NBA announces MVP for the 2021-2022 season
On Monday morning, the winner of the 2021-2022 NBA MVP award was revealed. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has won the prestigious award for the second consecutive season.
Jokic is in his seventh NBA season, all of which have been spent with the Nuggets. In the regular season, he played in 74 games and averaged 33.5 minutes per game. Jokic posted an incredibly impressive stat line, posting 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. He also shot 58.3% from the field and 33.7% from three-point range.
The Nuggets went 48-34 during the regular season, finishing as the sixth seed in the Western Conference. Denver lost in five games against the Golden State Warriors in the opening round of the playoffs.
Joel Embiid is a notable snub for the NBA MVP award
While Jokic is certainly deserving of the NBA MVP award for the second consecutive year, many expected the honor to go to Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
Embiid was limited to 68 games due to injuries this season, but that was the most that he has played in his NBA career. In those 68 games, Embiid played 33.8 minutes and posted a line of 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Embiid also shot 49.9% from the field this season and 37.1% from three-point range.
The 76ers finished the regular season with a 51-31 record, finishing as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia took down the Toronto Raptors in six games in the opening round of the playoffs, and just tied up their second round series against the top-seeded Miami Heat.
While Embiid might have been snubbed a bit from winning this year’s NBA MVP award, the former Kansas Jayhawks star is still alive in the playoffs and is vying to become an NBA champion.