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Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokić and a blind look at the NBA MVP debate

You could sense the NBA's MVP discussion turning toxic a month ago, before it got worse. Within weeks, the betting odds shifted from Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokiu0107 in favor of Philadelphia 76ers counterpart Joel Embiid based on their diverging performances, casting the conversation in an entirely different light.

Embiid rested for his highly anticipated rematch against Jokiu0107, who experienced calf tightness of his own and missed his next three games, and we were tiring of MVP talk before the regular season reaches its end.

All the while, we largely left Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo — the two-time MVP, one-time Defensive Player of the Year and 2021 NBA champion — out of the debate.