One of the many bonuses of playoff basketball is the revelation of all of the long-awaited regular-season awards. Finally, after several assessments, predictions, and voters, the first award went to Marcus Smart for the Defensive Player Of the Year, which made him the first guard in 25 years to win the DPOY, as well as the second Boston Celtic in history to do so. Since the rest of them will be revealed in the coming days, it is germane to discuss the most anticipated one, the MVP.

These finalists in particular had a tremendously good season, being of fundamental importance for their teams. However, only of them can take the prize home.

Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Shockingly, The Milwaukee Bucks’ forward had yet another record-breaking season. Not only has he become the Bucks’ top scorer of all time, with 14,321 points passing legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, but he has also averaged stats that resemble both of his MVP seasons, with 29.9 Points (2nd best in the league), 11.6 Rebounds, and 5.8 Assists per game. Furthermore, his free throw percentages have improved compared to last year’s percentage, with 72.2%. Thus, it is safe to say he was the main reason the Bucks clinched a playoff spot.

Joel Embiid.

Without a doubt, the 28-year-old center-forward has quite possibly played at the highest level of his career. Being the only “superstar” on his team did not seem to hinder his performances in the early season, but the other way around. Averaging 30.6 Points (League leader), 11.7 Rebounds, and 4.2 Assists per game, his leadership took the 76ers to the 4th spot in the Eastern Conference despite all the setbacks the team faced this season, such as the absence of Ben Simmons, as well as adapting to his new co-star, James Harden.

Nikola Jokic.

The Denver Nuggets center (and current MVP) has demonstrated that his level is not just luck but hard work and determination. Unfortunately, he found himself in a precarious situation, as the team relied on him to an even greater extent given the injuries of both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Therefore, the Serbian Player led the Nuggets in every stat, with astounding 27.1 Points, 13.8 Rebounds (2nd best in the league), and 7.9 Assists per game.

Evaluation criteria:

In conclusion, to decide the winner, different aspects of the game will undergo a brief rating by using a score of one to ten, to see who was more impactful and maintained the most consistency overall.

As we can see, the race is closer than ever, with Embiid and Jokic having a slight advantage over Giannis. As a result, it is safe to say that the final decision will ultimately boil down to personal preference and subjectivity, as each one of them has valid arguments to win the Most Valuable Player. Who is your favorite?

Text sources: www.nba.com, www.basketball-reference.com