In a segment on NBA Today this week, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins shocked his co-hosts when he made a pitch for Domantas Sabonis as the MVP this season. According to Perk, Sabonis’ skills and numbers alone are enough to put him in the conversation.
“Why are we not saying anything about [Domantas] Sabonis?… If we’re going based on numbers, he’s leading the league in triple-doubles and double-doubles. The man is averaging 20, 13, and 8.”
Contrary to popular belief, Domantas Sabonis isn’t just a high-end starter for the Kings. He’s their go-to star and one of the top five big men in the game right now. Through 57 games this season, he’s averaging 20.0 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game on 62.1% shooting. Statistically, he’s first in rebounds and is top 10 in scoring among bigs.
At a glance, Sabonis may actually be a viable MVP candidate if not for two things holding back his campaign. Arguably the biggest crux for Sabonis’ MVP odds is his team’s performance this season. MVP rarely gets handed to a player whose team is in 7th place and that’s where the Kings are right now after an up-and-down season.
There’s also Sabonis’ defensive woes, which are pretty glaring if you watch him for any extended stretch of time. Despite his size and skills, Domantas isn’t very good on that end of the floor and it limits the kind of challenge that the Kings can present in the postseason.
Arguably the biggest reason for Domantas’ MVP ineligibility right now is simply that there are much better candidates. With scoring up across the board, averaging 20 points per game just isn’t going to be enough to be in the MVP conversation, not when you’ve got guys averaging well over 30 points as their team leads the standings.
Who Is The Real MVP This Season?
With several weeks left to go before the end of the season, the MVP race is not set in stone and any one of a number of stars can end up winning it. Before he got injured, 76ers big man Joel Embiid was the leading MVP vote-getter and he could have won his second straight had he not missed the NBA’s 65-game minimum rule.
But with Embiid out of the picture now, it leaves the door open for another top candidate to take the prize and there are a few players who are making a really good case.
In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the shining star for his young Thunder team and he’s been unstoppable offensively with averages of 31.2 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game on 54.8% shooting. If he keeps up this level of play and leads the Thunder to a top seed in the playoffs, it could be enough for him to secure his first major accolade.
Currently, however, it’s Nikola Jokic who is the front-runner in the MVP race. He’s been on fire lately leading the defending champion Nuggets and he’s having one of his best seasons yet with averages of 26.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game on 58.3% shooting. It’s his award to lose right now and all signs point to a strong finish for the 6x All-Star this season.
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