Making the case for MVP: Antetokounmpo, Embiid, or Jokic?

Nikola Jokic, Center, Denver Nuggets

The reigning back-to-back MVP and analytics darling amongst the stat nerds is “The Joker,” Nikola Jokic. Jokic won his MVPs despite his team’s being marred by injuries the last few seasons to his co-stars Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. With their big three now all healthy and intact, the Joker has put up another magical season, nearly averaging a triple-double of 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game on a staggering 63% shooting from the field.

The narrative pundits had against Jokic last season was that he won the MVP as a 6th seed in the West, but the question is now: do we award him his third consecutive MVP as the Nuggets sit atop the Western Conference? He ranks first in a plethora of advanced statistics, including PER (31.5), box +/- (13.3), win shares (14.9), and VORP (value over replacement) at 8.8.

Winning a third consecutive MVP would put Jokic in prestigious company, as only Bill Russell (’61-’63), Wilt Chamberlain (’66-’68), and Larry Bird (’84-’86) have accomplished such a feat that not even Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, or others have achieved.

The matchup on January 28 against his positional contemporary Joel Embiid, in which Jokic was outplayed in a loss, may swing some voters to vote for Embiid, but with analytical nerds controlling most of the MVP votes and Jookic having another historic statistical season with his team atop the Western Conference this time, it may persuade them to award him his third consecutive MVP award.