If you followed the 2023/2024 NBA seasonyou will know very well that those who took the spotlight were some of the most anticipated players, who confirmed all the good things had been said about them on the eve of the regular season.
It may be a coincidence, but the best four players who have a chance to become the Most Valuable Player of the current season, they play in teams that already have the certainty of participating in the post season and all as protagonists, without going through the Play In trap.
The big absentees: Embiid without luck
The biggest absentee from this four-way fight is certainly Joel Embiid, who had to miss almost the entire second part of the season, after his surgery on the meniscus of his left knee, just at the moment in which, exactly like last season, he was dominating the opposing defenses.
The Cameroonian, who will play for the United States and, hopefully, against Italy at the next Paris Olympics, was born in the African nation and also has French citizenship, but, shortly after the MVP title won last season, he decided to lend a hand to the American national team to bring the gold medal back to the USA.
With a Jokic of this caliber, who continues to mock each opponent, the MVP title would probably have been a mirage even in the event of a season without injuries for the Philadelphia 76ers center, but the team of “City of Brotherly Love”would certainly have suffered less in this final part of the season, so much so that the Sixers, with two days to go, still don’t know whether they will participate directly in the Play Offs, or will have to go through the Play Ins, a very distant objective in any case if the 21.
Tatum from Sabonis is luxurious, but it is not enough
Among those cut out of the competition, Jayson Tatum he is the one who comes immediately after the four best of the lot, but the coronation that would rightfully insert him into the fight to win the title of best player is not far away. So far it hasn’t happened, but, season after season, his name is on the scoresheet in an increasingly convincing way, even despite his detractors.
Domantas Sabonisanother European player, has benefited from the trade con this season Tyrese Haliburtonauthor of a season that seemed very positive until the injury, and Buddy Hield e Tristan Thompson initially ended up in Indiana and then moved to the Sixers and Cavs.
Sabonis was the best rebounder in the NBA for the second time, almost 14 on average per game and, despite an excellent 37% from 3-point range, he has no chance to compete for the MVP title.
The discontinuity of Giannino
Such a ferocious season from the Boston Celticsmany didn’t expect it and the dominance of the Brown-Tatum duo seemed devastating at times.
On the other side Milwaukee has put together a whole series of opaque performances, which are little distant from the most representative man of the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, in his 11th season in the NBA.
The player of Greek origin continues to reveal those insecurities in his usual fundamentals: he is certainly not the best performing at free throws among his colleagues. The overall field goal percentage this year is equal to 61.1%, compared to a career high of 54.5%, while from the foul line, Antetokounmpo shot 65.7% as opposed to a career overall percentage of 70.2%. Improved in rebounds, but worse in assists, the Greek player seems to have lost his luster due to the departure of Jrue Holiday, who, coincidentally, improved the defensive and offensive balance of the Celtics.
Luka & Shai
They have paired them on more than one occasion, same role, similar movements, ability to make teammates and opponents go at the times they decide.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander e Luka Doncichave quickly become the true favorites of the fans Oklahoma to Dallas and they are having an excellent season.
The Canadian guard has taken the reins of a very young and eager team like the Thunder, a team that, thanks to a careful welter of correct choices, has made its brilliant coach available, Mark Daigneaulta very respectable roster, both for the present and for the next few years, when Oklahoma will be able to take advantage of the advantages of a whole series of choices elaborated with great wit.
The Slovenian point guard needs no introduction, given that since his Rookie year he has set things straight in the NBA league, making everyone understand that it would be hard for anyone to find him on the road.
The current season has certified the extreme aptitude that a boy from ’99 demonstrates to have all-round for such a difficult and complex interpretationso much so that it further improved each of the offending entries.
Meanwhile he has played 37.5 minutes per game so far, increasing his playing time compared to previous seasons, shooting 48.7% from the field compared to 47% in his career and scoring something like 5 points more than its seasonal averages. Compared to his averages, he also took half a rebound more per game and distributed over an assist more per match.
This year he seems to have refined his on-court relationship with Irving, with whom he seems to have reached a level of complete empathy even beyond the games. In short, they have become two great friends.
How can Nikola Jokic lose it?
If for the other players we have written about so far, doubts arise about their complete predisposition to sacrifice aimed at making your team win and the two coaches, Daigneault and Jason Kidd have been working for some time to find the right solution, he certainly doesn’t have the same problem Michael Malone.
The head coach of the Denver Nuggets never leaves out the player who is destined to win the his third MVP titlefor which it is right to focus on the numbers of yet another season as a protagonist.
Four years older than his great Slovenian friend Luka, with whom he never misses an opportunity to organize skits as soon as the two meet, the Serbian class champion 1995is showing things on the court that have never been seen in NBA history with this ease and, above all, continuity.
In the 2023/24 regular season, with only two days remaining, Jokic has improved all these items:
VOICEPERCENTAGE/DATAPERCENTAGE/DATAFG%55.7%58.1%3P%35.0%35.8%Free throws82.7%81.8%Rebounds10,712,4Assists6,99,0Stops0,70,9Steals1,201,30Points scored 21,026.6
The MVP award, with these numbers, cannot really escape him, also because the gap with the rest of the field is decidedly disarming.
Last season’s title seems to have generated further hunger in the Serbian’s stomach, but if you ask him a question about this type of attitude, Jokic’s answer is always the same: “I like playing basketball and I hope to do it for a long time”.
In short, it seems that every unconventional play that Jokic continues to show on the playing fields comes completely naturally to him.
Just as natural the delivery of the third MVP award should be, stars and stripes surprises permitting.
2024-04-16 00:12:09
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