Kendrick Perkins switches MVP favorites - "Giannis Antetokounmpo is getting my vote for MVP"
For almost two months straight, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic were neck-and-neck in the MVP race. However, with the Denver Nuggets' inconsistencies and the Philadelphia 76ers' struggles as of late, Giannis Antetokounmpo has garnered some MVP attention from ESPN's Kendrick Perkins.
"The best player in the league, on the best team, averaging a career high in points, third in rebounding, Giannis is getting my vote for MVP," Perkins said on ESPN's "First Take."
Last month, Kendrick Perkins named Embiid as his frontrunner for MVP ahead of Jokic.
After Joel Embiid's absence in the supposed head-to-head matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on March 27, fresh off the comments he made regarding the ever-changing criteria for the MVP award and facing pressure to win a championship, some media analysts have dialed back a bit on the 76ers All-Star being the MVP favorite.
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo has led the Milwaukee Bucks (56-22) to the best record in the league after the Boston Celtics (54-24) held that spot for a good half of the regular season. Giannis is averaging 31.1 points on 55.3% shooting, 11.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
Availability being a factor in the MVP race
With only a few games remaining in the regular season, it will be interesting to see who gets to raise the MVP trophy by the end with three strong candidates who all have a legitimate case to win it.
With Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo each having amazing seasons stats-wise, a player's availability to play in games should be considered in many aspects of the MVP criteria.
This season, Joel Embiid has played 64 games, Jokic 67 and Giannis 62. While it is fair for these players to sit out some games in the long 82-game season, especially with each having championship aspirations, availability to play is often forgotten when lined up with a player's stats and team record.
Jayson Tatum, who is fourth in MVP voting, has played 72 games as he would rarely miss back-to-back matchups even if it came at the cost of player fatigue.