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NBA Writer’s MVP Favorite Isn’t Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor has an MVP favorite and it's not Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic.
Justin Grasso|
NBA Writer’s MVP Favorite Isn’t Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic
NBA Writer’s MVP Favorite Isn’t Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic

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Philadelphia 76ersDenver NuggetsMilwaukee Bucks

At this point in the season over the last two years, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was in a two-man race for the NBA’s MVP award, battling it out with Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic.

Both times, the races concluded with Jokic out in front and Embiid collecting the runner-up nod.

This season, both bigs are having another spectacular run in 2022-2023. And once again, their statuses as the potential MVP winner have been heavily debated amongst analysts, players, and fans.

As everybody picks between the Sixers star, who is leading the league in scoring, and the Nuggets big man who shoots efficiently and passes better than any other center in the league, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor is focusing on another candidate in Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Antetokounmpo is no stranger to the Most Valuable Player award. In the past, the seven-time All-Star collected the MVP trophy twice, winning it in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020.

In 2021, Antetokounmpo wasn’t in the MVP finalists' conversation, as Embiid, Jokic, and Stephen Curry were in the running for the award. While Giannis re-entered the picture last year, he finished third behind Embiid and Jokic.

For a second-straight season, the award race is shaping up to come down between the three big men. And as the Bucks cruise in the Eastern Conference, Giannis is stating a strong case.

In 54 games this season, Antetokounmpo averaged 32 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block per game. Along with being a dominant force on the offensive end, Giannis is also one of the NBA’s best defensive players as well.

There is still plenty of time for candidates to pull away, but it seems like Giannis is beginning to make a strong case for the award as the season winds down.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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