JC Ansis: A lot of people don't consider Luka Doncic as a worthy MVP candidate probably because of the slow start he had and how out of shape he looked entering the season.
But if the MVP award is about putting up impressive individual stats while also making your team better, then Luka should be in the conversation.
He is the only player in the NBA this season averaging at least 28-9-8. The only other players who have done that in a single season are Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook.
Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo undoubtedly produced big numbers this season as well, but Luka has held his own in the matchups against the three top MVP candidates.
Plus, the Dallas Mavericks made huge strides this season and ended the regular season as the fourth-best team in the West, mainly because of Doncic's stellar play. They secured home-court advantage in the first round, which is the first time the Mavs will host a playoff series since 2011. And we all know how that season ended.
Luka is a special player who continues to get better and better each year. I know he isn't going to win MVP this season, but my vote goes to LUKA MAGIC.
Polo Bustamante: This pandemic has taught me to simplify my life. I realized that I don’t need much in my life to be happy. Shoes? I can live with a few less pairs. Dining out? Let me cook it myself. This simplified approach also works with how I understand hoops.
There are so many ways to analyze what makes an MVP. Sometimes, though, it’s as simple as giving it to the best player of the best team. This season, that guy is Devin Booker. His averages aren’t as eye-popping when compared to the other MVP contenders but his big games are arguably just as impressive. He dropped 49 points on Nikola Jokic on March 25 and averaged 35 points against Joel Embiid.
When talking about value to the team, Booker has been just as important as Jokic and Embiid to the Suns this season. When Ayton was out for 13 games in December and January the Suns still went 11-2 with Booker averaging nearly 27 points during that stretch. Playing without Chris Paul out for a month, Phoenix still went on an 11-4 tear. Booker played 11 of those games and led the team with his playmaking, averaging seven assists during that stretch.
Booker has been just as amazing, and just as valuable as the two MVP frontrunners. The Suns set a franchise record of 64 wins this season with him leading the way. That’s 13 more wins than the Philadelphia 76ers and 16 more than the Denver Nuggets. They’ve been unquestionably the best team in the league this season. That all looks pretty simple to me.
Miguel Flores: Here are three statlines from players all in contention for MVP this season.
Player A: 27.1 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 7.9 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.9 bpg, 62.0 eFG%, 0.0 BSRN
Player B: 29.9 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 5.8 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.4 bpg, 58.2 eFG%, 0.0 BSRN
Player C: 30.6 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.5 bpg, 53.4 eFG%, 1.0 BSRN
Player A and Player B have very good stats, but don't have any BSRN – the abbreviation for the highly-advanced stat called Ben Simmons-Related Noise. Player A is Nikola Jokic and Player B is Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Player C, interestingly, leads all qualified superstars in BSRN, just ahead of Kevin Durant (0.5). As many stats and spreadsheets Calculator Twitter would have you look at, they never include BSRN in their calculations.
BSRN should have inversely affected not only Embiid's stats but also Philly's record. Still, despite the BSRN, Embiid led the Sixers to the third-best record in the East and put up a career year. In the name of math and science, we have to give it to Embiid.
Charmie Lising: Let's get this out of the way: Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo have all been incredible this season. They all put up monstrous numbers and fought adversities to steer their teams to the playoffs. But my MVP pick goes to Embiid.
At the height of the Ben Simmons saga, Joel Embiid showed out on the court – huffing and puffing every game but still working like a man on a mission. At least you know what to expect when you lose your key players to injuries. Adapting to tough circumstances is part of the job, but the uncertainty (and the media attention) that the Sixers had to deal with was unique. It was a different kind of challenge that Embiid faced head-on, even serving as his team's spokesperson at times.
Amid the turmoil and chaos, Embiid became the Sixers' steadying presence. He carried his team on his broad shoulders and continued to trust the process. He was a dominant force, leading the league in scoring while being a beast on the defensive end. He was simply unstoppable in what could have been a lost season, in what could have been a waste of his prime. He deserves that trophy.
Jon Rodriguez: It’s a toss coin between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. Heads: Jokic. The reigning MVP won it last season when he had help. This season he got even better because–with no disrespect to his other teammates–there isn’t much help. Watch Jokic play and it’s like watching a single father washing, drying, cooking, and feeding a household of 2-year-olds. It’s exhausting, but instead of being exhausted, Jokic chose to be awesome. He took on the role of rim protector and rebounder while keeping true to his nature of being a magician with the basketball–all in one breath.
Tails: Embiid. Like Jokic, Embiid has had his share of load-carrying for his team that was in shambles after last year’s playoff exit. Embiid stood strong, soldiered on, and amid all the drama, played through the best season of his career. Forget the points, rebounds, blocks and the efficiency (they’re better than prime Shaq, in case you’re wondering), just one number is a clear indication of how Embiid has finally broken through: 68. That’s the number of games he played this year, his most ever in a season. He showed up for his team and dominated each time.
This coin, however, isn’t equal. One side has the weight of the world on his shoulders yet still manages to throw no-look passes in the process. The other has a highly competitive team with a lot of weapons. I call heads.
Yoyo Sarmenta: The MVP award not having specific qualifications is both exciting and frustrating. There is as much beauty in the broad never-ending debate of what it should stand for as it is a definite head-scratcher because nobody knows what it really should stand for. There is a fine line between the science of it all and the artistry behind it.
I won’t bore you with the metrics and advanced stats to describe how awesome a player Nikola Jokic is. It would be easy to mention his 40-point double-doubles and what have you. But let’s try to encapsulate his greatness with how many “Did you see what he just did?!” plays. You know what I’m talking about. It’s those no-look, crosscourt passes that go through three people before reaching his teammate. It’s those one-legged spin cycles in the post while still maintaining his pivot foot. It’s those Jokic-puts-his-head-down-and-somehow-flips-it-up-and-in shots. It’s the inevitable clutch baskets in the fourth quarter.
We can debate for a long time what the definition of the MVP award should be. Or we can just sit back, relax, and just talk about the latest out-of-this-world thing Jokic did.
Renee Ticzon: At this point, there’s no reason to choose anyone else but Jokic. When you think about the MVP, it’s easy to gravitate towards highlight reel mainstays or players with all the flashy moves. But when you dissect the MVP award, it’s all about impact and consistency. Sure players can dish out a 50-point game once or twice, but that doesn’t make them MVP candidates. It’s all about consistency - the ability to perform at an elite level day after day.
It’s about being there for your team and impacting winning at the highest level. Jokic has only missed eight games, and the Nuggets went 2-6 without him on the floor. Without the big man, the Nuggets aren’t even at .500, which speaks volumes for a playoff team.
Jokic delivers when the Nuggets need him the most. In the most crucial part of the season, he averaged 31.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, making him the Western Conference’s Player of the Month. Oh, and he did this all by himself. MVP.
