A new era of NBA basketball is being defined by big men

It has been a long time coming, but the NBA is now transitioning back to the pecking order of the past. Through a generation that’s seen the evolution of three-point shooting and perimeter shot creation, genuine big men have been regarded as ‘dinosaurs’ incapable of surviving in the modern game.

But as we head for the final stretch of the 2021-22 NBA regular season, the three leading candidates for MVP are all big men. It’s practically a foregone conclusion that this will be the fourth straight season of having a big man as MVP.

They may not be the traditional big men of the past, but Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid are re-shaping the food chain of NBA basketball.

A new era of NBA basketball is being defined by big men

It’s not as if the league has regressed to the style of the eighties and nineties, rather, modern big men have been able to adapt and grow. They are applying the skills usually accustomed to those much shorter in stature.

At least, that’s the case with Jokic and Embiid, both of whom have unfathomable skills to go with their giant, seven-foot frames. The beauty is in their balance between the modern style of play while retaining the use of their enormous physicality.

There are few, if any, that can deal with Jokic or Embiid in more traditional post-up action. But by the same token, they’re equally adept at handling the ball in transition or stepping out to shoot the three-ball at a high clip. That’s without even mentioning Jokic’s awe-inspiring vision, which makes him one of the best passers in the league, or Embiid’s elite rim protection.

Many have debated what category Antetokounmpo sits at position-wise. He’s simply his own unique type of player that’s delivered two MVPs, a Finals MVP, and a Defensive Player of the Year. Even so, his raw power and unstoppable nature in the paint have drawn comparisons to Shaquille O’Neal.

Not only is this trio defining today’s game, they’re also altering the way we view the next generation. Although they may have reached the individual pinnacle of their sport, other big men have also had the tendency to struggle, and many become synonymous with the dreaded term ‘bust’.

So, how do we evaluate future prospects based on the successful elements Antetokounmpo, Jokic, and Embiid have brought to the league? It’s not so easy when two of them were speculative selections in their own right – Jokic as a second-round pick and Antetokounmpo as a late lottery choice.

There are a couple of lessons to be taken. Firstly, it’s evaluating what skills, or potential skills, will actually transfer to the professional game. Many college big men look like they have skill, but in reality, it’s simply the physical advantage that won’t be as pronounced once they enter the league.

Secondly, patience really is a virtue when it comes to big men. They often battle with injuries early on and take time to grow into their larger frames. It may be a gradual, frustrating process, but they can often explode within one offseason to bear the fruits of the patience afforded.

Ultimately, a young talent prospering into an MVP caliber player is often a pipe dream. But that doesn’t mean we can’t use the talent of Antetokounmpo, Jokic, and Embiid to help identify those that could become highly productive, All-Star level players.