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NBA MVP Ladder: The Official 2021-2022 NBA MVP Ballot

By Michael Shearer

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 30: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is defended by Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during a game at Fiserv Forum on January 30, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 30: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is defended by Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during a game at Fiserv Forum on January 30, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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NBA MVP Ladder, NBA MVP Ballot
DENVER, CO – APRIL 07: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles against the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena on April 7, 2022 in Denver, Colorado, NBA MVP Ladder: The Official 2021-2022 NBA MVP Ballot, NBA MVP Ladder: The Official 2021-2022 NBA MVP Ballot. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Mito/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images) /

NBA MVP: Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic is my choice for MVP this season.

He has led almost every statistic this season practically from the start, and it’s not just the advanced metrics that love him. He’s averaging more assists (7.9) than LaMelo Ball, more points (27.1) than Jayson Tatum, and more rebounds (13.8) than Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo – despite being unable to jump over a piece of paper.

Jokic just became the first NBA player in history to notch 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season. Arbitrary round numbers that barely exclude bigger seasons from Wilt Chamberlain? Sure. Still impressive? Heck yeah!

The Serbian big man reads the game better than anyone in basketball. He has turned a Nuggets team missing its second and third-best players (and arguably two best shooters) into a top-ten offense.

No other player in the league is as gifted on that side of the floor. He is the best passer in the league and the most efficient shooter. His 66 percent true shooting is by far the highest among high-usage stars. This season has proven that Jokic can build an excellent offense out of anything.

Defensively, Jokic is not as good as Giannis or Embiid, but he’s doing something right. The advanced metrics have consistently rated him a decent defender, but this year he’s been downright elite by the numbers.

The eye test, of course, says he can be beaten by quicker guards easily, and he’s not an elite shot-blocker. But he makes up for his limitations with insanely quick hands, perfect positioning, and a third eye that allows him to tap into the supernatural to know what an offensive player will do before they know.

And if you still need a tiebreaker, Jokic has been a workhorse in a season where injuries or COVID protocols have decimated almost everyone. He’s played roughly 200 minutes more than Doncic and Embiid and about 300 more than Giannis. We have never seen a season quite like this one, and for that, Nikola Jokic is a deserving MVP once more.

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