PHOENIX, ARIZONA – MARCH 27: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after scoring against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on March 27, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the 76ers 114-104, NBA MVP Ladder Week 24: A new name enters the fray. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Week 24 NBA MVP Ladder: 5. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Rank last week: N/A
Pts/Rebs/Asts/Stls/Blks: 26.5/5.0/4.9/1.2/0.4
FG%/3P%/FT%: 46.5/37.8/86.7
Off EPM / Def EPM: +4.0/+0.2
It’s time for a mea culpa. I, and many others, have discounted Devin Booker’s chances of making the ballot for too long. Whereas other fringe candidates, like Tatum and DeRozan, have had wildly successful spurts that put some narrative horsepower behind their candidacies, Booker has just quietly been the best player on a league-demolishing Phoenix team.
Even the absence of Chris Paul for several weeks couldn’t slow down the Suns’ roll; Booker led the team to an 11-4 record in his absence.
Everywhere Paul goes, the team immediately gets better. He creates a looming shadow, and between his celebrated on-court play and his omnipresent commercials, he has a much larger public persona than Booker. That has worked against Devin in the MVP popularity contest.
But no longer! Booker dropped 35, 49, and 28 points against three good teams in the 76ers, Nuggets, and Timberwolves last week. He is peaking at the right time.
Bob Adlhoch and StatsbyStats noted that “[s]ince 1976-77, there have been 14 instances of a player averaging 25+ PPG on a team with a win % of .800 or better. 10 of those won the MVP.”
Booker averages 26.5 points (and even more without Paul) for a team with a .813 winning percentage. Maybe it’s time for him to get some love.
@Bucks! <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/30/nba-mvp-ladder-week-24/2/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/FearTheDeer?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#FearTheDeer</a> <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/30/nba-mvp-ladder-week-24/2/"https://t.co/MFQUQfpe29">pic.twitter.com/MFQUQfpe29
<p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/30/nba-mvp-ladder-week-24/2/"https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1508981010582716417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>March 30, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Giannis is comfortably the best defender out of the three big men vying for MVP, and he will receive consideration for Defensive Player of the Year again. Last season’s Finals MVP performance has validated him as an all-time great, which may give him a little protection from voters who would otherwise be leery of giving him a historic third MVP trophy.</p>
<p>The Bucks haven’t really had one massive run this season. Instead, they have unevenly made their way to second in the East over time, and now they stand just a half-game behind Miami for the top seed. If Milwaukee ends up with the top seed (which is no sure thing, with four teams within 1.5 games of the top), Giannis’ case for a third MVP will be impossible to ignore.</p>
<p>16 of the past 22 MVPs have been on one-seeded teams. If the Bucks do manage to claim the Eastern Conference for the third time in four years, Giannis may be the bridge between old-school win-obsessives and new-school stats aficionados.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/30/nba-mvp-ladder-week-24/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> NBA MVP #1 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-443626 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/30/nba-mvp-ladder-week-24/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1388284191.jpeg" alt="NBA MVP Ladder" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1388284191.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1388284191-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 28: Montrezl Harrell #8 of the Charlotte Hornets guards Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter at Spectrum Center on March 28, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina, NBA MVP Ladder Week 24: A new name enters the fray. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Week 24 NBA MVP Ladder: 1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets</h2>
<p><strong>Rank last week</strong>: 1</p>
<p><strong>Pts/Rebs/Asts/Stls/Blks</strong>: 26.3/13.6/8.0/1.4/0.9</p>
<p><strong>FG%/3P%/FT%</strong>: 57.6/34.5/81.1</p>
<p><strong>Off EPM / Def EPM</strong>: +7.4/+1.2</p>
<p>The narrative has swung! <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/30/nba-mvp-ladder-week-24/2/"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33617040/nba-mvp-straw-poll-nikola-jokic-joel-embiid-where-race-stands-two-weeks-left-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN’s straw poll</a>, which showed Embiid with a razor-thin lead six weeks ago, now showcases Nikola Jokic as a clear front-runner for the award. He earned 62 first-place votes out of 100 (and, bizarrely, three fifth-place votes), and with less than two weeks remaining, seems to have gained serious momentum.</p>
<p>This is a good thing, in my opinion, as I believe Jokic has been the most valuable player in the NBA for virtually the entire second half of the season. 26/14/8 is absolutely silly stuff. And to be doing this well while still shooting 58 percent from the field seems impossible, especially given the lack of offensive talent surrounding Jokic.</p>
<p>But it’s not just the numbers. Jokic has an endless bag of offensive moves to score from anywhere on the floor, including from the foul line and from deep. Unlike Embiid or Giannis, Jokic can also pass guys open in a way that only a handful of people on this planet can. He’s an entire offense unto himself.</p>
<p>I’ve often seen people online complaining that the Nuggets, currently a six-seed in the West, haven’t won enough games to qualify Jokic for MVP. This absurd argument does a great job of telling you who not to follow on Twitter.</p>
<p>The Nuggets have currently won one fewer game than the 76ers and two fewer games than the Bucks. With records that close, it shouldn’t be an automatic disqualifier just because one candidate plays in a stronger conference.</p>
<p>We’ve already gone over <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/30/nba-mvp-ladder-week-24/2/"https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1500886796065931264" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jokic’s statistical dominance</a> at length in this space in previous weeks. Suffice it to say, pretty much every metric says Jokic is having one of the greatest seasons of all time, and he’s the deserving leader of the MVP race as the season hits its final stretch.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Top 5 NBA Most Improved Player candidates this season" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/30/nba-most-improved-player-candidates/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/30/nba-mvp-ladder-week-24/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/03/30/nba-most-improved-player-candidates/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Top 5 NBA Most Improved Player candidates this season </a> </div>
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