would actually build a wrestling brand around. And even the years when it wasn’t, it’s fun to look back and say, “Wow, really?”

So let’s do that now. Scroll down for a look at every WWE Draft No. 1 pick in history, from the initial WWF draft lottery in 2002 up through the most recent edition.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum voted fifth in final ESPN MVP straw poll; Jaylen Brown 10th

The St. Louis native came in behind (in order) Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Two Boston Celtics players made an appearance in the final 2024 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award straw poll put together by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps for the 2023-24 regular season. Star forward Jaylen Brown received a single fifth-place vote to register tenth overall in the straw poll results after a strong finish to the Celtics’ current campaign.

The poll, which aims to project how MVP voters will cast their vote at the end of the season for the coveted full-season honor, also saw fellow Boston All-Star swingman Jayson Tatum come in fifth in the final installment of straw poll voting.

The St. Louis native came in behind (in order) Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In terms of the mix of places he was voted into overall, Tatum received 2 first place votes, 1 second, 1 third, 11 fourth, and 54 votes for fifth place.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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Shaq picks Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his MVP

Shaq picks Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his MVP.

As the 2023-24 regular season winds down, the MVP race tightens. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a prominent player in those discussions this season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder (46-20) sit in first place in the Western Conference standings. The young squad has opened a championship window this season.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s superstar rise has been the main reason. The 25-year-old is averaging 31.1 points on 54% shooting, 6.4 assists and 5.6 rebounds. He also averages a league-leading 2.1 steals.

Before the Thunder collected a signature win over the Dallas Mavericks, Shaquille O’Neal spoke highly of Gilgeous-Alexander, claiming he meets his standards for MVP this season.

“SGA is my MVP right now. He fits both our criteria. He’s the baddest m-f-, shut-your-mouth in the league and his team is winning,” O’Neal said. “He’s definitely my MVP.”

This is a pretty strong endorsement for Gilgeous-Alexander. O’Neal is one of the greatest players ever and has turned into a massive media personality over the years with the “NBA on TNT” crew.

As the Thunder continue to play on national television, famed pundits such as Shaq will recognize Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the best players in the league.

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Kendrick Perkins makes the case for Boston’s Jayson Tatum winning MVP

Where does he have the St. Louis native in the race for the 2024 MVP award?

Fans of the Boston Celtics have heard a lot of chatter around the case for star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum to be getting a better nod than he has been in recent projections of the NBA’s 2024 Kia Most Valuable Player award, and with how he has been playing of late (and how the Celtics have as well), for good reason.

But what about the national media? Where do they have the St. Louis native in the race for the 2024 MVP award? For at least one prominent national analyst, the answer is much higher, with former Celtics center Kendrick Perkins weighing in on the debate on a recent episode of ESPN’s “NBA Today” show.

And while Big Perk might be a bit biased considering his past, we’re still intrigued to hear why he thinks Tatum should be getting more MVP love this season.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear his case.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Can Jayson Tatum really win the NBA’s 2024 Kia Most Valuable Player award while playing for the Boston Celtics?

With a stacked roster around him, their excellence may be hurting his case.

Can Jayson Tatum really win the NBA’s 2024 Kia Most Valuable Player award while playing for the Boston Celtics? With a stacked roster around him, their excellence may be hurting his case.

In a recent post-game discussion, CLNS Media reporter Bobby Manning and Celtics Blog beat writer Noa Dalzell explore whether Tatum can win the NBA MVP this season with such a good ball club, or if the St. Louis native is simply in an impossible fight. This discussion came after the Celtics continued their winning streak with a commanding 116-102 win against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on this past Saturday night.

Check out the clip embedded below to hear their thoughts on the debate on a recent episode of the “Garden Report” podcast.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Chicago’s Patrick Williams on where Jayson Tatum belongs in the NBA’s 2024 MVP race

In the top five players in the NBA’s race for MVP, the Bulls’ Patrick Williams says, ‘Jayson Tatum is definitely on that list.’

While it feels like everyone and their mother has an opinion on the finer grained details of the NBA’s race for the 2024 Kia Most Valuable Player award, for some, the field is so good that narrowing down a list of the top five players in it can be quite a tough job.

You can count Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams in that camp, who made a point of stressing how high the level of play is this season one has to choose prospective candidates from. Speaking to the Celtics Wire after a gala introducing his new foundation, Williams opened up about how he sees the MVP race this season, and star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum’s place in it.

“I think so many people are playing well now.,” prefaced Williams.

ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe, Stephen A. Smith do not agree on Jayson Tatum’s place in the MVP race

Should star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum be among the leaders for the NBA’s 2024 Kia Most Valuable Player award?

Should star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum be among the leaders for the NBA’s 2024 Kia Most Valuable Player award? With the St. Louis native the best player on the team in the NBA with the best record and Tatum’s game starting its usual late-season ascent, many Celtics fans are asking why he should not be.

And with them, a number of league analysts are also on that particular topic as a talking point for their respective shows and podcasts. Among them are ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe and Stephen A. Smith, who ended up on opposite ends of this particular issue on a recent show.

At the time of recording, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic were all ahead of him in the odds.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear the case for and against Tatum being near or at the top.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics’ Jayson Tatum says MVP voters hold Boston’s 2022 NBA Finals loss against him

Is the St. Louis native right about this? And if he is, is that out of line given the award is for how he is playing in this, the league’s 2023-24 season?

Star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum recently shared that he believes that the people who vote for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award are still holding his late collapse in the 2022 NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors against him.

Is the St. Louis native right about this? And if he is, is that out of line given the award is for how he is playing in this, the league’s 2023-24 season? Or is it fair to consider a player’s history in full, along with how they are playing in any given season? And what about the role of the team around an MVP candidate? Should not that count for something?

Chris Broussard and Rob Parker, the hosts of Fox Sports Radio’s “The Odd Couple” show, took some time to talk it over on a recent episode.

Check it out above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Can Boston’s Jayson Tatum elevate to become the NBA’s 2024 Most Valuable Player?

Boston’s talent is an obstacle, but a good one to have.

At the start of the NBA’s 2023-24 season, many an NBA analyst thought that star Boston Celtics forward would be among the leaders in the race to win the 2024 Most Valuable Player award. But the aggregation of All-Star level talent only grew on Boston’s roster, making it hard for the St. Louis native to put up the gaudy numbers we expect from leading MVP candidates.

Since then, fans of the Celtics have been struggling to understand why Tatum is not among the top MVP candidates despite being the best player on the league’s best ball club in terms of record and talent. There are more factors to consider for MVP voters, but it is a fair question just the same.

The hosts of the popular ESPN “Hoop Collective” podcast took some time to break down the Duke alum’s chances to win MVP this season, and why he was seemingly low earlier in the season.

Check it out above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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