NBA MVP Race: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo Are in Tight Race; Who Is the Best Player so Far?
The top three potential MVP candidates in the NBA's 2021-22 season are Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. So one of them could win.
But there is still roughly a month left, and things could change anytime. It is a very close race. As of March 15, here is a breakdown of the top three, with five names at the bottom competing for top-five voting status, CBS Sports reported.
Nikola Jokic Competes for the 2021-22 NBA MVP Award Trophy
Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has clearly been the best player in the league this season as he places No. 1 in PER, VORP, BPM, DBPM, OBPM, WS/48, WS, OWS, RAPTOR WAR, Total RAPTOR, Offensive RAPTOR, and he's second in DWS and Defensive RAPTOR.
The MVP award would likely go to Jokic. His second in a row. But whether he will, remains to be seen. The next guy on this list was Joel Embiid, who has been fantastic in his own way, and the story behind him is a strong one.
However, Jokic has a similar narrative with Embiid and fought the same fight. He encountered under at least equally trying circumstances and has played basically the entire season without Denver's second-and third-best players, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., due to injuries.
Denver is over 19 points per 100 possessions better with Jokic on the floor against when he's off, almost double Embiid's on-off splits, and miles ahead of every other halfway reasonable MVP candidate other than Stephen Curry's plus-15.
Nikola Jokic is shooting 57 percent from the floor compared to Embiid's 48 percent. The 27-year-old Serbian has been the best player so far, but it will be enough to get him the MVP award.
Joel Embiid Is in Second Spot
Left in the lurch by Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid dragged the Philadelphia 76ers into the upper tier of the Eastern Conference even before James Harden arrived.
Embiid has been off the charts all season, and his case is obviously built upon a lot more than the narrative of having carried his team through the Simmons drama. He is the league's leading scorer and top three in almost all those VORP-like acronyms.
Embiid gets to the free-throw line almost at will, a better defender, and at least this year, a better 3-point shooter than Nikola Jokic. Two things that could sway some on-the-fence voters to Embiid's side - the scoring title and his traditional post-game.
To the latter, sports fans adore the concept of the old-school-style center, big and physical, posting up, turning, and dunking, as a contrast to today's 3-point finesse identity in the league, and they want to reward that style when it succeeds to this degree.
The thing is, Jokic is almost as big and powerful as Embiid, and if the Nuggets used him in the same way, he would most likely be unstoppable in the post. Even though Joel Embiid lives on a diet of midrange jumpers, he feels more like a perimeter-based center. But make no mistake, Jokic dominates everyone whenever he feels like it.
Giannis Antetokounmpo May Not Get His Third NBA MVP Award
Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid have spent most of their seasons without sidekick stars, and the simple truth was that Giannis Antetokounmpo was believed to be playing with a high-caliber supporting cast which is true.
That is why he's in third place in the race, with almost no chance of winning the award.
Suppose that Milwaukee Bucks of Antetokounmpo is tied with Philadelphia 76ers of Embiid in terms of losses, and Antetokounmpo is scoring two-tenths of one point per game fewer than Embiid (29.9 to 29.7). Every single aforementioned advanced stat that has been mentioned puts Antetokounmpo ahead of Embiid.
Bottom line, Antetokounmpo is playing with more support because he is (even if Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday have missed some real-time), and this will keep him from winning his third MVP.
NBA MVP Race 2021-22: Top Five
These names may change over the course of the season. But in order, here are the players who have a legitimate opportunity to end as the 4-5, also-rans behind the top three stated above.
The race is down to its top five candidates: Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, DeMar DeRozan, Stephen Curry, and Jayson Tatum.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Jess Smith
WATCH: Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid: Who Is the MVP? First Take Debates- From ESPN