“In Joel’s case, more people like Giannis and Jokic” - Kevin Durant endorses Joel Embiid as the MVP this year
Kevin Durant believes Joel Embiid should be this year's NBA MVP.
Embiid had a remarkable seaso, winning his first scoring title, by averaging 30.6 points per game across 68 appearances. The Philadelphia 76ers All-Star ranks fifth in the league in rebounds (11.4) and third in PER (31.24).
Embiid's numbers are as good as the other MVP frontrunners, jokic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Jokic and Antetokounmpo have received more recognition towards the end of the regular season.
Speaking about the MVP race, Durant spoke about Jokic and Antetokounmpo being favored over Embiid, saying (via Bleacher Report):
"In Joel's case, more people like Giannis and Jokic. It's as simple as that."
This year's MVP race is considered to be the closest it has been in several years.
It started with Steph Curry and Kevin Durant leading the race for the first few months. Later, Embiid, Jokic and Antetokounmpo flourished. Durant went down with a knee injury from mid-January through February. Curry suffered through a slump midway through the campaign. Plus, he has been out since March 16 with a foot issue.
KD says Embiid is his pick for MVP. Do you agree? 🤔 https://t.co/j3rzJhkbty
Joel Embiid wins maiden scoring title, pushes his MVP case
Joel Embiid beat LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo to win his first career-scoring title. Embiid averaged 30.6 ppg, while James (who ended up without enough games to qualify) averaged 30.3 ppg and Antetokounmpo 29.9 ppg. Kevin Durant also averaged 29.9 ppg but didn't have enough games to qualify, either.
That accomplishment has pushed his MVP stock upwards as well. However, that may not be enough for him to win the prestigious award. Embiid has fallen behind in the race, with Nikola Jokic and Antetokounmpo emerging as late-season frontrunners.
Jokic, who was last season's MVP, seems to have the strongest case. The Serbian led the Denver Nuggets to a playoff berth without the help of his co-stars Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Jokic also finished with the highest PER in the league and was also the only player to finish in the top 10 of all major statistical categories.
The Kia NBA Players of the Month for March & April! #KiaPOTM
West: Nikola Jokic (@nuggets)
East: Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Bucks) https://t.co/aMPkYRnXDE
Meanwhile, Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers endured a lean patch in between when they failed to beat rival contenders like the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns. Those two games impacted Embiid's MVP chances. Meanwhile, Jokic and Giannis produced better all-around performances, with solid production. That created a small separation in the three-way battle for the MVP award.