We have some exciting news to report from the NBA: the Finalists for the Kia Most Valuable Player award have been announced! The finalists are center Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, guard Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, and center Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. First, let’s see what would happen if these people win.
If Curry wins, he’d become the ninth player in NBA history to have at least 3 MVPs. If Jokic or Embiid win, they’d become the first center to win the award since Shaquille O’Neal won the 2000 MVP.
Jokic had one of the best offensive years ever. He averaged 26.4 points, 8.3 assists and 10.8 rebounds per game. He also shot 56.6% overall, 38.8% from the 3-point line and 86.8% from the free throw line.
Embiid had the best season of his career, averaging 28.5 points,10.6 boards, 2.8 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.
Curry, at age 33, became the oldest player to win the scoring title since Michael Jordan with 32 points. The most impressive part of all this is he only played five games last season! He led the Warriors to the play-in tournament where they’ll play the Memphis Grizzlies tonight for the #8 seed.
As for the other awards, I will announce them right now.
The Defensive Player of the Year finalists are 2-time winner, and the first player in the NBA to test positive for COVID-19, Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, Ben Simmons of the Sixers, and Draymond Green of the Warriors.
Rookie of the Year finalists are guards LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves,and Tyrese Haliburton of the Sacramento Kings,while Gobert’s teammates Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles and New York Knicks forward Derrick Rose are finalists for Sixth Man of the Year.
Rose’s teammate Julius Randle is a finalist for Most Improved Player of the Year alongside Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant and Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.
Rose and Randle’s coach Tom Thibodeau, who won Coach of the Year in 2011, has an opportunity to win the award again a decade later. He is joined by Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams and Jazz coach Quin Snyder.
The NBA is going back to its longtime tradition of announcing the award-winners during the playoffs, instead of having the newly-created award show at the end of the year. The league did the same thing last year during the bubble at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31479904/nikola-jokic-stephen-curry-joel-embiid-named-finalists-nba-mvp-award
