Is this SGA MVP going to be viewed in the same light as Embiid MVP?

[tsherkin]

There was nothing wrong with Embiid winning and there will be nothing wrong with SGA winning.

Embiid didn't deserve the 2023 MVP. He wasn't even close to Jokic. He won because people were tired of giving it to Jokic, and because "PPGGGGGGGGZZZZZZZ." Nothing more.

Shai would be a fair MVP this year; he's having a legitimately excellent season which, while not quite as impressive to me as Jokic's, is still insanely good. And much closer to Jokic than was Embiid in 2023.

[hardenASG13]

If he misses the finals, absolutely.

Like when Jokic lost in round 2 last year vs a team that hadn't won a series together before last season? Did he not deserve it last year then?

This award has mostly always gone to a superstar on a team with a dominant record in seasons where that applies, such will be the case this year with SGA. Denver has struggled defensively and against good teams.

[tsherkin]

If he misses the finals, absolutely.

Like when Jokic lost in round 2 last year vs a team that hadn't won a series together before last season? Did he not deserve it last year then?

This award has mostly always gone to a superstar on a team with a dominant record in seasons where that applies, such will be the case this year with SGA. Denver has struggled defensively and against good teams.

It does inevitably affect perception. It did for 07 Dirk, for example, and same same for 05 and 06 Nash. It doesn't make sense, because it's an award describing the RS, but it is what it is.

[Jedi32]

Imo SGA should have been mvp last year. He should be heading to back to back mvp's. So no it won't look anything like Joel's.

[TheSuzerain]

I mean, SGA is very clearly an MVP-caliber player. If he wins over Jokic, it won't be some tragedy or farce.

Same was true of Embiid.

It's going to depend on how the Thunder do in the playoffs this year and next couple.

[tsherkin]

Same was true of Embiid.

Can't say I agree with that at all.

It's going to depend on how the Thunder do in the playoffs this year and next couple.

Which, really, isn't fair. His RS is his RS; what happens after is entirely separate, as it should be for any MVP. And if he plays well but they get trounced in the first round, for example, then that isn't really on him either.

[Jasen777]

Jokic is still the MVP for me, but SGA is having a very good year, maybe the best non-Jokic season in the MVP Jokic era. I wouldn't hate SGA wining even if it could come across as voter fatigue, like Malone over Jordan (except not as bad).

Embiid's was different because he publicly campaigned for the award and whined about why he got pressure for his postseason play he didn't deserve since he was never an MVP or anything... And of course the media made it a race narrative which was dumb and said no one deserved 3 straight MVPs without a title (previous seasons should of course have no barring on the issue).

[hauntedcomputer]

So by this logic Kareem, MJ, and Lebron should've had at least 10 straight MVPs.

"Value" is a subjective term for a reason. If the object of the game is to win, that has to rank heavily in what is valuable. SGA to me is clearly the most valuable player in the league. It's not like the team around him is all that consistent. He's the consistency.

Jokic will be viewed a lot differently in twenty years if he doesn't get another ring or two and no one will be saying he was robbed.

[Special_Puppy]

I’m done with this discourse. Holy ****

Read on Twitter

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[PushDaRock]

It's not the best player in the world award. Team record is weighed pretty heavily in MVP voting historically. OKC is 11 games ahead of Denver, Jokic would have needed to average something like 40 ppg to overcome SGA with the year he's had along with OKC's record.

[Stone]

Russ was awarded the MVP with his team 6th in the conference.

Kareem was awarded the MVP his team was 40-42....

So yes, I think that Joker should win.

Edit: I wanted to add there needs to be a better way to decide who gets it.

[Bush4Ever]

One of the strangest things about the NBA to me is that the MVP award is not significantly better conceptualized by the NBA in directions to voters.

I've seen voters repeatedly make cases that imply they have meaningfully different ideas of what they are voting on.

In cases like this, it probably matters.

[canada_dry]

Lol no.

Sent from my SM-G960W using RealGM mobile app

[AussieBuck]

Jokic is better, SGA is having a near enough season and has the great team record. It's fine.

If SGA was just a Ja Morant level guy and OKC somehow still had the kind of record they have, then it'd be like a D Rose kinda **** up.

This isn't that though and SGA hasn't done the Embiid/Harden whining media tour either to my knowledge, so we're not down that route either.

This could be as benign a 'someone else's turn' MVP as it gets.

No foul, play on.

[The Servant]

It's not clear as day because defense matters. It's clear that the entire team took a step back defensively this year which is why they struggled so much against good teams.

I hate this argument because Jokic's impact on offense is so enormous, and OKC would clearly still be an elite defensive team without SGA.

Jokic's team has twice as many losses as SGA's team. Its a regular season award. I get it. As good as Jokic is, his teams has two more wins than the Grizz. Its a regular season award so...

Carrying your team to only 6 wins more than the Pistons have could be a factor.

[Jasen777]

So by this logic Kareem, MJ, and Lebron should've had at least 10 straight MVPs.

Almost. I looked into that once and I think I had MJ and LeBron both deserving 9 MVPs.

[Doranku]

Russ was awarded the MVP with his team 6th in the conference.

Kareem was awarded the MVP his team was 40-42....

So yes, I think that Joker should win.

Edit: I wanted to add there needs to be a better way to decide who gets it.

SGA is averaging 33/5/6 on 65% TS and OKC is on a pace to win 67 games. I don't think people realize how rare it is to combine that type of individual output and team success.

The only players who have averaged 30+ppg on a 65+ win team are Kareem in '71, Jordan in '92 & '96, Steph in '16, and Harden in '18. Every single one of those players won MVP.

[GeorgeMarcus]

No, in the sense that SGA never said anything negative to Jokic and never whined to the media like Embiid did.

When did Embiid ever say anything negative about Jokic..?

[Sofia]

Only if OKC gets bounced in the first 2 rounds and/or Denver goes further than they do.

Why do playoff results matter for regular season awards?

[slick_watts]

i advocated for jokic mvp over embiid. a big part of that was jokic's consensus advantage over embiid on impact metrics. i recall lots of people advocating for jokic based on this in fact. the odd thing is that i don't see much of it this year. matt moore in particular was posting daily EPM updates in 2023 but doesn't seem too interested in doing that now. i wonder why (not really).