'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABcAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQkQAAEEAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAxESACEEBWFx0QEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgMRAQEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAhGx/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDOJk8EdGWEs0fWV3diSuhsJJOhGoHveSD1L4JFka8n5jGVxNzQ5f/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Steph Curry is +5000 to become the 2022-23 NBA MVP on most betting sites. Nikola Jokic is -200 to -115, Joel Embiid is +190 to +150 and Giannis Antetokounmpo is +490 to +450.
The Golden State Warriors icon is averaging 29.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 43 games. Curry is shooting 49.7% from the field, including 43.6% from behind the arc.
As good as he has been playing, the trio leading the MVP race have been in a league of their own.
Top three leaders in the MVP rankings
Jokic is putting up 24.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 10.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 61 games. The heavy favorite to nail his third MVP crown is hitting 63.0% of his shots, including 40.5% from deep.
And despite the Denver Nuggets’ recent three-game losing streak, his team still leads the Memphis Grizzlies by four games at the top of the west. The “Joker’s” numbers speak for themselves. He’s the overwhelming leader of the pack based on advanced stats and raw numbers.
Joel Embiid, the MVP runner-up to Nikola Jokic over the past two seasons, has put together another impressive campaign. He leads the NBA in scoring with 33.4 points to go with 10.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks.
Embiid is hitting a career-high 53.9% from the field, including 35.4% from rainbow distance. On most nights, he is the league’s most devastating force on both ends of the floor.
The Philadelphia 76ers, even with James Harden’s injuries, are near the top of the Eastern Conference because of “The Process.” Several basketball analysts are strongly making a case for him to win the award this year.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has somewhat flown under the radar until the last two months. The Milwaukee Bucks were 27-16 when they lost 111-95 to the Miami Heat on Jan. 14. After a win against the Phoenix Suns last night, they now hold a 50-19 record.
Largely behind Antetokounmpo’s MVP-level play, the Bucks lost just three games in a little over two months. Milwaukee is the first team to clinch a playoff berth and owns the best record in the entire NBA.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging a career-high 31.5 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists. He is hitting 54.1% of his shots but just 28.4% from behind the arc. The two-time NBA MVP has also struggled with his free throws, making just 65.4%.
Steph Curry has played the least amount of games and is leading a team that could end up in the top four or slide into the play-in tournament. It will be sports history’s most monumental upset if he can pull off the impossible by winning this season’s MVP award.
Steph Curry played like an MVP at the start of the season
Often lost in the narrative of the Golden State Warriors’ abysmal start was how great Steph Curry was playing. In his first 20 games, he averaged 31.4 points, 7.0 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals. Curry shot 51.8% (a career-high by a wide margin) from the field, including 43.6% from deep.
When Curry won unanimous MVP during the 2015-16 season, he averaged an NBA-best 30.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists and a league-leading 2.1 steals. He shot 50.4% from the field, which was highlighted by 45.4% shooting from three-point distance.
Comparing both seasons, one could easily argue that Steph Curry would have made a strong case for the MVP award this season. Injuries, however, took him out of contention.
You may also like to read: Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors behind teammate Andrew Wiggins through tough times: "Life is bigger than basketball"
Guess the Lakers players!
