76ers' Doc Rivers 'Obviously Disappointed' Joel Embiid Didn't Win NBA MVP over Jokic

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers had a sensible reaction to Joel Embiid not winning the 2021-22 NBA MVP award. 

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Rivers said he's "obviously disappointed" that Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic won the award for the second consecutive season. 

"Clearly, Jokic is a great player, too, and Giannis [Antetokounmpo] … I was surprised, though, by it," Rivers added. "I actually thought Joel would win, but let’s win it (the title) and then everything else will follow, I guess."

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that Jokic won the award over Embiid and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, with a formal announcement expected later this week. 

While final MVP voting results aren't known, the debate over which superstar would get the honor has been a hot topic since Jokic, Embiid and Antetokounmpo were named finalists after the regular season ended. 

Antetokounmpo is arguably the most dominant all-around player in the NBA today. The reigning NBA Finals MVP averaged a career-high 29.9 points per game and played elite defense this season. 

Embiid led the league in scoring average (30.6 points per game), making him the first center since Shaquille O'Neal in 1999-2000 to win the scoring title. The Sixers star led his team in rebounding (11.7), blocks (1.5) and shot 37.1 percent from three-point range. 

Jokic set career highs in scoring average (27.1 points per game), rebounding (13.8) and true shooting percentage (66.1). The 27-year-old had an edge over his fellow finalists in advanced metrics, including leading the NBA in offensive win shares (10.8), total win shares (15.2) and value over replacement player (9.8). 

Both Embiid and Jokic performed at an elite level while the rosters around them were in turmoil. The 76ers went through the entire saga with Ben Simmons before trading him to the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 10. 

The Nuggets didn't have their second- and third-best players virtually all season because of injuries. Jamal Murray didn't play at all in 2021-22 as he recovered from a torn ACL suffered in April 2021. Michael Porter Jr. played poorly in nine games at the start of the season before being shut down in November because of a back injury that required surgery. 

There really was no perfect way to separate any of the three finalists winning MVP. Embiid coming up short says more about how good Jokic was than anything negative about the 76ers center. 

Embiid will have a chance to send a message to the voters in the playoffs. Philadelphia will look to take the lead in its Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Miami Heat on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.