In a recent appearance on “The Draymond Green Show,” NBA big man Anthony Davis revealed his ranking of this season’s most worthy MVP candidates.
Unsurprisingly, his selections included all of the standard picks: Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, Jaylen Brown, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic. What came as a much bigger surprise was the order in which he ranked the superstars, specifically the placement of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at fourth.
“In order, as of right now, I will have to go Wemby, I’ll go Jokic… JB [Jaylen Brown], Shai, Luka,” said Davis.
In a field of amazing athletes, the case can be made for many of them, but Wemby’s season stands out the most for Davis. As a fellow big man, he has a special appreciation for his game, knowing just how unique and versatile his skillset is.
“The stuff he’s doing is unrealistic, bro. On both ends of the floor,” said Davis on Wembanyama. “The tallest guy we’ve seen do something like that is KD, who can put it on the floor, post up, shoot from deep. And now you’ve got this guy who’s 7’5″, who is doing it with ease. When I play against him, it’s like ‘Ok, you have to go to bed at 9:00.’ One of my favorite players to watch for sure, and he brings the best out of you.”
There’s no question that Weby deserves that recognition, and the same could be said for Jokic, who is leading the Nuggets in one of his best seasons yet. Despite a mid-season injury, he remains on track for award eligibility, and his name cannot be ignored with averages of 28.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 56.8% shooting and 38.0% shooting from three.
Jayen Brown was the third mention for Davis, and for good reason. With Jayson Tatum sidelined for most of the season, it was Brown who led them on both ends of the floor with timely clutch baskets and consistent defense from game to game. With averages of 28.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 47.6% shooting and 34.4% shooting from three, he’s putting up career numbers this season, and his case has never been stronger.
Surprisingly, Davis has SGA ranked fourth. He’s the best player on a Thunder team that’s been dominant all season and now holds the league’s best record at 63-16. With averages of 31.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 55.4% shooting and 38.7% shooting from three, Shai has nearly outperformed last season’s MVP campaign, and he’s leading the ballots again this year.
Davis agrees that Shai is ahead of Luka Doncic, who won’t even make the NBA’s 65-game minimum requirement (barring an exception). And while most fans would have Shai above Wembanyama, Jokic, and Brown as well, not everyone is convinced by his foul-baiting tactics. Some would rather reward more honest, complete gameplay, such as the style that Victor has been playing since entering the league.
With averages of 24.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game on 51.0% shooting and 35.0% shooting from three, what Victor is doing right now is nothing short of incredible, and it deserves to be recognized with the highest honor. If he can just stay healthy and avoid missing any more time, he may still be able to retain his award eligibility. Even if not, however, Wemby’s eyes will remain on the battles to come as he focuses on leading the Spurs as far as he can take them.
