Nikola Jokić’s case to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award for a second-straight season is quite compelling. The Joker finished in the top 10 in points (27.1), assists (7.9) and rebounds (13.8) per game while shooting an astonishing 58.3 percent from the field. As FiveThirtyEight’s Robert O’Connell wrote recently, no high-scoring big man has […]
It didn’t take long for Ja Morant to prove he had the talent to be special in the NBA. As a rookie, it was evident that he could be a franchise cornerstone, and he played well enough for the Memphis Grizzlies to take on a new identity that revolved around his play style. Then, Morant […]
The list of NBA MVPs over the past five years is a mishmash of guys with superhero-level talents. Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter on the planet and someone who’s comfortable gunning from nearby ZIP codes. Russell Westbrook, the terrifyingly athletic stat-stuffer who seems to hurt innocent rims for no apparent reason. James Harden, the efficiency […]
“MVP! MVP! MVP!” A shower of cheers rained down on Luka Dončić as he walked off the court after a Dallas Mavericks victory last fall, four days before Thanksgiving. He high-fived a few fans — towel around his neck — then clapped his hands above his head and entered the tunnel as the MVP chants […]
With the first round of the playoffs set to begin Monday, the NBA will soon announce the winners of this year’s regular-season awards, based on pre-bubble performance. This year’s finalists for the MVP have already been announced, with only Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James expected to receive first-place votes. This fits a pattern that has […]