The NBA MVP award is decided by a panel of 30 people and their voting isn’t open to the public. We discuss how this system could be changed for better outcomes.
The “nba mvp voting” is a flawed system that has been in place for years. Charles Barkley exposed it during his interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols.
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and the NBA MVP award is surely no exception.
Although this year’s MVP race was the most close in recent memory, Nikola Jokic took home the prize for the second straight season. Giannis Antetokounmpo came in third and Joel Embiid came in second.
The voting mechanism, on the other hand, has a flaw. It’s weighted, so let’s suppose someone was rooting for Jokic to win. They could have placed Embiid in fourth or fifth place to guarantee he got less points.
And Charles Barkley isn’t happy with the way things are going. While discussing this year’s race, the 1992-93 MVP highlighted its weaknesses.
The NBA MVP voting mechanism was uncovered by Charles Barkley.
On May 24, 2020, NBA icon Charles Barkley will appear in The Match: Champions For Charity. | Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images for The Match
The 2021-22 MVP race was recently reviewed by Charles Barkley and the Inside the NBA team, and Barkley conceded that Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo all deserved to win.
However, as previously said, he has a problem with the voting mechanism.
According to House of Highlights, Barkley noted on a recent episode, “You can slant it towards someone you want to win by placing people lower down the list.” “One, two, and three, in my view.” You should have to explain yourself if you don’t have the three individuals numbered one, two, and three. Nobody else can be one, two, and three. To me, putting one of those people fourth or fifth or anything like that is slanting it for your person to win.”
Chuck went on to say that there isn’t always a solution. The award is decided by journalists, however athletes are inclined to prefer their friends or teammates.
Is it anything that might happen this year?
Looking at the MVP results for this year
There’s a likelihood that some authors cheated the system this season, but it’s difficult to establish conclusively.
Barkley accused Joel Embiid of being inattentive after losing the prize, while Giannis Antetokounmpo garnered seven fourth-place votes. According to Barkley, such reporters should be forced to explain themselves.
Those eight votes, though, are unlikely to have made a significant impact. As a consequence, Embiid, who earned 706 total points, received two less points (had the one vote gone to third instead of fourth), while Giannis, who received 595, received 14 fewer points.
However, third-place votes might have rigged the election. If all of Embiid’s third-place points had gone to second, he would have scored 68 more points. Yes, it would have only raised his point total to 774, but it’s possible that Jokic’s 875 points would have suffered.
Overall, reading and speculating is too tough. Jokic, Embiid, and Antetokounmpo were all deserving, but the Denver Nuggets center received the most votes.
Perhaps the outcomes will serve as more incentive for Embiid and Antetokounmpo. Their clubs are still in the playoffs, but Jokic is back at home following a first-round loss.
If you win the Larry O’Brien Trophy instead of the MVP honor, no one cares.
After the Chris Paul incident, Charles Barkley offers his advice on how to deal with obnoxious fans.
Related Tags
- nba mvp candidates 2021
- 2006 nba mvp
- 2011 nba mvp
