Every single year the NBA community loves talking about the top MVP candidates. This season, the three top players are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, and James Harden. This trio has been putting up some of the best numbers in the league.
However, some of the players that have the best seasons in the league and don't get the chance at MVP. The team's around them don't have enough star power to make it deep into the playoffs.
Here are the top five most underrated candidates for the NBA's MVP.
5.) Kyrie Irving
The Boston Celtics are 37-25 and currently sit in the fifth seed of the Eastern Conference. All season long, they've struggled to find consistency on offense. They have a ton of depth but haven't been able to utilize it. They've lost four straight and may have lost their chances at a top seed in the East.
Head coach Brad Stevens has come under a ton of scrutiny. His inability to get his team to play together has really hurt his reputation as a top head coach. Even though they've struggled, one factor has remained consistent.
Kyrie Irving has proven himself once again to be one of the best point guards in the league. Irving this season has averaged 23.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from beyond the arc. He's reached his prime and shows on a nightly basis that he's one of the NBA's best shot creators.
One huge aspect of his game that has improved is his playmaking. He has the highest assist percentage of his career, with a 33.1 percent clip. This ranks in the 93rd percentile among other point guards, per Cleaning the Glass. He's also averaging 1.21 points per shot attempt, which ranks in the 91st percentile. He's one of the best scorers in the league and has become an excellent primary ball-handler.
Irving is a free agent this summer, and regardless of his team's play, he had a wonderful season. Averaging 24/7 and hitting efficiently from anywhere on the court is very valuable. Some nights he can go off for 40+. He's proven himself to be worthy of an MVP award. Only a larger role on a different team could one day change that.
4.) Blake Griffin
The Detroit Pistons this season have outplayed their own expectations just a bit. They are sitting in the 7th seed of the NBA's Eastern Conference and seem primed to make a playoff run. Their record is an adequate 29-31, and they've won seven out of their last 10.
A huge reason why the team has been winning games is their power forward Blake Griffin. He was originally traded to Detroit last season as the headliner of a blockbuster deal. He joined Andre Drummond to make one of the best big man duos in the league. However, while playing under head coach Dwayne Casey, he's seemed to find his footing once again. He's playing with the ball in his hands a ton. It's working quite well.
So far this year Griffin has averaged 25.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from beyond the arc. His ability to hit from deep on a large volume of shot attempts is huge for his overall game. It opens up the floor and makes him so much more dynamic and a better playmaker.
Per Cleaning the Glass, he's averaging 1.17 points per shot attempt. This ranks in the 59th percentile among big men, the best mark in over five seasons. His assist percentage of 26.7 ranks in the 98th percentile among bigs. He's one of the most dominant offensive power forwards in the game. Even though the Pistons are a middling team in the East, his impact is still unheralded.
3.) Damian Lillard
The Portland Trail Blazers this past season are 38-23 and sit in the fourth seed of the NBA's Western Conference. Even though they haven't made many roster moves this past offseason, they came into this season with a solid squad. Jusuf Nurkic has slowly become one of the best bigs in the league. McCollum is still a knockdown shooter, and the team has just enough depth to get by.
The real reason why the Blazers are so good? Damian Lillard. He's rapidly proving himself to be an elite scorer. This season thus far he's averaged 26.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from deep. His ability to run the pick and roll is among the best in the NBA. Head coach Terry Stotts just runs four in-one out pick and rolls with Lillard all game. It's extremely effective.
Lillard averages 1.19 points per possession, which ranks in the 93rd percentile among point guards, per Cleaning the Glass. His effective field goal percentage of 51.2 ranks in the 75th percentile. Lillard is an elite scorer who can easily create his own shot. He's constantly misunderstood because of his lack of playoff success. Regardless, he's one of the leagues best scorers.
2.) Nikola Jokic
The Denver Nuggets surprised many this season by being one of the best regular season teams in the league. Their record of 42-19 puts them just a half-game behind the first place Golden State Warriors. Though the Nuggets have a great core of players, one man has turned them into an offensive juggernaut.
Nikola Jokic may not be a household name. But he should be soon. The fourth-year center hailing from Serbia is the best offensive center in the game. This season he's averaged 20.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Jokic can do so many things on offense. His back to the basket game is so smooth. He has a nasty hook shot. His court vision is that of an elite point guard. The Nuggets run the offense through him, and seemingly every game he throws a jaw-dropping dime. He can shoot from anywhere on the floor. He's disgusting in the pick and roll. He can do everything.
Per Cleaning the Glass, he averages 1.17 points per possession. This ranks in the 61st percentile among bigs. His assist percentage is a nuclear 37.7 percent, which ranks first overall in the 100th percentile among big men. For context, Kyle Lowry is sitting second in assists averaging 9.2 per game. His assist percentage is only at 33.9.
The Nuggets may not make it far in the postseason, but Jokic is still the best player on the second-best team in the West. That's an excellent case for his MVP candidacy. He will absolutely receive votes for the award at the conclusion of the season.
1.) Joel Embiid
The Philadelphia 76ers this regular season has shown that they're going to be a title contender. They've gone 40-22 and are just seven and a half games out of first place. Trading for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris shows that they are in a win-now mentality.
The most impactful player to their success is their center Joel Embiid. His production is simply insane, numbers we haven't seen from a big since Prime Shaquille O'Neal. So far this season he's averaged 27.3 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from beyond the arc. He's an offensive monster. He can score on a variety of post moves and fades. He has a smooth jumper and can even splash from deep.
However, it's really Embiid's defense that makes him so important to Philly's success. He averages 1.9 blocks per game. one of the top markers in the NBA. His block percentage sits at 2.8 percent, which ranks in the 84th percentile per Cleaning the Glass. His defensive rebounding ranks in the 95th percentile. He's an elite glass cleaner, rim protector, and post scorer all rolled into one. His versatility at the five is unmatched.
Embiid won't get nearly the amount of votes he deserves, but his name should definitely be in the running for MVP. He is on a team with two other perennial all-stars in Ben Simmons and Butler. Even so, Embiid impacts the Sixers more than any other member of his squad. That's why he's so valuable.
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