In ESPN’s original straw poll for 2023-24 NBA MVP, Joel Embiid was far and away the favorite, but two Timberwolves — Gobert and Anthony Edwards — were among the 12 overall vote getters.

Embiid received 63 first-place votes out of 100 ballots cast by ESPN MVP experts in a straw poll to rank their preferred MVP prospects from 1 to 5. Nikola Jokic came in second place with 21 first-place votes.

Edwards was tied for eighth place out of the 12 voters, with three third-place votes and two fifth-fifth-place votes. Gobert got one fifth-place vote.

Edwards is currently averaging 24.7 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. He leads Minnesota in scoring and is a significant reason the Wolves are off to a franchise-best 20-6 start.

For the Wolves, Gobert is averaging 12.4 points, 12 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.2 assists per game. While he may not be considered an MVP candidate, he is a strong contender for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year title.