Comparing the 2022 NBA MVP candidates

The top three finalists to win the NBA MVP award have been revealed: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid.

Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is the reigning MVP and Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was the winner the two years prior to Jokic. Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is the newbie in the mix, hoping to steal the crown. All three are phenomenal players and provide unquestionable value to their teams. It has been a close race from the start, and will continue to be a difficult choice. Let’s take a look at how each of them compares.

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are the sixth seed in the Western Conference, much thanks to Nikola Jokic, who had to take on even more responsibility this season with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. out with injuries. He recorded 66 double-doubles and a league-high 19 triple-doubles on the season. He averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game in the regular season. That made him the first player in NBA history to average more than 25 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in one season.

What really makes the case for Jokic this year is how he’s been able to pull the Nuggets up despite missing two of their other best players (Porter and Murray). He played in 74 games for the Nuggets and shot a career-high 58.3% from the field, 65.2% on twos, which he accomplishes mostly from outside three feet, making it all the more impressive. With Jokic in the game, the Nuggets have been 19.7 points per 100 possessions better than without him on the court, according to Cleaning the Glass. Last year, when Jokic won MVP, that number was 6.4 per 100 possessions. It’s tripled since then. Despite being the sixth seed, the Nuggets finished the season 48-33, which isn’t far off from the other candidates’ team records (Bucks at 50-30 and Sixers at 49-31), and that’s taking into account the teammates Jokic was missing.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

The Greek freak is on his way to a third MVP title, and rightfully so. Of all the candidates, he is arguably the best defensive player. The Bucks have been out Brook Lopez, which meant Giannis had to pick up some slack there, too and he adapted impressively. On the offensive side, Giannis plays less minutes per game than his fellow MVP candidates, but is still able to put up incredible statistics - 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game and shoots just below 55% from the field. Embiid beats Giannis as the scoring leader just barely, but that’s playing several more minutes and making several more attempts. When you take that into account, Giannis’ stats are even more impressive.

Giannis´ combination of dominance on both offense and defense are what set him apart from the rest. The Bucks are 5-6 without him and 38-20 with him. With him, they outscored their opponents by a combined 400 points. Without him, on the other hand, the Bucks were outscored by 122 combined. If he wins, he’ll have his third MVP title.

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

The league’s leader in scoring, Embiid has had a year full of career-highs. He averaged 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game at the end of the regular season. No center has won the scoring title since Shaquille O’Neal in the 1999-2000 season. He’s become a superstar in the last two years, and this is his second year in the running for the MVP title. He’s a big reason the Sixers made it to the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

His value can be seen in the numbers. With him on the court, the Sixers score 114.2 points and allow 107.1 per 100 possessions. When he’s not on the court, they score 106.6 and allow 110 pointe per 100 possessions. Playing without hi wasn’t a big issue this season, as he played in 68 games total and led the league in free throws made (65) and attempted (803), and had 46 double-doubles. He also dealt with the Ben Simmons drama until February, carrying the Sixers before finally getting a superstar of a teammate in James Harden. He ended the season as the leader in the NBA with 13 40-point games. His individual performance is without question the best.