April 12, 2022
If Kevin Durant had a say, Joel Embiid would be the MVP.
Speaking to the media ahead of Brooklyn's play-in game against the Cavs Tuesday night, Durant vouched for the Sixers' superstar center and put it bluntly why the odds are stacked against him in the MVP race: People like the other two guys more.
Explained Durant, via the NY Daily News' Stefan Bondy:
“There’s a lot of players that’s been controlled by their narrative. Some of it has been because of the player and some of it has been about the perception other people have about that player. In Joel’s case, more people just like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and (Nikola) Jokic.
“It’s as simple as that. His personality, his story I guess. As a basketball player, if people look at just the game and what is on the floor, then narrative and who you are and your personality, that stuff doesn’t really matter or shouldn’t matter. Joel, they probably just like those guys better. It’s not fair. But that’s how it goes at times. If I had a vote, I would choose Joel.” [NY Daily News]
MVP votes have already been submitted by the media, and Embiid, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo each have their case for the award.
Jokic is going for back-to-back honors, having shot .583 from the field and averaging 27.1 points per game, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists for the Nuggets
Milwaukee's Antetokounmpo is also looking for his second MVP award, putting up averages of 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
Embiid is aiming for his first MVP, and built his case in historic and arguably unmatched fashion. He finished the regular season averaging 30.6 points per game, beating out Antetokounmpo and the Lakers' LeBron James for the NBA scoring title, while becoming the first center since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 to win it.
The five-time All-Star was, by far, the Sixers' best player on the floor every night, leading them to 51 wins even when they spent most of the season short on depth up until the Ben Simmons saga ended with the trade for James Harden. And he remained dominant through a shaky last stretch of the season for the team, one that has confidence in them wavering heading into the first-round playoff series against Toronto.
Durant, a former MVP himself and a force within the league for well over a decade, has a history of battling with Embiid. That said, Durant is known to be pretty straightforward and highly appreciative of great basketball, no matter who it's coming from.
So it's cool to see game recognize game here, regardless of how the MVP race turns out.
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