On Thursday morning ESPN.com published a list of the NBA’s top candidates for awards like MVP, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, etc.
Here were the eight names listed for MVP:
- Stephen Curry
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Joel Embiid
- Nikola Jokic
- Ja Morant
- Kevin Durant
- DeMar DeRozan
- LeBron James
On Jan. 14 NBA.com put together its list of MVP candidates. The top five were Antetokounmpo, Jokic, Durant, Embiid and DeRozan.
Notice someone missing from both lists? I do.
Where is Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker?
NBA on TNT's Kenny "The Jet" Smith joined @timandfriends to discuss last night's incredible performances by Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.
You can get some decent value should you want to bet on their chances to win NBA MVP. pic.twitter.com/FQyJD0K12N
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) January 20, 2022
To quote Vizzini from the great movie Princess Bride, it’s inconceivable that Booker is nowhere to be found when discussing potential Most Valuable Player Award winners.
Generally, those deemed worthy of being named MVP must fit an unstated set of criteria. Let’s check Booker’s qualifications.
Their team is among the best in the league
Only once in the last 10 seasons has the MVP come from a team that didn’t have one of the top five records in the league. That was in 2016-17 when Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook set an NBA record with 42 triple-doubles in a single season.
Let’s see. The Suns have the NBA’s best record at 36-9 and are three games ahead of the Golden State Warriors and Mr. Curry in the Western Conference. Check.
The MVP can’t come out of nowhere
Rarely does a player make the jump from, “he’s pretty good,” to MVP. With the possible exception of Jokic, the last 10 MVPs — Jokic, Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Westbrook, Curry, Durant and James — were all considered elite, superstar players before they were named MVP.
It’s true that Booker never has made the All-NBA first team. But that’s less a reflection of his talent than it is an indictment of the Suns’ ineptitude much of his career. Until last season, when Phoenix reached the NBA Finals, Booker was wrongly regarded as a volume scorer on bad teams. That’s no longer the case.
They’re having an MVP-type season
Yes, this is obvious, and yes, Booker is having that kind of season. He’s one of just three players — Embiid and Chicago’s Zach LaVine being the others — who are averaging at least 24 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and grabbing at least five rebounds per game.
His usage rate of 31.3 percent ranks ninth in the league, he’s working harder defensively — as evidenced by his defensive rating improving by seven points from last year — and he’s averaging career highs in three-point shooting percentage (39.4) and rebounds (5.3).
What’s not to love?
Devin Booker is shooting 62.5% in the clutch, 45.5% from three.
Chris Paul is +64 in the clutch, the highest +/- in the NBA.
The Suns are 15-3 in clutch games this season. pic.twitter.com/Q8I2L62LwK
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 21, 2022
So, now that we’ve established Booker is a legitimate MVP candidate, again comes the question: Why isn’t he being mentioned on any of these lists?
One theory — OK, my theory — is that the Suns were so bad for so long — they had an 11-year playoff drought — voters still haven’t latched onto the idea that they’re the best team in the league and Booker is a true superstar.
Think of it this way: You’re a parent and your child’s teenage years were a nightmare, full of tantrums and selfishness and the complete unawareness that someone else in the house matters. Then your child turns 21 and all of a sudden, they become civil to you, even friendly. It’s still hard, despite what you see and hear, to forget about all the shouting matches and door slams.
Eventually, you realize they’ve grown up and moved on. But it takes time.
That’s the Suns, finally matured but still being perceived by some as that bratty teenager.
There’s also, more tangibly, the Chris Paul factor. It can be argued that Booker isn’t even the Most Valuable Player on his team.
Paul made the Suns title contenders. He leads the league in assists (10 per game) and is third in steals (1.9). He runs Phoenix’s offense, he’s the strongest voice on the court and in the locker room and his tough love has pushed center Deandre Ayton to become the player the franchise thought he would be when it made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2018.
His nickname is the Point God, for goodness sakes.
Aside from DeRozan, all of the MVP frontrunners — at least, according to those lists — are unquestionably the best player on their team. On the Suns, is that Booker or Paul?
On Saturday morning, Suns television color analyst Eddie Johnson Tweeted out his MVP ladder, as he put it. He had Durant on top, Embiid second, Paul third, followed by Antetokounmpo and Jokic.
My MVP Ladder. Place on my ladder is affected by record and games played !
1. KD ( injury, will fall quickly )
2.Embiid ( Dominant)
3. CP3 ( Best leader, best clutch player)
4.Giannis (Elevating at a rapid pace)
5. Jokic ( Gotta win 46 games, Russ did 2016-17). #NBAMVP— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) January 22, 2022
If a broadcaster who watches Booker and Paul on a nightly basis doesn’t have Booker in his top five, the lack of MVP recognition around the league becomes more understandable.
Understand: I’m not advocating that Booker should be the MVP. Embiid is having a monster year and probably should be the leader in the clubhouse. Jokic has been incredible — what other big man makes the nightly highlights because of his passes? — Durant leads the league in scoring and James, at the age of 37, is averaging 28.9 points, 7.6 assists and 6.4 assists for a struggling Lakers team.
But Booker deserves to be part of the conversation. He’s arguably the best shooting guard in the league on the best team in the league.
To me, that’s an MVP candidate.
