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New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Jalen Brunson correct in questioning approach to MVP voting

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Jan 13, 2025 4:00 PM ET

We all know the MVP award has no set criteria. In some ways, its nothing more than a popularity vote among the panelists, specifically designed to reward the most dominant scorer. Yet, each year, the goalposts get moved based on which players are in the running.

This year, Jayson Tatum is expected to miss out on the award due to the talent around him on the Boston Celtics roster. Giannis Antetokounmpo, on the other hand, is viewed as a potential candidate despite the Milwaukee Bucks' horrific start to the season.

During a recent episode of 'The Roommates Show,' New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson questioned the lack of genuine criteria in MVP voting.

“Jokic is playing absolutely absurd. His numbers are crazy,” Brunson said. “[The Nuggets are] not seeded where they were last year…and people are still talking about him like being MVP. Individually, he deserves it. But when Luka was averaging damn near triple-double, but [the Mavs] seed wasn't where people wanted it to be, they were like, ‘Oh, he shouldn't get MVP because of seeding'…Why do certain narratives work for some of the people?”

"[Nikola] Jokic is playing absolutely absurd. His numbers are crazy. [The Nuggets are] not seeded where they were last year, and people are still talking about him like being MVP. Individually, he deserves it. But when Luka [Doncic] was averaging damn near triple-double, but [the… pic.twitter.com/mboeQPNWGJ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 13, 2025

With no concrete instructions on what voters should look for, the MVP race is often a contentious affair among NBA fans. Should Tatum miss out despite being the best player on one of the best teams in the league? Is his contribution not valuable? If Jokic, Giannis or Luka Doncic are putting up otherworldly numbers on a losing team, can they really be awarded an MVP trophy?

Brunson himself could stake a claim for a spot in the top five or top 10 of voting this year. However, it's far more likely Karl-Anthony Towns is the Knicks representative. Nevertheless, with no clear guidelines on what to aim for, its unlikely Brunson or Towns come close to winning the award.

The NBA is a multi-billion dollar business. You would hope it could set guidelines on how to vote for the most prestigious individual award a player can win. After all, winning an MVP can cement a legacy, just as missing out on one can tarnish it. The league must do better at creating transparency. Otherwise, fans and players alike will continue to point toward some form of conspiracy and favoritism. While that may be good for generating clicks and talking points on panel shows, it removes some legitimacy from the award itself. If the NBA wants to continue growing, it's time it regulates how awards are voted for and distributed.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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