Overview
- ESPN reports Nikola Jokić has missed 16 games and would be ineligible for MVP with two more absences under the NBA’s games-played rule.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed his 11th game with an abdominal strain and must play at least 16 of Oklahoma City’s final 22 to qualify, per ESPN.
- Betting interest has surged for Cade Cunningham, who shortened to roughly 9-2 at DraftKings, while Victor Wembanyama sits around 20-1 but has missed 14 games and is nearing the limit.
- As of Friday, odds snapshots still list Gilgeous-Alexander as the favorite (around -250) with Jokić next (about +400), followed by Cunningham, while Jaylen Brown remains a longer shot near +4000.
- Media voices including Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins, and Lou Williams have pushed Jaylen Brown’s MVP case as he posts career numbers and, per Shams Charania, plays the second night of a back-to-back after a precautionary knee rest.