The question, perhaps, should be: are there any odds for Nikola Jokić not being crowned MVP this season? Oddsmakers seem to have made up their minds already, and Joel Embiid is probably trailing too far behind to close the gap. But never be too sure before the official announcement. And there is still quite enough time to go, as the MVP results are usually announced towards the end of June. In the meanwhile, you can collect more information to bet with bet365 and get ready to act when the time is ripe. The debate on MVP is getting hotter.
Embed from Getty ImagesPerhaps Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright was trying to draw attention when he voiced a scathing comment on The Joker. He stated that if Jokic wins the award, he’ll be the worst MVP “in almost 50 years.” Wright added that the title should be awarded to the “Most Valuable” and not the “Best Statistical Resume.”
The reference is obviously to Embiid’s disadvantage against Jokić for having missed 19 games this season due to injury and COVID-19 health and safety Protocols. The Sixers’ big man is not shy about declaring himself the best. “There’s no doubt [I’m MVP],” Embiid recently told the press. “My focus is always about winning the championship, and with winning comes rewards. I’ve been dominant all season, it feels like every time I have the ball, they send three guys on me, and I’m still able to do what I do best.”
Nikola Jokić displays a completely opposite attitude: “I never play basketball to win individual awards,” The Joker says. “So MVP is just something that the people and media are trying to make a story out of it. So, if it happens, it happens. I don’t play for that.
Like I said, as long as we’re winning, I’m happy.” Despite his modesty, CBS Sports has clear ideas on the Nuggets’ star: “No one has been as good, as consistently, as Jokic has been this season.” And his fellow Nikola (Vucevic, the Chicago Bulls’ center) dismissed Wright’s opinion with a wrily “They really let anyone talk on tv nowadays” post on Twitter.
