Joel Embiid Leads Nikola Jokic for 2022 NBA MVP in Latest ESPN Straw Poll

Tyler ConwayFeb 17, 2022

It's looking increasingly like a two-man race for the 2021-22 NBA MVP.

Joel Embiid narrowly leads Nikola Jokic in the latest voter straw poll taken by ESPN's Tim Bontemps, earning 45 first-place votes to Jokic's 43. Embiid holds a 35-point lead overall, with Giannis Antetokounmpo coming in a distant third place.

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ESPN NBA MVP Voting Straw Poll
1. Joel Embiid
2. Nikola Jokic
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
4. Stephen Curry
5. Chris Paul

The two big men finished 1-2 in MVP voting last season, with Jokic becoming the first Denver Nuggets player to win the NBA's top individual honor.

Embiid was arguably the favorite at the All-Star break last season before falling behind Jokic because of injury issues. He has played 45 of the Sixers' 57 games this season, averaging 29.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

The Sixers navigated the season-long controversy surrounding Ben Simmons to sit 34-23 heading into Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. With the Simmons situation finally sorted and James Harden in place, the burden should be lessened on Embiid for the stretch run.

Jokic continues to wow every night as perhaps the most offensively skilled big man in NBA history. He's putting up 26.0 points, 13.8 points and 7.9 assists a night while being a consistent three-point shooter and keeping the Nuggets afloat despite Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. being out of the lineup with injuries.

Nearly every advanced metric favors Jokic, but metrics tend to do a poor job of quantifying non-statistical defensive impact—an area where Embiid is head and shoulders above his counterpart. Embiid acts as a fulcrum of the Sixers defense, thwarting opponents at the rim with his combination of size and stellar instincts.

Jokic is a vastly improved defensive player but still nowhere near the caliber of Embiid.

Antetokounmpo, Curry and Paul were the only other players to receive first-place votes. Curry raced out to an early-season lead in polling but has fallen behind amid the most prolonged shooting slump of his NBA career.