The NBA 2K League revealed its finalists for the season two Most Valuable Player award on Friday evening, headlined by high-scoring point guards.
The candidates were revealed in a league Periscope stream run by Managing Director Brendan Donohue shortly before Friday night’s week 11 games. Finalists were nominated by NBA 2K League team managers (one per team) and players. The five players with the most votes were selected as finalists.
Voting for the award begins at 6 p.m. EST tonight and ends 11:59 p.m. EST on July 19. Vote weighting is distributed at one-third players vote; one-third team managers, league officials and media vote; and one-third fan vote.
Among the finalists is Blazer5 Gaming point guard Mama Im Dat Man, his second straight nomination as an MVP finalist and the presumed favorite for this year’s award.
At the time of publication, the star guard is second in the league in points per game at 22.9—trailing oFab by a mere 0.1—and second in the league in assists at 11.7, again trailing oFab. Mama’s play has helped Blazer5 achieve a 14-1 record in the regular season and a comfortable spot as the first seed in the playoffs.
oFab, Celtics Crossover Gaming’s point guard, was also named as a finalist, his first nomination. Last year’s second overall pick leads the league in both points per game and assists per game at 23 and 12.3, respectively, and currently has his team in striking distance of a playoff spot at 9-5 despite a 1-5 start to the season.
Continuing the run on point guard finalists, 76ers GC’s Radiant was nominated for the first time after missing out on last year’s finalist stage in what many considered a snub. The flashy guard has been a steady presence in the 76ers backcourt, averaging 20.1 points and 10.2 assists per game so far in season two. The 76ers currently sit in the middle of a tight playoff race at 9-5 on the year.
Two rookies made the final list. Reizey of Magic Gaming has turned around a slow start to make the final five, averaging 17.7 points and and 10.2 assists per game, seventh and third in the league, respectively. The ninth overall pick has led Orlando to the mix of teams in playoff contention with an 8-5 record and two tournament semifinals appearances.
The other rookie to make it is Kings Guard Gaming’s BP. The third overall pick has electrified Sacramento’s backcourt all season with his dribble moves, and has averaged 17.5 points and 8.1 assists per game. The point guard has helped turn the Kings’ fortunes around, leading them from a 4-10 season one record to a 10-5 season two mark, good enough to put the team in the driver’s seat for a postseason appearance.
