What’s Nikola Jokic’s Case For Winning The MVP?

As the NBA regular season comes down the final stretch, the debate for Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid to win the MVP continues to be neck and neck, and Giannis certainly has an argument as well.

So, who would win it if the season ended today? Let’s look at Nikola Jokic’s case to win his third in a row.

Despite Jokic taking a step back purely in scoring, averaging 24.9 points per game compared to 27.1 and 26.4 in his previous two, he has become an even more efficient scorer, with a .663 effective field goal percentage.

This comes alongside the fact that he is currently 0.1 assist per game away from averaging a triple-double throughout the entire regular season, which would be the third time in NBA history.

His stat-stuffing abilities have led to his significant lead in 15 Win Shares, with Embiid’s 11.7 in third with just a handful of games remaining.

And a significant aspect of the Win Shares equation also factors in defensive metrics, which would assume to benefit the 76ers center, but there are factors that Jokic actually leads in.

The eye test usually prefers Embiid and his 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals a night, but the analytics prefer Jokic in terms of defensive rating, as Jokic has a 110 to Embiid’s 108.3, according to Basketball Reference.

Another way to look at this is through their team’s records with or without them on the floor.

In this smaller sample size however, the Nuggets have shown how much more reliant they are on their center, as they have a 3-6 record in games without Jokic compared to the 76ers’ 9-5 without Embiid.

But, the deciding factor may come down to the team’s record, whether fair or not. And with that logic, Philadelphia could get the benefit of the doubt if they end the year in the tougher conference with a better overall record, as they enter today 1 game behind Denver.

But, at the end of the day, finishing first in your respective conference goes a long way for the voting party, which Denver has seemingly done pole to pole this season.