The NBA world has been in a frenzy recently, with a lot of heated debate going on about Nikola Jokic potentially winning his 3rd consecutive MVP award.
Kendrick Perkins has been at the center of controversy after he made wild claims about Nikola Jokic‘s MVP bid. While Jokic appears to be the frontrunner, though, the season isn’t over yet, which Bill Simmons reminded everyone of.
Here’s the thing about MVP — there’s still 20-25% of the season left, all the seeds are in play and a ton of shit can happen. Embiid could average 38-40 for 5 weeks. Giannis could go on a 38-15-8 Freak streak. Etc etc. It’s wide open. We need to pass out some Settle Down Juice.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) March 8, 2023
“Here’s the thing about MVP — there’s still 20-25% of the season left, all the seeds are in play and a ton of sh*t can happen,” Simmons wrote. “Embiid could average 38-40 for 5 weeks. Giannis could go on a 38-15-8 Freak streak. Etc etc. It’s wide open. We need to pass out some Settle Down Juice.”
This is a fair point, Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Milwaukee Bucks have a better record than Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets at the moment. Even Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers aren’t far behind, meaning that their cases could earn serious legitimacy before the voting season ends.
Nikola Jokic is the frontrunner because of his absurd statistics and the success of his team, but both other candidates have those things as well. The narrative may suggest he is certain to win, but that is far from the truth, with some big and deciding games coming up to end the NBA season. All these players have a pretty decent case.
Examining The MVP Cases For Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, And Joel Embiid
The top 3 players in the league are all international big men at the moment, and they’re vying for the highest individual honor the league has to offer. Nikola Jokic is averaging a 24.4 point-per-game triple-double while leading the Nuggets to the top seed in the Western Conference and the second-best record in the NBA. There’s a reason he’s in consideration for a 3rd consecutive MVP.
Joel Embiid is the second-best scorer in the league, averaging 33.3 points per game. With 10.1 rebounds per game, he is not as dominant on the boards, but Embiid is a monster defensively, distinguishing himself on that end of the court. The Sixers are still in the running to finish as the East’s top seed, so he very much could make a late run to secure his first MVP award.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s greatness is perhaps taken for granted more than anyone else’s. The Milwaukee Bucks are the league’s best team, and the Greek Freak is averaging 31.2 points and 11.9 rebounds per game despite averaging just 32 minutes per game. He could win his 3rd MVP award too. If any of these stars are given a choice, though, all of them would want to win an NBA championship over the MVP.
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