Who is the NBA MVP for 2021?
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The 2021 NBA MVP race is one of the most wide open and competitive in recent memory.
There are a number of players who have a legitimate case for the award and it is anyone’s guess who will ultimately come out on top.
In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the leading contenders for the 2021 NBA MVP and make a case for each one.
Why Nikola Jokic should be the NBA MVP for 2021
Nikola Jokic is in the running for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award, and many believe he deserves to win it.
Jokic is averaging a career-high 26.4 points per game to go along with 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists. He’s also shooting 56.6 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range.
What makes Jokic so special is his ability to impact the game on both ends of the court. He’s an elite offensive player that can score in a variety of ways, but he’s also an above-average defender that has improved each season.
Jokic leads the Denver Nuggets in both points and assists, and he’s second on the team in rebounds. He’s one of just four players averaging at least 26 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists per game this season, and he’s the only center doing it.
The other three players are LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Joel Embiid. All three are deserving candidates for MVP, but Jokic has been the most consistent player this season and deserves to win the award.
How Nikola Jokic’s stats compare to other NBA players
In the 2020-21 NBA season, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game. He is also shooting 56.6 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range. Jokic’s stat line is impressive, but how does it compare to other NBA players?
Here is a look at how Jokic’s stats compare to the stats of other NBA players this season:
· Points per game: Jokic ranks ninth in the NBA in points per game.
· Rebounds per game: Jokic ranks sixth in the NBA in rebounds per game.
· Assists per game: Jokic ranks second in the NBA in assists per game.
· Field goal percentage: Jokic ranks 12th in the NBA in field goal percentage.
· Three-point percentage: Jokic ranks 16th in the NBA in three-point percentage.
Nikola Jokic’s impact on the Denver Nuggets
The National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963. Until the 1979–80 season, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since the 1980–81 season, it has been awarded by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.
Nikola Jokić, nicknamed “the Joker”, is a Serbian professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at 7 feet 0 inches (2.13 m), he plays at either center or power forward. He was drafted by the Nuggets with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. Jokić was named an All-Star for the first time in his career in 2019, and led his team to their first Conference Finals appearance since 2009. In 2020–21, he led his team to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010, and was named as one of three finalists for MVP alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Jokić is one of only four centers in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists per game over a season, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson as the only players ever to do so.
Other NBA players who are in the running for MVP
In addition to James and Antetokounmpo, other leading contenders for this season’s MVP award include Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Russell Westbrook of the Washington Wizards, and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers.