Numerous players have been worthy of the NBA MVP award this season. Guys like Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic are all considered as tried and true frontrunners for the award. For much of the season, it seemed as though Embiid was a lock to get the award, especially since he was able to win the scoring title.
Now, however, it seems like Jokic is about to win the award for the second year in a row. Jokic has been otherworldly for the Denver Nuggets, and the reporters who vote on the MVP award are under the impression that what Jokic has done is way harder than whatever Embiid has pulled off.
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Today on First Take, Stephen A. Smith gave his opinion on the MVP race, revealing that he ended up voting for none other than Embiid. At the end of the day, Smith based his decision on the fact that Embiid had a few more obstacles than Jokic, namely the fact that he had a teammate in Ben Simmons, who was simply refusing to play the game of basketball.
While Embiid will certainly be happy to get Smith’s vote, it doesn’t look like it will be enough. The vast majority of voters are siding with Jokic, which is a shame because Embiid had himself a truly incredible season.