We take the same and start again. While the race for the MVP seems more open than ever this season, at the All-Star Break, it’s Joel Embiid who would be preferred by voters if the vote were held today.
For the second time after December, ESPN actually probed a panel of 100 voters, all journalists, to find out the identity of their 2022 MVP, during the All-Star Weekend break. And according to them, it is the pivot of the Sixers who should win the prestigious Maurice Podoloff statuette for the first time in his career.
With 789 points (including 45 first places), Joel Embiid would thus be ahead by a short head Nikola Jokic and his 754 points (including 43 first places). As a reminder, the latter had been crowned in 2021 in front of Joel Embiid.
Three internationals on the podium
Still according to these 100 anonymous voters, he is another international player, namely Giannis Antetokounmpo, who would complete the podium, with 512 points (including 9 first places). In front of the 211 points of Stephen Curry (1 first place) and the 157 points of Chris Paul (2 first places), which would therefore be added to the Top 5.
In the Top 10, would follow next Ja Morant (95 points), DeMar DeRozan (73 points), Kevin Durant (5 dots), Luka Doncic (2 points), Devin Booker (1 mark) then Jimmy Butler (1 point), the only other players to also receive votes in this provisional ballot.
Whether or not everyone agrees, this poll obviously only serves to give an indication of the voting intentions of each journalist questioned. Because things can still move by the end of the regular season, since the Top 5 of December was composed of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic then Chris Paul.
While Joel Embiid was 12th and Ja Morant wasn’t even ranked…
| Joel Embiid | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2016-17 | PHL | 31 | 25 | 46.6 | 36.7 | 78.3 | 2.0 | 5.9 | 7.8 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 20.2 |
| 2017-18 | PHL | 63 | 30 | 48.3 | 30.8 | 76.9 | 2.3 | 8.7 | 11.0 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 3.7 | 1.8 | 22.9 |
| 2018-19 | PHL | 64 | 34 | 48.4 | 30.0 | 80.4 | 2.5 | 11.1 | 13.6 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 27.5 |
| 2019-20 | PHL | 51 | 30 | 47.7 | 33.1 | 80.7 | 2.8 | 8.9 | 11.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 23.0 |
| 2020-21 | PHL | 51 | 31 | 51.3 | 37.7 | 85.9 | 2.2 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 28.5 |
| 2021-22 | PHL | 45 | 33 | 49.1 | 36.0 | 81.3 | 2.0 | 9.1 | 11.1 | 4.5 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 29.3 |
| Total | 305 | 31 | 48.7 | 33.3 | 80.9 | 2.3 | 8.9 | 11.3 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 25.5 | |
