“It’s over” Shannon Sharp predicts Nikola Jokic winning his second consecutive MVP title
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NBA 2021-22 season is nearing its final set of games and now we have a clear picture of the Postseason. Many players played their hearts out and delivered on the court. It raises the question of the probable winner of the prestigious “KIA MVP” award. Star performers of each team have carried their team and given the chance for the glory.
Former US Football player and Sports analyst Shannon Sharpe have his pick for the title. He is putting his vote on Denver Nuggets’ star and 2021 MVP Nikola Jokic to win his second award. Talking on the TV show “Undisputed” he said, “You know he’s going back-to-back, it’s over. The NBA has been around for 75 years and he’s the first to ever have 2k points, 1k rebounds, and 500 assists. He’s going to be MVP.”
2022 KIA MVP favorites include: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid
The race for the title is very tight this season. Teams are going neck-to-neck in respective matches with strong performances from their Franchise players. All these results kept fans guessing about the valuable player this season. As per the latest Kia MVP Ladder, Nikola Jokic is leading the race with just 1 game remaining to play for the Nuggets. He has an unprecedented season scoring more than 2000 points, 1000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a single season. No other player in NBA history has achieved these remarkable stats.
With consistent performances in the 2021-22 season, the mighty Serbian center is averaging around 27 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals per game n 74 games. A round performance from Nuggets’ dominating center leads the team in all regular categories.
Eastern teams are also not far behind with more and more talent stacking in the conference. But it is still some experienced players who are dominating the conference. Mainly Giannis Antetokounmpo is moving into the beast mode for the regular season also. He carried the team single-handedly early in the season when a host of players were sidelined due to Covid-19 issues.
Playing in just 66 games this period, Greek-Freak has put up impressive stats. He is averaging around 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 block per game in the 2021-22 season. Moreover, timely support from Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton gave Giannis some breather, but still, he remained the “go-to” guy for Mike Budenholzer’s team. The bucks are currently 2nd in the Eastern Conference, 2 games behind leaders Miami Heat.
Another strong contender for the MVP title is Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid. The big man from Philly had a slow start to the season and was sidelined in the initial days due to Covid-19 and some injury niggles. But his production on the floor defined Philadelphia’s season.
Joel Embiid scored with an average of 30.4 points a game and leads NBA for the scoring title. He also has impressive 11.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, which fueled Philadelphia’s offense. Coach Doc Rivers’ team added James Harden midway in the season, which will provide Embiid much-needed support and put them in a strong position to challenge for the title.
Head to head Match-ups between the top 3 contenders
Three stars faced each other and had entertaining encounters. The top two contenders Jokic and Giannis had just 1 meeting out of a possible two. Jokic team managed a 36-points victory over the Bucks on 30th January 2022 with intense performances from both the stars.
Similarly, Nikola Jokic came victorious in the sole encounter against Joel Embiid. Nuggets had an away game win over the 76ers late in the march. Jokic proved to be the difference-maker again with a balanced outing in the East.
Among the conference rivals, the Bucks team had a 2-1 season series lead over the 76ers, with reigning finals MVP tormenting the 76ers’ defense.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)