Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic?
If you get to pick one first overall, who would you take?
While Nikola Jokic came into the season as the clear best player in the NBA, the campaign that Joel Embiid is piling up this season has the basketball world speculating who’s really at the top of the league. They’re both practically unstoppable for totally different reasons.
Jokic is an extremely paced and efficient big who plays the game strategically, who doesn’t need the ball in his hands the whole time to be effective. His high IQ, natural instincts, great touch on all shots and elite passing make him a tough cover for anybody and everybody who goes up against him despite being an “unathletic” center compared to the average seven footer in today’s game. His passing combined with unselfishness require defenses to be on their toes at all times because any slight lack in focus and effort can end up with a Denver basket.
In 46 games played this season, the Siberian center is averaging 26.3 points, 12 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks a game on 59.1/36.6/81.5 shooting splits. He leads the league in box plus-minus (14.3), value over replacement player (6.4), defensive box plus-minus (4.3), offensive box plus-minus (9.9), win shares (9.9), and offensive win shares (7.4) — not to mention he’s also second in PER (32.1) and win shares per-48 minutes (30.9%). Jokic is putting up these numbers while owning the 19th-highest usage rate (29.6%), third-highest assist percentage (43.6%) and the 60th-highest turnover percnetage (12.8%) in the NBA.
Jokic has produced some absurd highlights this season per usual, but the one that stands out was his near half court game-winner agaisnt the Golden State Warriors.
Meanwhile, Embiid is a mix of Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon; a highly-skilled big who can overpower just about everybody inside the paint while also having the ability to face you up and hit that mid-range pull-up with ease. He has elite footwork and a beautiful handle to go along with his smooth jumper — not to mention his elite defense, making a true impact on both ends of the floor. Due to the combination of skill, high IQ, mobility and sheer physical dominance, Embiid requires a double team whenever the ball is in his hands, ultimately creating constant scoring opportunities for his teammates.
In 33 games this season, Embiid is averaging a league-high 36 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks a game on 53.9/36.8/88.3 percent shooting splits. The Cameroon local is the only player that sits in front of Jokic in PER (35.3) and win shares per-48 minutes (31.1%) while also sitting right behind him in box plus-minus (12.8), defensive box plus-minus (3.3), and offensive box plus-minus (9.5). It’s also worth noting that Embiid is fourth in value over replacement player (4.2), fourth in win shares (7.3), and fifth in offensive win shares (5.1), and to his credit, ranks 87th in turnover percentage (11.5%) while leading the league in usage percentage (39%).
Embiid’s pivotal moment of the season was when he dropped a career-high and franchise record 70 points on the San Antonio Spurs. He also joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to record a 65-point, 15-rebound, 5-assist statline for a game in the process (no pun intended, since his nickname is The Process).
There’s no question that these two players are at the top of the MVP race, and that it will ultimately come down to these two for who will win the award. With the new CBA rule implemented during the offseason, Embiid is currently six missed games away from failing to reach the 65 minimum game requirement for the award, which would almost guarantee Jokic to win his third MVP in four years.
There’s no wrong answer to the question, but me personally, I’m taking the NBA champion and Finals MVP — the one who’s game will age like fine wine, the one who can shoot five shots the entire game and still have the highest box plus-minus, the one who acts like he doesn’t care about basketball but is already one of the greatest players of all-time. Nikola Jokic is a once-in-a-generation type of basketball player. Appreciate greatness while it’s here because we will miss it when he’s gone.
