2022 midseason NBA awards ballot: MVP
- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
- Joel Embiid, Sixers
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
- Chris Paul, Suns
- Stephen Curry, Warriors
Here’s my general approach to the MVP race: Which players are having the best individual campaigns? Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. Which superstar-level players are doing the most with the least help? Also Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. Those two are 1A and 1B right now, and there’s a equally strong case for both. It feels moderately sacrilegious to give the nod to Jokic on this particular website, but alas, the Joker is my back-to-back MVP (as of right now, in February).
Jokic is putting together a historically efficient offensive campaign with very little help around him. Denver’s second-best player (Jamal Murray) has been out all year, and their third-best player (Michael Porter Jr.) went down for the season just a few weeks in. Jokic’s primary sources of help right now are Will Barton, Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green, and Monte Morris. The Nuggets are still five games above .500 and sixth in the West.
In addition to his remarkable playmaking skills (7.8 assists), Jokic’s volume and efficiency as a scorer are one-on-one. He leads the NBA is field goal makes and isn’t even top-15 in total attempts. He is shooting 57.2 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from deep, and has one of the deepest bags of tricks in the NBA, despite his unassuming athletic profile. Jokic has also been rock-solid on defense, which was once the primary knock against him. Oh, and he’s a top-5 rebounder on the planet.
“But Joel Embiid doesn’t have much help either! And he’s the most dominant scorer in the NBA! He gets to the line like 18 times a night because defenders can’t guard him! And he’s an elite defender! And he’s passing like never before!” You’re exactly right. Embiid is a totally justifiable MVP pick, and this is a Sixers website, so this writer would be lying if he didn’t have a certain appreciation for Embiid’s unique set of circumstances. He has done so much to improve his game and it would mean a lot, both to Embiid and the city, for him to win the award. A lot of people have him No. 1 right now and he’s completely deserving. This is not a tear-one-down-to-lift-the-other-up scenario. Jokic and Embiid are the best players in the NBA right now. Pick your poison, both are generational, all-time talents.