Kevin Durant Settles Joel Embiid Vs. Nikola Jokic MVP Debate

Kevin Durant, the NBA’s scoring champion and MVP of the last three seasons, is taking on Joel Embiid in a battle for who deserves to be named 2018-19 MVP. Here’s why KD should win this debate:

The “Joel Embiid vs Nikola Jokic head to head” is a debate that has been going on for years. Kevin Durant recently settled the debate by saying that Joel Embiid was better than Nikola Jokic.

Kevin Durant discussed the current MVP competition between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, as well as his feelings about not being in the debate, after providing an MVP-like performance for the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.

The Brooklyn Nets beat the Portland Trail Blazers at home, but it wasn’t always pleasant. They were down 18 points at one point against a club without Damian Lillard

Durant saw a bunch of double and triple teams, like he normally does. It seems that a growing number of clubs are protecting him in this manner. Despite this, he was named the game’s MVP, with 38 points, six rebounds, and six assists.

Following the game, KD spoke on a topic that has been on everyone’s mind recently. With just a few games left in the season (the Nets have 11 left, and Kyrie Irving is only eligible for three more), who is Durant’s NBA MVP selection for 2022?

If you’ve been following the race, FanDuel claims Giannis Antetokounmpo (+700), Nikola Jokic (+190), and Joel Embiid are the betting favorites as of March 7th (-110). Everyone, however, is curious as to Durant’s thoughts.

First and foremost. Let’s face it, if KD hadn’t damaged his MCL in January and missed 21 games, he’d be in the lead right now. Is it something Slim Reaper mulls about when he hears his home supporters at Barclays Center yell MVP as he drains game-winning free throws on a near-daily basis?

Durant confessed, “It’s not frustrating.” “I know what it’s like to win MVP, but it n’t make me a better player.” I mean, I’m aware of my capabilities. It’s always nice to get some support from your hometown and to be recognized as one of the league’s finest players. But, no, I wouldn’t say I’m irritated or angry because I got — it’s just part of the game, and — but I’m aware of the kind of player I am.”

Is KD disappointed that he won’t be named MVP because of his knee injury? “No, it isn’t aggravating. I’ve known what it’s like to win MVP, but it doesn’t make me a good player…. It’s always nice to have some…hometown love… but I’m aware of the sort of player I am.” pic.twitter.com/kRwOFWTzDw

March 19, 2022 — DaveEarly (@DavidEarly)

But, if that’s the case, who does KD believe should be the MVP?

“If I had to guess,” Durant added, “it’s between Joel Embiid, DeMar DeRozan, and Ja Morant for me, those are my top three.” “And I’m very sure I’m going to Joel.” It’s [Nikola] Jokic, you could go with Jokic, but I’ll probably go with Joel. I mean, there are so many high-level players, therefore, as I mentioned the other day, the league is in terrific shape.”

Let’s have a look at this in more detail. To begin with, he didn’t mention Giannis, the man who won the NBA Finals MVP award last year. Is it a nod to his pal Kyrie, who chastised The Greek Freak earlier this season?

He merely “throws” in Nikola Jokic, who is many fans’ choice to win MVP for the second year in a row. It was almost as if Jokic was an afterthought, and he wasn’t even in his top three. It’s quite intriguing. We’re puzzled as to why Jokic isn’t ranked higher.

Embiid is an obvious pick here, considering he is a betting favorite on certain prominent sites. And if you’ve been paying attention to the news recently, it’s all about Embiid vs. Jokic. That’s all there is to it. Joel “The Process” Embiid gets the nod from KD.

As Durant pointed out, he did speak about the league’s current state the other day and praised Joel.

“My top three [for MVP] are Joel Embiid, DeMar DeRozan, and Ja Morant, and I’ll probably go with Joel. You can add Jokic in there if you want. But I’m leaning toward Joel.”

-It seems that Kevin Durant has given Joel Embiid his MVP vote. pic.twitter.com/755IgFVoMG

March 19, 2022 — DaveEarly (@DavidEarly)

So it seems like KD has accepted the fact that he will not be named MVP and is unconcerned about it. If you watch the video above, you’ll see that he nearly says MVP doesn’t define him as a person, but then he pauses and says player. It’s a unique lapse of the tongue. Irving isn’t defined by the game he plays for a livelihood, as his close buddy and teammate Kyrie Irving often reminds us. Is Kyrie influencing Durant?

It’s also worth noting Durant’s statement that “I realize the sort of player that I am.” It almost seems like an understatement when I say that. Is he referring to the greatest player in the planet?

If you listen to the “Nothing but Nets” podcast, you know that we believe Durant is the best player for a huge game or playoff series. So, don’t worry, Kev, we’re not judging you based on your 2022 regular season MVP.

Durant is a big fan of DeMar DeRozan and Ja Morant, who have both had All-NBA seasons. That’s fantastic, but we have to ask why he didn’t include Giannis or Jokic in his top three. We’re curious to hear what he has to say about it.

Kevin Durant gives a candid assessment of why today’s NBA is superior than 1990s basketballhttps://t.co/n3k95JnMCB

— March 17, 2022, Nets Nation (@NetsNationCP)

We do know that he has had multiple jawing sessions with Joel Embiid this season, and he seems to be a little more eager for The Process. When comparing the 1990s to today’s game, he mentioned some of the things Embiid is accomplishing, as well as the level of ability he has for a player his stature. Perhaps this is what drew Durant’s notice. After all, we’ve all seen a 7-footer from Texas who played like a 6-foot-3 guard accomplish things we’ve never seen someone his stature do before.

Durant, the skinny youngster, is now one of the top 10 players of all time. The Nets’ emphasis these days is on the Finals MVP rather than the league MVP. However, anyone KD wants to vote for gets our vote. Joel, congrats.