NBA MVP Discussion 20/21 (Fresh poll ➥ Vote)

[DCasey91]

I think it's always important to remember that a player's goal is not to score point or rack up any other stat, it's to win.

Just pulling this out for emphasis even though it should be obvious. Clearly it's not.

Yes of course but I see only Jokic/Doncic needing to do big time stuff in order for their to team to get the win. And even then it might not be enough

All the other MVP candidates have help (All star/all star production players besides them right now).

Porzingis is fit and find’s his form Doncic doesn’t have to do as much.

Jokic has a below lvl all star caliber in Murray & MPJ is injured.

Teams win Basketball games. Not individuals. An individual can only get you so far.

Tatum - Walker, Brown, Smart
Lebron - AD, Harrell, Schroder, Kuzma
Leonard - George, Morris, Ibaka, Kennard
Durant - Harden, Irving, Harris, Jordan
Embiid - Harris, Curry, Milton, Simmons
Doncic - Porzingis, Hardaway, Johnson
Jokic - Murray, Millsap, Barton

Actually now that I think about Doncic probably has the worst team if Porzingis is out.

All I’m saying take out all the MVP candidates and Nuggets/Mavs have legit lottery teams. Adding +15-20 wins is MVP caliber in a shortened season.

[Texas Chuck]

Teams win Basketball games. Not individuals. An individual can only get you so far.

.

Teams do win, no doubt. I would disagree with you about just how far an individual can get you. Look at guys like Lebron, Duncan, Dirk, Harden, whose team are just walking 50 wins.

But the point Doc is making and that I agree with is that stats tell us what happened, but not why it happened. Zach LaVine scores a bunch of points on terrific efficiency, but when you look beyond the stats you can see every team he's ever been on is better when he sits than when he plays. All those stats aren't translating to helping his team win.

Meanwhile a guy like Marc Gasol or Danny Green or PJ Tucker or Draymond or Doug Christie never blew anyone away with stats but consistently made winning basketball plays.

Lebron is still driving the Lakers to victory even as his stats are down across the board. It shouldn't matter at all in terms of MVP though I'm not naive enough to realize it won't.

Yes Luka has the worst team of the major candidates which in part is why I have suggested repeatedly on this board he's not a real candidate yet. But just because you have to do more lifting doesn't mean you actually are, right? Is Luka carrying a lotto team to an eventual 7th seed more valuable than Lebron carrying a 7th seed to title contention? I'm going to say no.

I think Luka (and Jokic) gets a lot of MVP love because he's new. And he's fun. People get bored with Lebron being the best. Or they get bored with Harden's style. So they start looking around. And Luka is fun as hell. And he's really freaking good. But he's not as good at 21 as some of these other guys are in their early 30's when most players are at their absolute best. Their understanding of the game is peaking and their bodies still allow them to do most of what they could do at 24. Lebron being a freak is doing it much later than most.

[VancouverRaps]

I think voter fatigue will hurt Giannis' chances

[Jurassic_Park]

Embiid with a monster game today and a W. KD with a monster game but an L.

Lebron vs. Giannis tomorrow

[Prez]

Joel Embiid.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Read on Twitter

Not quite at the top but very good seasons.

[Asianiac_24]

Steph Curry so far for me.

[DCasey91]

Embiid (being a 76ers fan) is def a MVP/DPOY caliber player when playing and in tip top shape. Give him room to operate and he’s devastating. Not many in the league that can contain him at all especially in the East.

Well done big guy. Still reckon he will miss too many games but my lord he’s a sight to behold when he is on.

[mademan]

In a vacuum, it should be Giannis, but i dont think voters are gonna give it to him after b2b playoff flameouts.

If Embiid plays enough, it's him
If Jokic starts winning, it's him

Besides them, i dont even know. Top of the West (Lebron or PG) will likely be in the mix, but to me, they (and i mean Lebron here) only really have a chance if everyone else flops. He's like the default pick if the Lakers win the West. Giannis wont win, so anybody else with an MVP season (superstar year, play enough, win enough) will take it.

[mediocrityrules]

Giannis would have to do something amazingly different to demonstrate he's grown into something different as a player. If not, I don't think it matters what numbers he puts up, he won't be winning it this year.

Embiid staying healthy probably clinches it, or KD, who looks to be back in ridiculous form.

[Gooner]

Kawhi.

[art_tatum]

I think it'll go to a player without a star partner.

So if the nuggets do well and Murray is still flat, jokic has a good chance.
Otherwise curry or Luka if they get a mid seed.
Embiid if the 76ers get top 2 seed in the east.
Greekfreak will have voter fatigue.
Clips lakers nets players are too stacked.

[Hussien Fatal]

It’s Joel’s award to lose.

[sixers4real]

If Joel Embiid will play it this level, will play about 55 out of 72 games, and the Sixers are top-5 in the NBA, he’s MVP.

That’s a lot of ifs, but he’s clear leader to take that MVP right now

[scrabbarista]

Seems like Embiid has a great chance, especially if Philly locks up the 1 seed. It'd be pretty cool for me if he won, because I predicted he'd one day be an MVP when he was still in high school.

If I remember, I'll post the first results of the season from my mvp formula tomorrow morning. If I remember.

[Mike87]

Embiid and Jokic at one and two right now for me, Embiid with the edge due to record

[VDT]

Embiid was also an MVP candidate two years ago until about Dec-Jan but then he had an injury in Feb and the Butler -Harris trades change a bit his role on the team and the team also underachieved in the regular season. Last year, the team fit was atrocious.

The issue has never been about the level of play with Embiid (although he is better this year) but about games played, team fit and team record and i am not sure if all these issues have been solved this year.

[limbo]

Kawhi casually averaging 25/5/6 on 60.5 %TS (45% from 3pt) and less than 2 TO per game, +20.5 On/Off (+15.3 OnCourt), #1 ORtg, 11-4 record.

Not my MVP frontrunner, but i find it amusing people just expect this type of production from Kawhi to the point they're just glossing over his greatness.

[BoatsNZones]

I think it'll go to a player without a star partner.

So if the nuggets do well and Murray is still flat, jokic has a good chance.
Otherwise curry or Luka if they get a mid seed.
Embiid if the 76ers get top 2 seed in the east.
Greekfreak will have voter fatigue.
Clips lakers nets players are too stacked.

This post is the most on point as it currently stands.

Giannis would have had to add something to his game or at least ratchet it up to another level in order to be in the conversation for 3 straight after his playoff woes, but he has been worse. And I would agree I see very little narrative for one guy on the Clipppers/Lakers and now Nets to be able to grab it (KD could have had a shot if their team was playing better and they never grabbed Harden).

It’s way too early for a clear front runner to have emerged, but Embiid would have the best case at this point as it relates to his level of play, the teams record and his importance to the team (narrative).

[MindState]

Kawhi.

Cant be. PG is putting up better numbers then Kawhi and they are on the same team.

Automatically cancels that out.