First, can we agree that Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo all have worthy statistical cases as MVP candidates? Then there’s the Greek Freak’s status as best player on best team, Jokic’s triple-double versatility as a center and Embiid’s second potential scoring title.
Paolo Banchero has been the favorite almost all season for his work as Orlando’s centerpiece, while versatile Jalen Williams has climbed rung by rung to rank right behind him on the ever-popular Kia Rookie Ladder.
One of them almost certainly will walk off with the honor, in which voters annually have to compare rim protectors vs.
Breathing life into a moribund Sacramento franchise is a notable achievement, something eight non-interim coaches tried and failed to do in the 16 years since Rick Adelman led the Kings to their last postseason berth.
Despite a late push by OKC’s Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero has been the most consistent rookie throughout the season, leading all rookies in scoring .
Jackson is the league’s top rim protector, holding opponents to 46.7% shooting at the basket, but is versatile enough to cover players beyond the paint.
In his first season in Sacramento, Mike Brown has changed the Kings’ culture and guided the team to a 17-win improvement over last season with five games to play.
You say Nikola Jokic? Fine — he’s the most valuable player to his team, given how the Nuggets’ production falls off a cliff when he sits.
I liken this to Usain Bolt sprinting from the starting blocks in the 100 meters, comfortably up seven steps on the nearest competitor halfway through the race, assumes he’s winning with 10 meters to go, and suddenly someone appears almost by his side at the finish.
This award is tough to parse — do you go with the rim protector, or the perimeter defender, or the on-ball defender? It’s all over the place.
What a great 10 months for Brown — wins a ring as an assistant with the Warriors, now has the Kings sitting higher than the defending champions in the standings.
The Nuggets have been a better team, he’s been more efficient, and his value to the Nuggets is greater than ever.
But among rookies, Banchero has carried the heaviest load by a pretty wide margin and is just the third rookie in the past 28 years to average at least 18 points, six rebounds and three assists per game.
has had a had a huge impact on the Grizzlies’ defense, with Memphis having allowed 5.8 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor than it has with him off.
But Philadelphia’s decision to hold out Embiid on Monday in Denver could come back to sink the big man’s MVP candidacy in a race coming down to a photo finish.
Jalen Williams in Oklahoma City deserves a mention here along with Utah’s Walker Kessler, but Paolo Banchero is the leader of this year’s class.
is clearly the lynchpin of one of the league’s top defensive teams. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves consideration along with Brook Lopez.