2024-25 NBA MVP Discussion Thread (Pt. 4: Who is the MVP?)

[DrModesty]

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The race is over but this is so true man.

I mean... kinda true, but is that a problem? A center with 6 rebounds? That's just like... not that impressive, is it?
Do you have a problem with the fact that different player types exist? Would nobody but forwards/centers ever win MVP in your ideal world, because they can just put up more counting stats?

make it 10 rebounds and 3 assist since centers are not suposed to have 10 assists either... 33-10-3 still not cutting it close.

Of course Jokic would win MVP with 33-10-3 if he had his team on pace to win 67-70 games and his closest MVP rival was looking to be 15+ games behind him. Playing at 'MVP level' and having an overwhelming number of wins is the most common way MVP has been won over its entire history as an award, so there is no chance in hell that Jokic of all people wouldn't get the nod in that situation.

You switch Jokic and SGA's team record, and change Jokic's stat line to 33-10-3. Who are they giving the MVP to? Giannis? Tatum? SGA? No, its Jokic of course. In fact, it would have a good chance of being unanimous because there would be virtually no argument any other candidate could put up.

[Chuck Everett]

SGA all the way. As this point, people are just whistling at ghosts.

[iggymcfrack]

Jokic is the best basketball player in the world, is easily the most "valuable" player to his team, has his Nuggets squad one game out of 2nd place in the West, and he's not going to win MVP. Wild.

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Counterpoint:

SGA has better advanced numbers than Jokic and is currently leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the best season in the history of the NBA. His total plus/minus is 358 points higher than anyone else on the team. He's basically carrying the most dominant team that's ever existed.

Look, Jokic is having an incredible, incredible season. One of the best of all-time. In almost any other year he'd be a shoo-in to win MVP. It's just that SGA's been even better. Jokic has missed 11 games this year. The Thunder have only lost 12 games total. By any objective definition of most valuable, SGA's the guy.

Mandatory disclaimer: Jokic is my favorite player ever and I currently have him as the 8th best player in the history of the NBA. It's just that sometimes, someone else does so well, you have to just take the L.

[AleksandarN]

Not saying Jokic is 100 percent responsible. But he is the major engine of this Nuggets offense.

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[BigGargamel]

Jokic is the best basketball player in the world, is easily the most "valuable" player to his team, has his Nuggets squad one game out of 2nd place in the West, and he's not going to win MVP. Wild.

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Impact data is lying! Jokic is easily the best because I say so! **** impact stats! Raw stats are all that matters Jokic goat!!

Honestly, you can't be older than 13. What adult posts like this on a basketball junkie forum? I've never seen someone post so much and actually say so little.

[mtron929]

To be honest, I think the fact that Jokic has 3 MVPs already and Shai has 0 is making an impact in how everyone views this race. For example, let's assume that it was the case that Shai had 3 MVPs and Jokic with 0. I think there would be much stronger case that Jokic should have his first MVP this season as opposed to giving Shai his 4th MVP this season.

[RRR3]

Jokic is the best basketball player in the world, is easily the most "valuable" player to his team, has his Nuggets squad one game out of 2nd place in the West, and he's not going to win MVP. Wild.

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Impact data is lying! Jokic is easily the best because I say so! **** impact stats! Raw stats are all that matters Jokic goat!!

Honestly, you can't be older than 13. What adult posts like this on a basketball junkie forum? I've never seen someone post so much and actually say so little.

This is rich coming from someone who spent a thread hating on a teenager because of who his dad was lol

[ITYSL]

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The race is over but this is so true man.

I mean... kinda true, but is that a problem? A center with 6 rebounds? That's just like... not that impressive, is it?
Do you have a problem with the fact that different player types exist? Would nobody but forwards/centers ever win MVP in your ideal world, because they can just put up more counting stats?

About as impressive as a PG with 5 assists, I guess.

Anyway I think SGA deserves MVP

[BigGargamel]

I'm a huge Jokic and Nuggets fan. He is the NBA's "most valuable player" in the fact that everything runs through him and he's the most important player to any team in the league. The Nuggets fall off hard without him. You take him off his team and they suffer more than any other team without its best player.

But that's not what the MVP award is about. I've conceded the award to SGA weeks ago. He's having a tremendous season in his own right, and OKC is on pace to have the 6th best winning percentage of any team all time. In the era of parity, resting players and not really caring about the regular season, that is about as impressive as it gets. He deserves the award.

[Castle Black]

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[lethalizer]

Jokic is the best basketball player in the world, is the most "valuable" player to his team, has his Nuggets squad one game out of 2nd place in the West, and he's not going to win MVP. Wild.

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"One game out of 2nd place" would be a good argument if the 2nd place wasn't 13.5 games behind the 1st place.

They're two games out of 2nd place currently, by the way.

[maxpower8888]

As a Jokic fan, with so few games left in the season, SGA has to be the MVP this year.

[ReggiesKnicks]

Jokic is the best basketball player in the world, is the most "valuable" player to his team, has his Nuggets squad one game out of 2nd place in the West, and he's not going to win MVP. Wild.

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"One game out of 2nd place" would be a good argument if the 2nd place wasn't 13.5 games behind the 1st place.

They're two games out of 2nd place currently, by the way.

They're also only 4 games out of the Play-In.

What a terrible X post, which makes sense since its X.

[MaliBrah]

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The race is over but this is so true man.

Shai would be called a stat padding loser unfit for MVP like Westbrook was after this first one if he was having the season Jokic was 20 games behind first place.

[ITYSL]

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The race is over but this is so true man.

Shai would be called a stat padding loser unfit for MVP like Westbrook was after this first one if he was having the season Jokic was 20 games behind first place.

"My argument is an unprovable hypothetical that I made up in my head."

[bbms]

one of a kind mvp race

it's insane that jokic is that good that makes it a close race

it's very easy to overlook how injury riddled this thunder team has been this season.

i don't remember the last time two players posted such strong impact metrics and jaw dropping play go neck to neck all the way from start to finish the season.

if you're unbiased this is really about what you value. -5 team go to +5 or a +5 team go to +15 because of a guy that checked on the court.

[Special_Puppy]

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[EmpireFalls]

Jokic is the best basketball player in the world, is easily the most "valuable" player to his team, has his Nuggets squad one game out of 2nd place in the West, and he's not going to win MVP. Wild.

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Counterpoint:

SGA has better advanced numbers than Jokic and is currently leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the best season in the history of the NBA. His total plus/minus is 358 points higher than anyone else on the team. He's basically carrying the most dominant team that's ever existed.

Look, Jokic is having an incredible, incredible season. One of the best of all-time. In almost any other year he'd be a shoo-in to win MVP. It's just that SGA's been even better. Jokic has missed 11 games this year. The Thunder have only lost 12 games total. By any objective definition of most valuable, SGA's the guy.

Mandatory disclaimer: Jokic is my favorite player ever and I currently have him as the 8th best player in the history of the NBA. It's just that sometimes, someone else does so well, you have to just take the L.

This is really it.

If SGA were not to win here you’d basically be saying to the NBA to give up and go home because Jokic will win the next 10 MVPs. It is almost impossible to have a better MVP case than SGA’s this year.

[MoneyTalks41890]

Biggest differences between the two are defense, playing in more games, winning more games as a team.

Those are big enough imo.

[Special_Puppy]

I am kinda interested in how the MVP race would go if the supporting casts converged and the Nuggets/Thunder were both at around ~60 wins (let's say the Thunder won 2 more games). I suspect SGA would be favored, but wouldn't be a total lock like he is now