Reacts: Who is the favorite for MVP?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Each week, we send out questions to the most plugged-in Golden State Warriors fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to join Reacts.

When it comes to deciding the MVP, everyone has their own criteria for determining who deserves the award. Some say it should be the best player on the best team. Some take the definition of “valuable” literally and say the award should go to the player that adds the most value to his team. Some keep it simple and say it should go to the player who is having the best overall season, regardless of team record.

These are just some of the common criteria fans and voters use when making their decision and there will be plenty more takes as the end of the season draws closer. This is especially true for a season like this one where several players have a legitimate argument for MVP. According to the latest SBN Reacts survey, Nikola Jokic is a slight favorite to win the award over Golden State Warriors point guard, Stephen Curry.

After winning last year’s MVP, Jokic is following that up with another phenomenal season and it’s clear to see how irreplaceable he is to the Denver Nuggets. He is 9^th in the league in assists while averaging 13.8 rebounds and 26.2 points per game. He leads the league in efficiency by a wide margin and is the big reason why an injury-hampered Nuggets team is 6^th in the Western Conference.

Although Jokic is ahead in this poll, Curry is the current betting favorite to win MVP according to the latest DraftKings odds. Rightfully so, there is a strong case for Curry who was considered the favorite to win MVP for most of the season until his recent shooting slump. He is the leader of a Golden State Warriors team that has the second-best record in the league. His ability to attract opposing defenses just by being on the court makes the offense easier for the rest his teammates. He is 9^th in the league in scoring with 25.8 points per game and leads the league in three-pointers made per game with 4.8 on 37.3% shooting. Finally, Curry had one of the marquee moments in the league this season when he became the all-time three-point king – passing Ray Allen for the most career three-pointers made in NBA history.

Jokic, Curry, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are all having fantastic seasons and are rightfully in the conversation for the award while several others like Ja Morant, DeMar DeRozan, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant also deserve to be on the radar. With the second half of the season still waiting to be played, the race is too early to call. A lot can happen between now and the end of the season in what is shaping up to be a very close MVP race this year.

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