The NBA MVP is a flawed award. It does not hold a clear definition for what the qualifications are and the standards seemingly switch every year. While “Most Valuable Player” may seem obvious enough, the debate for most valuable vs. best player are two very different conversations. This debate has been ratcheted up many notches this season, especially when it comes to Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid.

It seems pretty clear that Jokic is set to be crowned MVP for the second consecutive season. Many of the voters have publicly stated their vote, and Jokic seems to hold a comfortable lead. While there are certainly legitimate cases for Embiid and even Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Nuggets big man is certainly a deserving winner after another historically great campaign.

Unfortunately for the Nuggets, the impressive regular-season play of Jokic has not been effective enough in the playoffs. The Golden State Warriors have climbed back into the championship tier of teams this season and the Nuggets are seeing this up close. The growth of Jordan Poole as the third Splash Brother has made Golden State a scary team, which they have proven by jumping out to a 3-0 series lead. With the Nuggets' season on the line heading into Game 4, it should be noted that his MVP resume looks the exact same.

With the Nuggets on the brink of a sweep, the haters and slanderers are out in full force against Jokic, proclaiming that he should not be the MVP and that he's not doing enough despite averaging nearly 30/15/5 so far in the series. This is all hogwash, and here's why.

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Stop slandering Nuggets star Nikola Jokic

It is an award for the regular season

The three leading MVP candidates have had very different performances at the start of this postseason. Joel Embiid has made a statement with his convincing play. The Sixers star even hit a game-winning 3-pointer to push the Sixers to a convincing 3-0 lead in their matchup with the Toronto Raptors. Giannis has also continued to open eyes with his elevated level of play. The Bucks and Bulls are tied 1-1 in the series, but Giannis has proven his impact on both sides of the ball.

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For Nikola Jokic, things have not gone as well to start the postseason. His frustrations boiled over so much in Game 2 that he was even ejected for picking up his second technical. The reigning MVP had a bounce-back performance in Game 3, tallying 37 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists. This was by far his best performance of the series. It is clear Jokic attempted to carry his team to a victory in front of the home crowd, but it was not enough to get the job done. He did have a few miscues in crunch time, including getting stripped by a legendary defender in Draymond Green, but that's why Green is one of the best.

While these playoff matchups have been entertaining and are worth the spirited debates, they have ZERO impact on who wins the award. The votes have already been placed and the playoffs are not considered. It is a poor format for the league and one that should arguably be changed, but one the NBA has stuck to nonetheless.

Warriors are just that good

When comparing the Nuggets and Warriors as teams, it should be no surprise the series is already lopsided. Stephen Curry is returning to full health and has made his case for being the best sixth man of all time. Klay Thompson looks comfortable in his role once again, and Jordan Poole has been terrific. The offensive firepower the team possesses could give them a real chance at winning it all this year. Golden State has quietly built up a contender that many teams should fear, especially given the recent injury to Devin Booker. The Warriors may very well be the most complete team in the Western Conference.

In contrast, the Denver Nuggets are not quite this quality of contender. They have operated without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. for just about the entirety of the season, stilling winning 48 games because of Jokic's brilliance. The collection of role players around Jokic has a massive gap between their level of play and their opponent in this series. The possibility of a sweep is disappointing, but it should be no surprise the Warriors are winning the series.

As the long wait for the MVP announcement continues, do not let a disappointing performance from the Nuggets alter your opinion. The ballots have already been cast and Jokic's resume looks the exact same as it did before these three straight losses. The arguments of Joel Embiid and Giannis' elevated play this season are valid reasons if you do not believe Jokic is the worthy winner. However, the early postseason exit has no correlation to the decision surrounding the award.

Rather, it is a better use of time to accept that Nikola Jokic will likely become the fifth player to win MVP in back-to-back seasons. He should be celebrated for his unique style of play and the regular-season accomplishments he has achieved. The criticisms surrounding this topic are much more based on the structure and timing of the award than Jokic's play as a whole.