Gobert, Mitchell Receive MVP Votes In ESPN Straw Poll

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell received a small share of MVP votes in a recent ESPN straw poll.

In the article, 101 media members were asked to compile a list of their top-five MVP candidates ranked in order. Those results were then tabulated and released to show where the race stands with little more than a month remaining in the NBA season.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic appears to be a runaway favorite to win the award, while Gobert and Mitchell received only a handful of votes.

New ESPN story: With a month to go in the regular season, the latest MVP straw poll shows that Nikola Jokic is favored to win — and it isn’t close. https://t.co/i7M3ooZRge

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 15, 2021

The Nuggets All-Star earned 90 of the 101 first-place votes, eight second-place votes, two third-place votes, and one fourth-place vote to finish on top. Jokic is averaging a near triple-double for the Nuggets and has led the team to an impressive 35-20 record without missing a game this season.

Gobert received the most votes of either Jazz player coming in 10th in the rankings. Gobert earned one second-place vote, two third-place votes, two fourth-place votes, and three fifth-place votes to crack the top ten.

Mitchell meanwhile earned one second-place vote, one third-place vote, and two fifth-place votes to come in 11th.

Gobert should be the odds-on favorite to win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award for the third time in the last four years. The All-Star center leads the NBA in ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus-Minus, as well as FiveThirtyEight’s Defensive RAPTOR.

Ben Simmons on the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Race:

Rudy Gobert "guarded me in Utah and I had 42.”

Do the numbers back him up?#takenote | @utahjazz https://t.co/WFNjwLZnet

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 13, 2021

Mitchell is in contention to earn his first All-NBA nod. The guard is averaging 26.5 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game while helping lead the Jazz to the best record in the NBA at 41-14.

The Jazz stars weren’t the only players with local ties to earn MVP love. Former Weber State guard and Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard also received votes in the straw poll. Lillard came in fourth-place in the race including two first-place votes.

While Jokic looks poised to become the league’s first MVP at the center position since Shaquille O’Neal did it in 2000, he likely won’t be the only big man among the top three finalists. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid came in second in ESPN’s poll while Milwaukee Bucks two-time MVP forward Giannis Antetokounmpo came in third.