Denver Nuggets: Can Nikola Jokic beat out Joel Embiid for MVP?

Denver Nuggets: Who deserves the award more?

Even after putting up jaw-dropping numbers with a less-than-ideal supporting cast, it feels like Jokic is in the backseat behind Joel Embiid in the race for the MVP this season. But why?

Simply put, Joel Embiid’s game is flashier than Jokic’s. The argument for Embiid’s MVP candidacy is simple, look at the points he’s scored and some of the monster scoring games he’s put up this season. Embiid’s dominance has been compared to Shaquille O’Neal, who won the MVP award in the 1999-2000 NBA season.

While Embiid is dominating as a scorer, Nikola Jokic is single-handedly keeping his team afloat. Embiid’s usage percentage is higher than Jokic’s, but Denver’s offense truly runs through The Joker. Very few scoring possessions come without Nikola handling the ball while he’s on the court for Denver.

Nikola Jokic’s all-around game contributes to winning more than Embiid’s scoring output, but both players’ games are worthy of MVP candidacy. While I believe that Nikola Jokic should join the select group of back-to-back MVP winners, it feels likely that Joel Embiid will run away with the award.

While Jokic will be getting his second and third-best players back in Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., the move for James Harden will transform Philadelphia from fringe contender to potential title favorites in the East. The two-man game between Harden and Embiid should lead to even more explosive scoring nights for the Sixers’ big man, and the national attention should be on Philadelphia for the rest of the season.

Unfortunately for Nuggets Nation, barring a catastrophic collapse from the Sixers, I think Jokic will come up just short in this year’s MVP race.