In mid-December, Denver’s Nikola Jokic had a healthy lead on Gilgeous-Alexander in ESPN’s MVP straw poll, conducted several times over the course of each season by Tim Bontemps.

The fifth spot was another tough choice. Jalen Brunson is the beating heart of a Knicks offense that has been a force this season and he could well be No. 5 on my board, but the defensive concerns and credit for that offense also going to Karl-Anthony Towns bumped Brunson down one spot in my book to sixth. By the end of the season, this may flip.

The NBA announced its 2025 All-Star starters on Thursday. To nobody's surprise, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was listed as a starter for the Western Conference. It's the second straight season he's received that honor and marks his third All-Star appearance.