The Problem with the 2023 NBA MVP Race

Many people seem to be against the idea of Nikola Jokic winning his third straight league MVP award. Despite his excellent play, the superstar center has had several pundits question his credibility as a candidate in the last three seasons. From his lack of marketability to his defensive deficiencies to - whatever other excuses those opposed to his standing can come up with, the case made against the Denver Nuggets star has only mounted higher by the month.

Though something could be said about him accomplishing a feat that even some of the game's greatest players have never done, the man has more than earned his flowers. His potential reward of a third straight MVP honor says more about the vague voting criteria than Jokic himself. We often ask, "what makes a player valuable?" And though we have a bevy of statistics to highlight a player's value relative to their team's success, we usually fail to establish consistency in how much credence we give those numbers.

That's a more general problem with the NBA MVP. In this particular case, things have taken a uniquely dark turn. An argument was raised recently that Nikola Jokic's position to win his third straight MVP may stem from a racial bias from voters. To be blunt, that was an arrogant and irresponsible idea to imply. Though there is a conversation to be had about racial bias, even in something as ultimately minuscule as award voting in sports, to suggest that it is in play here shows a complete disregard for the season Jokic is having. To average a (near) 25-point triple-double on over 60 percent shooting from the field on the top seed in the West is a pretty great case for MVP if you ask me.

As far as his first two MVP wins go, those wins were (admittedly) more circumstantial than definitive. Especially his first win in 2021. At the time, Joel Embiid was the runaway favorite, with LeBron James trailing him. Jokic placed at a distant third from the former two until Embiid and James suffered injuries. This, awkwardly, made Jokic the lead man for the award despite no one thinking much of him as a candidate up to that point. It plays directly into the odd air we were living in back then in general and as NBA fans.

The 2020-21 season started just under two months after the previous year finished in the bubble.
Considering this, along with the uncertainties surrounding the world at large with the COVID-19 pandemic still going, distinct changes in the progression of that season should make us reconsider what ultimately occurred. This includes the final standings, the playoffs, the eventual champions, and - yes, the award winners.

"Why does that matter now," you may ask. The results of this year's MVP race, as most of the previous ones have, will consider the historical factor. Had Jokic not won in 2021 and been on the verge of his second straight MVP as opposed to his third, there would be much less animosity aimed his way. But it is partly due to him being in line for a third consecutive win that has many up in arms, with some going as far to outlandishly argue that racial bias is at work.

Given the latest events in the association, the odds are that Joel Embiid will win MVP honors this year. That's fine. What I am most concerned about is that when we discuss the players that vie for this award, we do it in a way that doesn't misrepresent them to the public and undercut their performance. It's the least we could do.