Right now, the 2022 MVP race is between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. There seems to be a lot of people that think Nikola Jokic deserves and will defend his 2021 MVP award. Jokic is an amazing talent and deserves to be in the conversation. Becoming the first player in NBA history to have 2000 points, 1000 rebounds and 500 assists is quite an accomplishment. I understand the plus/minus may show that the Denver Nuggets are worse off when Jokic doesn't play then when Joel Embiid doesn't play for the 76ers. But that statistic tells me more about the team surrounding the players than who has actually been the better player this season. I have watched both Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid play, and the eye test tells me Joel Embiid is the better player.
Joel Embiid is about to win the scoring title this year. A lot of his critics say he goes to the foul line too much. Well, he goes to the foul line a lot because guess what.... he is always being fouled. He is almost impossible to guard without trying to get away with a foul. At 7 foot plus he has a height advantage over most defenders not to mention he is built stronger than most defenders. For a 7-footer he can knock down a 3-point shot, mid-range shot, take a defender off there dribble, post up in the paint, and even hit a fadeaway. Plus, he makes his free throws at an almost 80% clip. He is an athletic freak which is why the only way to try and stop him at times is to get away with fouling.
Nikola Jokic is a better passer than Embiid but watching them both play I can confidently say this year that is the only part of his game Jokic is better. Embiid is a better scorer, defender and when he wants to be he is the better rebounder. When the Nuggets and 76ers played against each other in Philly this season, the Nuggets came out victorious. This had nothing to do with Jokic outplaying Embiid. In fact, it was the opposite. Embiid out played Jokic. Jokic had a difficult time scoring when defended by Embiid. Embiid had no problem scoring when defended by Jokic. The Nuggets won that game because a player named Bones Hyland went crazy in the fourth quarter for the nuggets making 5 threes. The 76ers controlled that game mostly for 3 quarters.
From what I've always understood the MVP did not go the player with the best all round stats. Any player can stat pad especially when the roster around him is not that good. The award doesn't go to the player that meant more to his team. Again, a player's worth to their individual team says more about the roster around him then how he is compared to other players around the league. The MVP award is given to the best player for that season. If you watched the NBA this season you would realize that player was Joel Embiid.