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With the All-Star break already approaching fast n furious, it’s time we look at who is the top guy in the league right now. So far the story of the season and the MVP race is the dominance amongst the Bigs in the NBA. With five-tool centers taking swarm of the league, we are seeing a whole new landscape... a whole new breed.
You have a man the size of Zion Williamson flying through the air like f’n Spud Webb, you have Embiid and Jokic completely redefining the definition of a ”big“ & a defensive monsta in Rudy Goebert shooting at a top 3 clip in the league. It’s craziness. It’s like the Monstars have landed back on Earth, sh** is crazy.
The MVP race is made up of mostly all big men... I can't ever remember a time like this. Let me roll through my top 3 in the MVP race.
I said BEFORE the season that Steph Curry was goin' off this season and that he would be in the MVP race. I think even word for word. Boy was I right, Curry has been incredible for the Warriors who still don't have there other splash brother. Curry's assist numbers are down but at one point, until a week ago, Curry had a higher PPG than his unanimous MVP season and still holds a better true shooting percentage compared to that season.
Steph has two of the three best scoring performances this season, including a 62 piece against the Blazers. Curry and Embiid have the most 40+ performances this season. Remember folks, Klay Thompson is not on the floor, or Kevin Durant. Curry is playing crazy good when you comprehend the full aspect of the level of his game right now. Light's out!
Outside of scoring the other big exclamation point on his name is that he has LED the Warriors to a potential playoff berth thus far, placing 7th in the West as we approach the All-Star game. My man is straight ballin' and has been a steady contender in the MVP race. I don't expect things to change either, I see him turning it up even more in the latter part of the season.
Enjoy some Chef Curry doing his thing in year 12:
Now we get big man crazy! The Joker is once again redefining what it is to be a big man in today's NBA. Jokic does it ALL and then some yo. As a basketball fan I get them heart eye emojis watching this dude work a basketball. He is a breed all to himself! Joker is leading the league in player efficiency rating (31.33) & is 10th in scoring (26.7). Joker was 2 rebounds shy of having a 50 point triple double against the Kings in what was the second highest graded game performance from any player this season (93.7). Jokic is a f'n center ranking seventh in the league in assists... a whole new breed I'm tellin' ya.
Jokic has improved every season in almost every category, now he is averaging just under a triple-double and is putting numbers up at will. Joker is leaner and meaner, and is a straight problem for the league. Denver being 8th in the West puts him a few steps behind first in the race for MVP, but he is still contending. Joker is on pace for a season for the ages as he is becoming one of the league's top superstars.
Now on to the best big man & my leader of the MVP race thus far- Joel Embiid. Embiid has been playing out of this world, especially for a big. Joel has been much more aggressive and efficient in the paint this season & has put the Sixers on his back more times than not. Embiid has career highs in scoring and efficiency. Philly is 17-3 when Embiid plays & 1-4 without him (that spells valuable). Joel has the highest graded performance of any player this season when he put up a 50/17 piece on Chicago's head last week. Embiid has continued to advance his skill-set as he is arguably the best mid-range shooter in the league right now. In the history of the recording of advanced stats (since 1997), only one player who took 4+ mid range shots a game averaged a higher shooting percentage than Embiid this season... Steph Curry (2012) who is the greatest shooter to have lived. Applying this dangerous mid-range WMD to his arsenal spaces the floor even more for the Sixers and Doc Rivers which has helped them jump out to 1st place in the East. Embiid has been a Broadway instructor out on the floor the way he operates the game. Watching Joel jab step and pump fake until he has the defense right in the spot he wants them is like watching the waves as you nail the a-frame. Straight poetry in motion.
Embiid is my strong favorite for NBA MVP as we approach the All-Star game. A lot of season left, lots of things can change but one constant is that Embiid will continue to wreak havoc on the league.
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