Overview
- Gilgeous-Alexander topped ESPN’s 100-voter MVP straw poll published Friday with 88 first-place votes and 958 points, with Victor Wembanyama second at 644 points and eight firsts.
- Kon Knueppel led the Rookie of the Year straw poll 80–20 over Cooper Flagg, signaling a strong media lean toward the Hornets guard.
- Knueppel’s case rests on record 3-point shooting as he leads the league with 261 makes and hits better than 43% from deep, paired with a noted boost to Charlotte’s turnaround.
- Flagg posts 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists as a rookie, yet his 27.8% 3-point mark has hurt his bid, though some voters such as Brian Windhorst still placed him first.
- Betting markets now price Gilgeous-Alexander as a heavy MVP favorite, helped by the NBA’s 65-game rule removing injured contenders, even as his own season line sits at 31.6 points on 55% shooting for a 61–16 Thunder team.