Small change this year. Rather than offering a weekly MVP race, which was too often repetitive for us, we decided to adopt a monthly MVP race.
The race for MVP #1: a new Joel Embiid – Nikola Jokic duel?
For this second point, we opt like the journalists interviewed by ESPN for a 100% international Top 5, which would be a first in history. With always Joel Embiid as a leader in front Nikola JokicThen Shai Gilgeous-Alexander And Giannis Antetokounmpo. Without forgetting Luka Doncic which, like “SGA”, is chasing its first trophy.
In the footsteps, in particular, of LeBron James?
But, unlike the Canadian, the Slovenian has been making appearances in the Top 10 of the poll for four seasons now and, for what is (already) his sixth year in the league, he could see himself emulating players like Willis Reed, David Robinson , LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo and finally Nikola Jokic.
The six names listed above share, in fact, the common point of having waited for their sixth campaign in the NBA to be named MVP for the first (and last for the Reed/Robinson duo) time in their career. All of them had been well established in the league for some time, but it was their sixth season which was synonymous with individual crowning achievements.
To do this, it was first necessary for the aforementioned – with the exception of Nikola Jokic whose 2020/21 financial year was shortened – to explode their record of victories over a year, to bring it to at least 60. He then They had to put together the best statistics of their career or, more or less, the best.
Still too fair collectively?
For Luka Doncic, we can already say that the second criterion is met, since he currently has his best averages in points (33.7), assists (9.2), interceptions (1.4), address at 3 -points (38%) and free throw skills (79%). At this level, his file will therefore not suffer from any dispute.
On the other hand, it seems complicated to imagine the Mavericks finishing with a minimum of 73% success (i.e. 60 victories), since they are currently starting on the basis of a campaign with “only” 46 victories (i.e. 56% success) . Which risks being too fair to compete with candidacies like those of Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Giannis Antetokounmpo, all launched towards an exercise with a minimum 68% success (i.e. 56 victories).
Suffice it to say that Luka Doncic has every interest in quickly finding the help of Kyrie Irving (and Maxi Kleber) to improve Dallas' results. Hoping, too, that this quadriceps injury – which worsened on the evening of his huge 50/15 Christmas – does not cause him to miss too many matches, because the limit for individual awards is 17 and he has , for now, missed 3 this season.
RACE FOR MVP: OUR TOP 5
1 – Joel Embiid (Sixers)
Summary: 21 wins, 9 losses – 3rd in the East.
Matches: 25 disputed out of 30 possible.
Stats: 35.0 pts, 11.7 reb, 6.0 pads, 1.2 int, 2.0 ctr and 3.8 pdb in 34 min.
Percentages: 54% on shots, 35% on 3-pointers and 89% on throws.
2 – Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
Summary: 23 wins, 11 losses – 3rd in the West.
Matches: 33 disputed out of 34 possible.
Stats: 26.1 pts, 12.3 reb, 9.2 pads, 1.2 int, 0.8 ctr and 2.7 pdb in 34 min.
Percentages: 56% on shots, 33% on 3-pointers and 82% on throws.
3 – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
Summary: 22 wins, 9 losses – 2nd in the West.
Matches: 30 disputed out of 31 possible.
Stats: 31.2 pts, 5.7 reb, 6.3 pads, 2.6 int, 0.8 ctr and 2.0 pdb in 35 min.
Percentages: 55% on shots, 32% on 3-pts and 92% on throws.
4 – Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Summary: 24 wins, 8 losses – 2nd in the East.
Matches: 31 disputed out of 32 possible.
Stats: 30.9 pts, 11.1 reb, 5.5 pads, 1.3 int, 1.2 ctr and 3.8 pdb in 35 min.
Percentages: 61% on shots, 22% on 3-pointers and 67% on throws.
5 – Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
Summary: 19 wins, 14 losses – 6th in the West.
Matches: 30 disputed out of 33 possible.
Stats: 33.9 pts, 8.4 reb, 9.3 pads, 1.4 int, 0.6 ctr and 4.0 pdb in 37 min.
Percentages: 49% on shots, 39% on 3-pointers and 79% on throws.
Mentions : Jayson Tatum (Celtics), Anthony Edwards (Wolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)…
