Giannis, Jokic, or Embiid?

Author: Jack Gordon

The 2021-2022 NBA regular season is starting to wind down with only a few games remaining, which means that it’s finally time to start talking about who might be the MVP of the -

What’s that? We’ve been talking about it since week 1?

Well, either way, it’s actually going to be a difficult decision this year.

One of the weirdest things about the MVP award is that it’s all about narratives. Someone else claims the award every couple of weeks depending on how they’re playing, how the team is doing, and the kind of story that appeals to both fans and voters. Anybody that goes on a two-week tear can suddenly become the MVP.

Really early on it was Steph Curry that was labeled as the frontrunner, until he started to go into an extended shooting slump. Then KD had it for a bit, but he got injured. Then after about 30 or 40 games with the Bulls at the top of the East, every early-morning sports talk show led their program with the “HOW CAN YOU NOT HAVE DEMAR DEROZAN IN THE MVP DISCUSSION?!” take.

As a side note, I would just like to put this out there once and for all: Why is it so disrespectful not to mention a player as the MVP if we don’t actually think he’s a legitimate contender to win the award? All season long I turn on the TV and see Kendrick Perkins foaming at the mouth that we aren’t including Ja Morant or Derozan in the “MVP conversation.” Great, I guess I’m just required to mention their names if I’m talking about it? Stop getting so angry at us.

Anyway, the person that took the main narrative by mid-season was Joel Embiid. He was absolutely dominating other big men in some nationally televised games, and he hadn't won it before, so he became the guy.

And now, in a league that has drastically shifted towards guard play and shooting, the three contenders to win the MVP are ironically all big men: Embiid, Jokic, and Giannis.

We’ll start with the guy that I think everyone wants to give the award to: Joel Embiid. It’s pretty incredible that a guy who only played in 31 games in his first three seasons became one of the most consistent and durable players in the league (although we still need to see it last through the postseason). He’s second in the league in scoring at 29.8 PPG, to go along with 11.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists. It feels like it’s his time. This is a guy that is truly competitive and really cares. He’s a nightmare to deal with when he’s really being aggressive, and the near 12 free throw attempts per game is a testament to that. The other thing going for him is that it’s really impressive how he’s dealt with the crap show that has been the Sixers this year. Ben Simmons, along with maybe Kyrie Irving, was one of the most discussed players in the entire league, and the guy wasn’t even playing. Philly was dealing with severe media attention along with missing their second-best player and defensive stopper all year, and it was clear that Embiid didn’t care - he put his head down, decided to go for the MVP, and kept his team afloat near the top of the East. The thing going against Embiid is that it seems like there’s a possibility for this new-look team to flame out early in the playoffs in disappointing fashion once again, in which case we might look back and regret our decision. Although, it’s supposed to be a regular season award and that technically shouldn’t matter.

If you are going just purely based on the name of the award, Nikola Jokic should probably be the MVP. He is top 10 in the following categories: points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, and is far and away the most dominant fantasy basketball player this season. If you actually look at the Nuggets roster, it’s not very good. They’re missing both Jamal Murrary and Michael Porter Jr., and Jokic has had to essentially do everything for them - and that he has done. His stats are incredible, but all it takes to understand how good he is is to watch him play. He is the center of the universe on that team. As soon as he touches the ball, every player is suddenly cutting off of him or spotted up in the corner because they know that he can hit them at any moment. The most incredible thing that’s hard to grasp with him is that he’s somehow able to make a play at literally any time he needs to. Whether it’s a close game with the time running down or just a set in the first quarter, his skill and basketball IQ essentially makes it a guarantee that if he’s not going to score, then he’s going to draw a double and make an insane pass to create a wide open shot for a teammate. He has been the most dominant player this season, and has done the most with the least. He has a few things going against him: the first is that he won it last year, and voters typically like to spread the award around. The second is that despite the incredible plays he makes, he’s just not a sexy player. He does not have mass appeal with casual fans, and no matter what he does it's somehow always hard to believe that he’s good because he just doesn’t look it. The last and most important thing against his case for MVP is that the Nuggets are sixth in the West, with the potential to drop into the play-in tournament. At some point, it’s just not enough team success to warrant giving him the award.

Last but not least, Giannis Antetokounmpo is having as good of a season as ever, but his name has been rather quiet in the discussion. He essentially has the exact same stats as Embiid across the board, with the added factor that he is one of the best, if not the best, defensive players in the NBA. Not to mention that the Bucks have the exact same record as the Sixers, and will likely end up surpassing them. The case for Giannis is that he is as good as he’s ever been, has the stats to back it up, and is probably the second best player in the league and maybe it’s important to commemorate the fact that he is a generational talent. But make no mistake, this would not be a commemoration MVP. In fact, if Giannis had never won the MVP before, this might be a no brainer, but voter fatigue is a real issue. From an objective standpoint considering all the factors, Giannis probably deserves to win and there is really no case against him, but rather only a case for the others. What he has going against him is the voter fatigue and that the team came out to a slow start based on expectations, but there were a lot of reasons for that, including injuries, the championship hangover, and their top players coming off an Olympics run in Tokyo. And, since then, the team has picked it up and is still the most dependable pick to repeat as champions.

This is a weird year for the MVP, because there are three incredible candidates that it seems like not many people are very excited about (except maybe Embiid). The best part is that there is no wrong answer for a winner, and the worst part is that there will inevitably be two players who deserved the award that won’t win.

Who do I think should win, you ask? I really don’t know between the three guys, so I say give the MVP to Austin Reaves, the best player in the league.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

Yankees Starting Rotation Outlook

AUTHOR: ZACHARY PATLIN

The start of the 2022 MLB season is less than two weeks away, with starting pitchers ramping up to be ready as a result of this abbreviated spring training. The Yankees did not add from the outside in terms of starting pitching, however what they have internally is young and deep, with a lot of upside potential.

The Yankees Opening Day starter against the Red Sox will for sure be Gerrit Cole, last year’s AL Cy Young runner-up. Robbie Ray took home the award and got a 5 year $115 million contract from Seattle because of the season he had with the Blue Jays. Gerrit Cole is one of the games best pitchers, and he will again show just why in the 2022 season. My projections for Gerrit Cole: 18-6 with a 3.34 era. He will rank in the top three in AL Cy Young voting again if he stays healthy.

Now we move on to the second tier, a large drop down from Cole’s tier, of Yankees starting pitchers. With no clear number two established yet for the 2022 season, Jameson Taillon, Jordan Montgomery, and Luis Severino will all pitch to attempt to secure that spot behind Cole in the rotation. Taillon had a two month stretch in the 2021 season where he was lights out, pitching to a sub 3.00 era in that stretch and showing every bit of his potential. Montgomery was probably the Yankees second most consistent pitcher throughout last season behind Cole, and was reliable every fifth day when he got the ball. Severino only pitched late in September after coming back from a multitude of injuries, but was lights out from the bullpen. It remains to be seen if he can bounce back and reclaim all star type numbers.

The third tier of Yankee pitching that will fill out the rotation and make spot starts when needed has many viable options. Let’s start with Nestor Cortes Jr. who had his best year as a pro in 2021 as he refined his mechanics and honed down on his command. Nestor will get every opportunity this year, whether it be in long relief or in the starting rotation, to show if he can sustain his performance from last year. The Yankees recently placed Domingo German on the 60 day IL, however when he comes off the list and begins his rehabilitation back to the mound, he will regain a starting spot in the rotation.

Also coming in this tier are some young pitchers who have come up through the Yankees system, including Clarke Schmidt, Mike King, Deivi Garcia, and Luis Gil. Each of these pitchers showed that they belong at the MLB level, so it remains to be seen which of these young arms will make the major league roster out of camp for opening day against the Red Sox. I predict Clarke Schmidt and Mike King will be on the opening day roster. The Yankees also continue talks with the Oakland Athletics about Sean Manea, as they will always look to add arms and depth to this rotation which has the upside to be great. Overall, this is one of the better rotations in all of baseball. Let’s just see if they can stay healthy and produce.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

The New York Mets Need to Make a Call

Author: Frank Caggino

Now that the MLB lockout has finally ended, free agency has resumed. Players and in particular starting pitchers, have been flying off the board. While the Mets signing Max Scherzer improved their pitching staff, the pitchers after him and deGrom all have question marks. Carlos Carrasco had some injuries and even when healthy, did not pitch the way the Mets hoped. Taijuan Walker was an All-Star, and then mostly struggled in the second half of the season. Tylor Megill had mixed results and it is not ideal to depend on a pitcher who will only be in their second season. There are very few decent pitchers left in the starting pitcher market and that is why the Mets should pursue the trade market.

The best starting pitcher left among the free agents is Yusei Kikuchi. Who similar to Taijuan Walker, struggled in the second half of the season and does not have a proven track record. The Mets need someone more reliable if they intend on being a team that competes for a World Series. The trade market has multiple quality pitchers, (I have written about Tyler Mahle of the Reds) and the Oakland Athletics have multiple quality pitchers. Oakland has a reputation of trading their good players and not keeping them long term. The Athletics, want to move on from those pitchers at some point, which is why the Mets should try to acquire one of them. The three pitchers from Oakland that have been rumored to been available are Chris Bassitt, Frankie Montas, and Sean Manea. All three pitchers were healthy and had consistent seasons. The Athletics, also have some valuable portion players that could be moved and the Mets can help replace them.

Matt Olsen is a player whose name has popped up in trade rumors, and if Oakland does trade him, the Mets have a player who could potentially help fill the void. Dominic Smith does not have much of a role in New York, since the team singed Starling Marte, Mark Cahna, and Eduardo Escobar. Robinson Cano will be back this year and will take away some designated hitter reps. Perhaps after Olsen is traded, the Mets can make their deal with Oakland to acquire a starting pitcher for a package that includes, Dom Smith and some other prospects. It is important for the Mets to make a move for the rotation because of how much they have invested.

Having Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer in the same rotation, might be a once in a lifetime thing for the Mets and it can not be wasted. The Mets have the highest payroll in all of baseball and have to ensure that they will be a winning team. The Athletics will not re-sign any of their pitchers and if they are smart, they will trade them and get some value in return. If the Mets are smart, they will be the team to call Oakland.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE