“Joel Embiid, DeMar DeRozan, and Ja Morant are my top three”: Kevin Durant names his favorites for the 2022 MVP honors, surprisingly snubs out Nikola Jokic from the top three

Advait Jajodia | 19/03/2022
“Joel Embiid, DeMar DeRozan, and Ja Morant are my top three”: Kevin Durant names his favorites for the 2022 MVP honors, surprisingly snubs out Nikola Jokic from the top three

Kevin Durant names Joel Embiid, Morant, and DeRozan as his top 3 picks for the 2022 Most Valuable Player honors, shockingly leaves out Nikola Jokic from the list.

The 2021-2022 season has been extremely competitive. With several teams playing incredible basketball and winning many games, numerous players join the mix of being the favorites to lift the 2022 Most Valuable Player trophy.

The race for the prestigious individual honor is as well-contested as one can expect it to be. Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the current top three in the recent-most MVP ladder. But, the long list of legit contenders continues with players like DeMar DeRozan, Ja Morant, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, among several others having a real shot at the Maurice Podoloff Trophy.

Also Read: NBA Twitter slays Lakers head coach after LeBron James and co severely underperform in 2021-22

Kevin Durant names Joel Embiid as his pick for the 2022 MVP honors

Recently, Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant revealed his top 3 as well as the favorite for the MVP trophy. The Slim Reaper, who himself is currently one of the top 10 players in the MVP race, said:

“Joel Embiid, DeMar DeRozan, Ja Morant for me, those are my top three [for MVP] and I’ll probably go Joel. Jokic, you can throw Jokic in there. But I’ll probably go, Joel. It’s only great players playing at a high level.”

Also Read: NBA Analyst gives reality check to Nets star, calls him overrated

Sure, JoJo, Deebo, and Ja are having some really special individual campaigns. But, for anyone to leave Nikola Jokic out of their top three list would be criminal.

The Serb is currently averaging a historic 26.1/13.7/8.1 and is on pace to finish the season with the best PER in NBA/ABA history. The Joker also has a decent 42-29 record, only one win lesser than KD’s MVP frontrunner, despite playing the majority of the season without the likes of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

Irrespective, we know one thing for sure – the MVP race is certainly not a one-sided affair, and will for sure go down to the wire.

Post Edited By: Advait Jajodia
Demar Derozan Ja Morant Joel Embiid Kevin Durant Nikola Jokic

About the author

Avatar photo

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over four years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,700+ articles.

Don’t miss these