NBA MVP Race: JJ Redick unveils his SURPRISE PICK of the season

Veteran shooter and podcaster JJ Redick reveals his MVP vote and explains why he thinks this player deserves the award.

NBA MVP Race: JJ Redick unveils his SURPRISE PICK of the season

The MVP race has been a tight one this season, with several players making a strong case for the award. Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokić, and Giannis Antetokounmpo have all been dominant in their own ways, leading their teams to the top of their respective conferences. But who has the edge over the others? JJ Redick unveiled his pick.

JJ Redick, a former teammate of Embiid and a current podcaster, shared his thoughts on the MVP debate on his show The Old Man and the Three Things. He revealed that he voted for Antetokounmpo as his MVP, and explained why he thinks the Bucks star deserves more recognition.

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Redick said that he considered three factors when making his decision: availability, consistency and impact. He pointed out that Antetokounmpo played a similar number of games as Embiid and Jokić, despite missing some time due to injury. He also said that Antetokounmpo was the most consistent of the three, delivering stellar performances night after night without any major slumps. And he emphasized Antetokounmpo’s impact on both ends of the court, saying that he is not only a force on offense but also a versatile and disruptive defender.

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“The Giannis thing is interesting because I don’t think he’s gonna win but I think he’s the MVP this season the more I talk about it and the more I try to talk myself out of it, I just couldn’t do it,” Redick said on The Old Man and the Three Things podcast, “He is the MVP, he’s the best player on the best team, best win percentage of all these three guys. It is interesting because I thought it would be hard for me to vote for him because of the games played and then Jokic ended up playing 69 games, Joel ended up playing 68 games and Giannis played 63. They are in the ballpark of each other.” He went on further to compare the stats of all three players.

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How do Embiid and Jokić compare to Antetokounmpo according to JJ Redick?

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MVP Contenders (Via AS USA)

Redick backed up his choice with some numbers that show how Antetokounmpo has performed against Embiid and Jokić. He said that Antetokounmpo has put up 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game this season while making 55.3% of his shots and 75% of his free throws.

On the other hand, Embiid has posted 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block per game this season, while shooting 54.8% from the field and 85.7% from the line. Jokić has recorded 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1 steal, and 0.3 blocks per game this season while hitting 63.2% of his shots and 87.5% of his free throws.

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Redick gave credit to Embiid and Jokić for their incredible seasons as well, but he said that Antetokounmpo has been more dominant and consistent than them. He also said that he does not care about narrative or voter fatigue, which are some of the factors that might make some people underrate Antetokounmpo after he won the MVP award in the last two seasons.

Redick’s vote is just one of many that will decide the MVP winner this year, but it is a fascinating insight from someone who has been a teammate of one of the contenders and an opponent of all of them on the court. Whether you agree with him or not, you have to respect his logic and his candor.

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