(Photo by Icon Sportswire)
With the new NBA rule of eligibility, Joel Embiid’s MVP case has taken a massive dip.
The Philadelphia 76ers star was the odds-on favorite to take the award home for the second straight year.
However, with all the games he’s missed due to injury or load management, chances are he won’t be eligible for the award at the end of the year.
Whether that’s fair or not is not for us to debate, but there are plenty of worthy candidates who have actually been available, and they also deserve a chance.
With that in mind, NBA Central revealed NBA.com’s top-10 MVP candidates now that Embiid’s case has tumbled.
https://t.co/wWGNmWnCY9’s updated MVP Ladder:
1. Nikola Jokic
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3. Joel Embiid
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
5. Jayson Tatum
6. Luka Doncic
7. Domantas Sabonis
8. Kawhi Leonard
9. Kevin Durant
10. Devin Booker
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 2, 2024
At No. 10, we find Devin Booker, who’s been the de facto point guard for the surging Phoenix Suns.
Then, Kevin Durant gets the nod as their best scorer.
Kawhi Leonard and Domantas Sabonis are listed at No. 8 and No. 7, respectively, which should be no surprise considering how much they’ve dominated over the past two months.
Luka Doncic continues to be a perennial name on this list, standing at No. 6 after his 73-point game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum are ranked at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, after leading their teams to the two best records in the Eastern Conference.
Then, we find Joel Embiid, who could continue to drop on this list if he misses more games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finally gets some credit after what he’s done on both ends of the floor for the Oklahoma City Thunder, all while Nikola Jokic takes the first spot back after almost winning the award last season.
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