Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic or Giannis Antetokounmpo for MVP? Best rookie? Zach Lowe makes his 2021 awards selections

After an unpredictable and sometimes ragged NBA regular season, it's finally awards time. With just three days until the playoffs, here is my official ballot.

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

2. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

5. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

There are three worthy winners. A case for one is not a slight against the others. In any normal season, Embiid and Antetokounmpo would run away with this.

Antetokounmpo may be the world's best player. If you asked 100 coaches and executives to pick one of these three for Game 7 of the Finals, Antetokounmpo wins — maybe easily. He edged Embiid (ending behind only Jokic) in most advanced statistics. Milwaukee was plus-8 per 100 possessions with Antetokounmpo on the floor, and minus-3 when he sat; he too passes the «what happens when you take him away?» test. Milwaukee finished ahead of Philadelphia and Denver.

But with three otherworldly dossiers, I'm inclined to look again at that word «valuable» and place a smidgen extra weight on the rare level of chaos Embiid and Jokic navigated. Denver's second- and third-best players missed basically the entire season. Embiid's would-be co-star sat out the whole damned thing, turning a max salary slot into a zero until James Harden showed up in Philly's 59th game. These two giants carrying their teams to 51 and 48 wins is an incredible accomplishment.

This isn't «punishing» Antetokounmpo for Milwaukee's stability as much as it is rewarding Embiid and Jokic for stabilizing teams that might have otherwise teetered. Perhaps Philly endured the more unusual and potentially destabilizing turmoil. Injuries happen. Indefinite superstar boycotts don't. Jokic didn't