Joker? Curry? Embiid? The battle to obtain the NBA’s highest regular season honor rages on
It has been an odd season in the NBA for a number of reasons, however, the NBA MVP race is in an unprecedented situation. There have been numerous frontrunners for the award this season, but injuries have gotten in the way of many potential candidates.
Usually, the award goes to the best player on the best team in the league, but currently, Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic is the favorite to take home the award. He is averaging career-highs across the board, averaging 26.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. Even though the Nuggets are sitting in the fourth spot in the west, it is undeniable that Jokic deserves to be the favorite at this point.
Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid had been the favorite for a good chunk of the season, but unfortunately, he has missed 18 games this season. When he has been on the court, however, he has been the best player in the league. He is averaging 29.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this season, while also leading the Sixers to the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Since we are in the middle of an unprecedented season, you might have to start adding Stephen Curry into the conversation. Curry has been on an absolute roll, as he has posted 11 straight 30-point games. Additionally, he has five 40-point games in the month of April. The two-time MVP is averaging 31.4 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. While the Warriors are only at ninth place in the west, they are probably the worst team in the league without Curry.
One final candidate would be the back-to-back MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is looking to win his third straight MVP award and would be the first player to do this since Larry Bird. While it will be incredibly hard for him to win a third straight, he is averaging 28.5 points, 11.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
With the league going through unique circumstances, it appears that either way there will be some precedent broken no matter who wins the award. Whether that be someone winning whose team isn’t at the top of their conference or someone who has missed more games than usual to win the award. The MVP race is heating up and will be an exciting sprint to the finish line.