{"id":508267,"date":"2021-05-14T14:36:01","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T18:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=508267"},"modified":"2021-05-14T14:36:03","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T18:36:03","slug":"nbas-most-valuable-player-which-five-players-made-the-daily-wires-mvp-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nbas-most-valuable-player-which-five-players-made-the-daily-wires-mvp-rankings\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA\u2019s \u2018Most Valuable Player\u2019: Which Five Players Made The Daily Wire\u2019s MVP Rankings?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnbas-most-valuable-player-which-five-players-made-the-daily-wires-mvp-rankings%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=508267&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/GettyImages-1136709905.jpg?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"  style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s been an odd NBA season, which is really saying something considering last years\u2019 NBA season finished in a bubble in Orlando, Florida.<\/p>\n<p>After only 72 regular season games, with near-empty arenas lacking their usual energy, the NBA finds itself nearing the end of the regular season, which means that regular season awards are on the table.<\/p>\n<p>Below are five players who deserve to be in the MVP conversation.<\/p>\n<p><b>5. Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Let\u2019s keep this short \u2014 Paul has led a perpetually dysfunctional Suns organization to the second best record in the Western Conference and a legitimate shot at an NBA Finals appearance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>There isn\u2019t a player in the league that controls the flow of the game like Paul, and he\u2019s doing it in his 16th season. In 31.5 minutes per game, Paul is averaging 16.4 points, 8.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He\u2019s in the running for the greatest point guard of all-time, and very much deserving of being in the 2020-2021 MVP conversation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Voter fatigue is a real thing, folks. Remember, not even Michael Jordan could three-peat as MVP in the 90\u2019s, so there was never a chance Antetokounmpo would.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Yes. The Daily Wire is covering sports \u2013 without the woke. Want more? <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe?utm_source=adwords&#038;utm_term=daily%20wire&#038;utm_campaign=Search+-+Daily+Wire+Brand&#038;utm_medium=ppc&#038;hsa_kw=daily%20wire&#038;hsa_ad=432007871445&#038;hsa_src=g&#038;hsa_ver=3&#038;hsa_grp=71680674390&#038;hsa_cam=927227687&#038;hsa_tgt=kwd-316236076046&#038;hsa_acc=6411461344&#038;hsa_mt=p&#038;hsa_net=adwords&#038;gclid=Cj0KCQjw1PSDBhDbARIsAPeTqrfwVNC1MZnI5ZRWdzEbOk3Pjz0oFVeTr7sA8iGOgsyrhbqydkk91vsaAkuXEALw_wcB\"><b><i>Become a member<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Somehow, Giannis has put up another year of eye-popping numbers while not getting much attention regarding another MVP. In 33.0 minutes per game, Antetokounmpo has averaged 28.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, all while being a defensive force.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Bucks are the third seed in the Eastern Conference and may finally have enough to get to an NBA Finals. Whatever happens in the playoffs, Antetokounmpo has been incredible once again. We just have to mix up the MVP race every few years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>3. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>The Most Valuable Player award has always caused arguments as to what the award actually means. Is it the best player in the game? Or, is it the player that means the most to his team?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Well, how about the guy that\u2019s a \u201ccan\u2019t miss\u201d player every single night and whose team would be lost without him?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This is where Curry falls in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Curry \u2014 no longer aided by Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson \u2014 and coming off a season in which he only played in five games, is back. No single player has meant more to his team. In games that Curry has played this season, the Warriors are 36-26, and in games that Curry has missed, the Warriors are 1-7. Basically, with Curry, Golden State is a playoff contender, without Curry they\u2019re battling the bottom-feeders for the first overall pick in the draft.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In 62 games, Curry leads the league with 31.8 points per game while shooting 42.1% from the three-point line. What\u2019s most impressive is how he\u2019s able to even get his shots off. Without another legitimate scorer for defenses to focus on, Curry is working harder than ever to get open. And yet, he\u2019s still managed to score 40 points or more 10 times this season, and has made 10 or more three-pointers in a game seven times.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There was some Curry bashing to start the season. Oh, how foolish you all look.<\/p>\n<p><b>2. Joel Embiid<\/b><span>, <\/span><b>Philadelphia 76ers\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s time to give credit where credit is due. We\u2019ve long ragged on Embiid for not being in tip-top shape and for his inability to stay on the court due to injuries. TNT\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBAonTNT\/status\/1225584440602062848?s=20\"><span>Charles Barkley<\/span><\/a><span> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/barstoolsports\/status\/1225607268496035840?s=20\"><span>Shaquille O\u2019Neal<\/span><\/a><span> have voiced their disappointment in the past for his inability to dominate on a nightly basis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This season, he\u2019s shown out, and he\u2019ll be rewarded in the MVP voting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In 31.3 minutes per game, Embiid is averaging 28.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game on 51.5% shooting from the field. Only Steph Curry and Bradley Beal are averaging more points per game this season. He\u2019s been the games most dominant two-way player while leading the Sixers to second in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/defense\/?sort=DEF_RATING&#038;dir=-1\"><span>defensive rating<\/span><\/a><span> (107.0). Not to mention he\u2019s led his Sixers to the top of the Eastern Conference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Embiid\u2019s season gives us hope that he can assume the title we so want him to have as the league\u2019s most consistently dominant big man. He\u2019s no longer settling for as many jumpers, and he\u2019s been downright unstoppable at times.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"10.833333333333\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Joel Embiid on his MVP candidacy: <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs far as MVP, I\u2019ve been dominant all season. When I get the ball, it\u2019s either a foul or a bucket. I feel like I\u2019m right there.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/a7sFWLJDRH\">pic.twitter.com\/a7sFWLJDRH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sergen (@sergenkumas) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sergenkumas\/status\/1382522008307634186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 15, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>But it\u2019s hard to overlook the amount of games he\u2019s missed this season. Embiid has played in 50 of the Sixers 70 games, missing 10 consecutive games in the middle of the season due to a scary knee injury on March 12. Embiid won\u2019t be the 2020-2021 MVP, but he\u2019s deserving of our praise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>In a season marred with injuries, players taking time off for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/04\/11\/nets-kyrie-irving-missing-more-time-due-to-personal-reasons\/\"><span>personal reasons<\/span><\/a><span>, and just plain needing a day off, one player has stood out from the rest \u2014 Nikola Jokic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The 2020-2021 season has been unlike any other in that the condensed schedule has taken a toll on all players. It\u2019s understandable that players have missed games, but not Jokic. He\u2019s the only All-Star to play in every game this season, and that has to count for something.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In 34.9 minutes per game, Jokic is averaging 26.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game on 56.6% shooting from the field. He\u2019s putting up these numbers while only attempting 18.1 shots per game and orchestrating an offense that\u2019s sixth in offensive rating (116.4).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>He\u2019s led the Denver Nuggets to a top-four seed in the Western Conference, and has done so without the help of his sidekick Jamal Murray since early April. Jokic is one of the NBA\u2019s best rebounders, individual scorers and potentially the league\u2019s best playmaker. His handling of the Nuggets offense has been nothing short of magical this season. Unfortunately, the loss of Murray will most likely dash his hopes of taking the Nuggets to an NBA Finals berth, but the MVP is a regular season award, and Jokic has had the best regular season of anyone in the NBA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Heck, even Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash thinks Jokic has the award in the bag.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"10.198675496689\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Steve Nash, ahead of tonight\u2019s game against the Nuggets: \u201cClearly, Jokic is the MVP this year\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/malika_andrews\/status\/1391189452941262856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 9, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><em>Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to <a href=\"mailto:Sports@dailywire.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sports@dailywire.com.<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">member<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s been an odd NBA season, which is really saying something considering last years\u2019 NBA season finished in a bubble in Orlando, Florida.After only 72 regular season games, with near-empty &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2278173,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/GettyImages-1136709905.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"NBA\u2019s \u2018Most Valuable Player\u2019: Which Five Players Made The Daily Wire\u2019s MVP Rankings?","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-508267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/GettyImages-1136709905.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"NBA\u2019s \u2018Most Valuable Player\u2019: Which Five Players Made The Daily Wire\u2019s MVP Rankings?","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=508267"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508267\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2278173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=508267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=508267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=508267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}