Former Celtics Champion Makes Unconventional NBA MVP Pick
· Yahoo Sports
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While the oddsmakers have seemingly ruled out any mystery in the NBA MVP race, an ex-Boston Celtics player wants someone other than the clear betting favorite to prevail.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is -1000 to win his second straight MVP on FanDuel Sportsbook. Brian Scalabrine backed another superstar, and not Jaylen Brown.
Scalabrine, who won an NBA title with the Celtics in 2008, encouraged Frank Isola to place his MVP vote on Victor Wembanyama during their SiriusXM NBA Radio show.
"I want you to vote for him for MVP," Scalabrine told Isola on Monday. "I can make a compelling argument that he's the best player in the league, the most impactful player in the league. If he's gonna play in the minimum amount of games, you have to come to me and tell me why you wouldn't pick him."
The NBA now requires a player to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible to win MVP. At 52 games played, Wembanyama must play in 13 of San Antonio's final 15 games to have a shot.
After six consecutive losing seasons, the Spurs are poised to return to the playoffs behind Wembanyama. The 22-year-old center has continued his rapid ascent to superstardom by averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and an NBA-leading 3.0 blocks per game.
"Wembanyama is the most important player," Scalabrine said. "He's the MVP of the league."
Wembanyama is much more likely to win Defensive Player of the Year, as he boasts the league's best defensive rating (101.7) and defensive rebound percentage (32.9).
MVP could be a tougher sell. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.6 points per game on a remarkably efficient 54.9 field-goal percentage for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have compiled an NBA-best 53 wins.
However, Wembanyama made a compelling argument when tallying 39 points and 11 boards in last Tuesday's 125-116 victory over the Celtics. He'll look to submit another MVP statement when the Spurs play the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
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