Wembanyama joins SGA, Jokic as MVP finalist

Wembanyama joins SGA, Jokic as MVP finalist

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Victor Wembanyama joined former winners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic as finalists for this season's Most Valuable Player award, the league announced Sunday night.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, averaged 31.1 points and 6.6 assists on 55% shooting, and Wembanyama averaged 25 points and 11.5 rebounds in 29.2 minutes. Jokic, a three-time MVP, averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists, becoming the first player to lead the NBA in assists and rebounds.

Gilgeous-Alexander is also a finalist for the Clutch Player of the Year, joining Minnesota's Anthony Edwards and Denver's Jamal Murray.

Edwards is a finalist despite falling short of the league's 65-game minimum for most of the regular-season accolades because nominees for the Clutch award were selected by the league's coaches.

Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham also fell short of the 65-game minimum but were on the ballot for all awards after appealing to the league under the "extraordinary circumstances" clause. Though neither cracked the top three in voting for MVP, they are in line for All-NBA honors.

Wembanyama, who led the NBA in blocked shots per game for the third straight season, is also a finalist -- and the favorite -- to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. The other finalists are Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren and Detroit's Ausar Thompson, who led the league in steals.

Thompson's teammate Jalen Duren is a finalist for Most Improved Player after his scoring jumped from 11.8 last season to 19.5 points. Atlanta's Nickeil Alexander-Walker is also a finalist after more than doubling his scoring from last season (9.5 to 20.8). Portland's Deni Avdija, who is the third finalist, made the All-Star team for the first time and averaged 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists.

Dallas' Cooper Flagg, Charlotte's Kon Knueppel and Philadelphia's VJ Edgecombe are the finalists for Rookie of the Year.

Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff, San Antonio's Mitch Johnson and Boston's Joe Mazzulla are the finalists for Coach of the Year.

The award winners will be announced starting this week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.