Nikola Jokic now understands Joel Embiid’s two NBA award seasons.
Second MVP, second-team All-NBA.
MVP Embiid led the All-NBA squad announced Wednesday night. Jokic was the second-team center. It was a reversal of 2021 and 2022, when Jokic won MVP and Embiid was second-team All-NBA center.
This should be the last quirk. Next year, the All-NBA team will no longer be broken down by position, thus the perceived second-best player in the NBA, like Embiid in 2021 and 2022 and Jokic today, will not have to be relegated to second-team anything.
Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joined Embiid on the first team.
Jimmy Butler, Jaylen Brown, Stephen Curry, and Donovan Mitchell joined Jokic on the second team.
Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis was the third team center, LeBron James (now a 19-time pick) and Julius Randle were forwards, and Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox and Portland’s Damian Lillard were guards.
Devin Booker, Ja Morant, Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan, Karl-Anthony Towns, Chris Paul, Trae Young, and Pascal Siakam were omitted after making it previous year.
James is a 13-time first-team, three-time second-team, and three-time third-team selection. The NBA’s second-most 15-time choices were Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
100 NBA reporters and broadcasters made the selections.
Antetokounmpo was the only unanimous first-teamer this season. Tatum received 92 first-team votes, Embiid 87, Gilgeous-Alexander 63, and Doncic 60.
Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell, Brown, Sabonis, and Fox were first-time All-NBA. After four years on the third team, Butler made the second team and Embiid made the first team for the first time.
Since 1989, the NBA has selected three All-NBA teams with two guards, two forwards, and one center. From 1956 to 1988, two teams were selected by position; from 1947 to 1955, two teams were selected without respect to position.
The system rarely fails. MVP finalists are usually All-NBA first-teamers.
However, centers have competed for one All-NBA first-team place instead of two like guards and forwards.
Embiid was second in the MVP race but only second-team All-NBA the past two seasons. More examples:
In 1994–95, MVP David Robinson was named first-team center and runner-up Shaquille O’Neal second-team center.
— 1993-94 MVP Hakeem Olajuwon and second-team center Robinson.
In 1976-77, Bill Walton was second in the MVP race and second-team All-NBA behind MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
In 1975-76, Bob McAdoo placed second in the MVP race and didn’t even make All-NBA, with the center berths that season going to MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and third-place finisher Dave Cowens.
The MVP has also been left off the All-NBA first team, but not under the current voting system. Bill Russell in 1958, 1961, 1962, and Cowens in 1973.
