Setting The Pick – MVP roundtable

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Since the Denver Nuggets hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy back in June, Nikola Jokic has been the only player favoured to win the 2023-24 MVP.

After six months, that finally changed.

Joel Embiid extended a historic streak of games with 30-plus points and 10-plus rebounds to 13 in a row with a 51-point outburst against the league’s best defence, Minnesota, on Wednesday night.

The traders at FanDuel finally saw enough and gave him his flowers. Embiid is now +155 for MVP after opening the year as the fifth choice at +850.

Considering how short The Joker had been listed at all season, this is quite the paradigm shift.

By breaking The Joker’s grip on the MVP award, other candidates might have an easier path to credibility.

Let’s go over the five choices all priced under 10-to-1.
 

There aren’t many flaws to Embiid’s MVP case.

The biggest knock on him coming into the season? He is the reigning champ.

In many instances when a player goes for a repeat, they have to definitively exceed their previous season’s output to stand a chance. Embiid is on pace.

Here are his key stats year-over-year:
 
2022-23 averages: 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.1 blocks
2023-24 averages: 35.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.9 blocks
 
As you see, across the board improvement in every category.

But what’s the zinger? He’s averaging half a minute less per game versus last season.

When the James Harden fiasco was playing out heading into the season, there were legitimate concerns about Philadelphia’s viability as a championship contender.

The stink of their disappointing playoff run was lingering, and their win total subsequently dropped by four games prior to opening night.

Through the