Is the Best of the West going to determine the NBA MVP?

The regular season is winding down and with that Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson turned their attention to some awards consideration on the latest episode of All The Smoke Unplugged.

ESPN recently released a straw poll showing Nikola Jokic the front-runner to take home the hardware, followed by Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Giannis and Jayson Tatum.,

The guys basically were on the same page with this straw poll, highlighting the Joker, SGA and Luka while also throwing in Anthony Edwards.

Jokic is currently the favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook and Matt notes that he’s having a typically excellent Joker season, averaging 26 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists as Denver is tied for first in the Western Conference. SGA, meanwhile, is putting up NUMBERS to the tune of 30 points 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game while leading the Thunder to a significant turnaround after a sub-.500 season a year ago. Luka is getting hot at the right time and is in line for career highs in points, rebounds and 3-point shooting. And Ant-Man has made the leap into superstardom, leading the Wolves to a first-place tie in the West with a 26-5-5 line.

Stak says it is so close and he’s really looking at that race for first place in the West between Minnesota and Denver. He says if Denver takes first, then Jokic could add to his trophy case. But if Minnesota finishes atop the conference, he thinks Ant-Man deserves to take home his first MVP award. However, if something crazy happens and OKC leaps over both the Wolves and Nuggets, then SGA could be deserving of the award. So with all three of those guys having such stellar campaigns, Stak says whoever is the leader of the best of the West should get the MVP.

Matt loves the Joker and Ant-Man, but he looks at how young OKC is without another superstar to ease the burden on Shai and the turnaround they’ve made from last year’s campaign, and he thinks SGA has been absolutely amazing all without saying a word. Matt can’t wait for the playoffs, especially given the way Luka and Kyrie Irving are gelling as the Mavs play some stellar basketball. He says there’s a lot of excitement coming up over the next month in the NBA and he’s looking forward to it!

Watch or listen to the full episode below — including how the guys rank LeBron, Steph, KD and Kawhi— and keep an eye on DraftKings Network for new episodes of All The Smoke Unplugged every Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET!

SHOW BREAKDOWN

South Carolina’s Revenge, Wemby vs Gobert, Jokic vs Luka, Caitlin Clark’s Future | ATS UNPLUGGED

• The theme of this weeks ATS Unplugged is good vibes, as Matt & Stak are live from the Barnes casa to break down all the latest in hoops, including South Carolina getting revenge vs. Iowa in the national championship game. Plus, Wemby vs. Gobert, who should really be defensive player of the year? Who should be MVP, Hokic or Luka? Also, what’s next for Caitlin Clark and ATS is going on a live tour!

VIDEO:

Check out the DraftKings YouTube page and the All The Smoke Productions YouTube page for more. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on Instagram at @Matt_Barnes9 and @_Stak5_ as well as All The Smoke Productions.

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