This article was compiled from: The Athletic
Written by John Hollinger
原标题：Hollinger: Embiid-Jokić MVP debate is over. Now, we debate their playoff fates
Who is the best basketball player in the NBA right now?
Judging by the final vote rankings for regular-season MVPs, the answer seems to be Embiid and Jokic.
The best player? Haven't proven themselves through the playoffs
The two centers have dominated the top two votes for three years in a row, only this time Embiid came out on top and won his first regular-season MVP of his career. In the past two years, they have received more than 90% of the 200 first votes, and this year Embiid and Jokic received 88 first votes, with Embiid accounting for 73.
However, if you organize a league-wide draft, they will most likely not make it to the top five, and many people will put Curry, Alphabet Brother, and Durant ahead of them, and a healthy Leonard may also be possible.
The four players mentioned above, all Finals MVPs, all proved themselves in the rigors of June. The roster could be longer, such as the 38-year-old James, who still maintains a high level of competition, and the thick eyebrows of Orlando 2020.
As for Jokic and Embiid, neither has proven themselves in the playoffs.
Both centers have tough injuries in the playoffs
Statistically, Jokic has the upper hand and his offense is on full display in the playoffs. In the first round of the playoffs last year, the Nuggets lost 4-1 to the Warriors, but Jokic's performance was phenomenal. In those five games, his individual efficiency value was 33.1 and his true shooting percentage was 64.3%. Looking further, he has also played some crazy playoff statistics, having bombarded 33+18+14 against the Blazers in 2019, 34+14+7 against the Clippers, and 32+20+10 against the Suns in 2021. His scoring ability has always been online, and by the playoffs he got stronger, with 32.4 points per 100 rounds in the regular season and 36.4 points per 100 in the playoffs.
Jokic's problem has always been on the defensive end, and the secret to defeating the Nuggets in the playoffs is to let Jokic defend against the demolition, and the 2019 Blazers beat Denver with McCollum one quick stop shot after another; The 2020 Jazz also used this trick to push the Nuggets to the top seven; Curry put Jokic in the first round last year. In 2021, the Suns also exhausted Jokic with Booker and Paul.
Embiid's performance in the playoffs has received less criticism than Jokic because he is not so easy to compromise on the defensive end, and on the offensive end, he is much better than he was five years ago, and he played the playoffs for the first time in 2018 and was taught a lesson by Horford and Bains.
However, Embiid's scoring performance in the playoffs has not been as good as in the regular season. Embiid averaged 30.6 points per game in the regular season and 23.6 points per game in the playoffs last season, and this year seems to be on the same downward trend, averaging 33.1 points per game in the regular season and just 20 points per game in the first three games of the playoffs.
Grab another MVP to the finals?
Embiid and Jokic, who have smashed up in the regular season, both face the same question: Can they be the best players in the NBA in the moments that matter? Now, with the 76ers leading the Celtics 1-0, if they break through the Green Army, they will face the winner of the Heat and Knicks in the East Finals, and it should not be too difficult to advance to the Finals. The Nuggets lead the Suns 2-0, and if Jokic advances to the Western Conference finals, it will be a tough challenge against both the Lakers and the Warriors.
If the two centers can really meet in the finals, the debate about "who is stronger" will officially begin. In this season's regular-season MVP competition, Embiid finally beat Jokic; Next, do they have a chance to grab another MVP on the stage of the finals?