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 Jokić 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 Jokić, 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. Imagine that. The player widely considered to be the league's best, leading a first-place title favorite, was a distant third in this race.

Then, ESPN's Tim Bontemps revealed his final MVP straw poll last week, and Embiid led by a single ballot. Antetokounmpo siphoned enough second-place votes from Jokić for Embiid to overcome a 42-40 deficit in first-place votes. Embiid's 52-point performance in victory against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday felt like a further shift of the narrative in his favor, especially in light of Jokić's effort in defeat to the Houston Rockets.

We all should have learned from this latest ride on the merry-go-round something more than that bit about counting your chickens before they hatch. This MVP race is an extremely close call, and that should be fun.

In that spirit, I thought it worthwhile to take a blind look at this three-man MVP clash — or as blind as we can make it without unmasking the candidates — in an attempt to ferret out the venom in this debate and find a resolution. Not that everyone on the 100-member media panel won't use their own criteria, and the reactionaries won't recycle their noxious material when the winner is divulged, but this can be enjoyable.

Here goes ...

Total minutes (percentage of team's total minutes)

• Player A: 2,254 (58.9%)

• Player B: 2,024 (53.0%)

• Player C: 2,296 (60.3%)

Points created (points + assist points created + screen assist points created)

• Player A: 3,201

• Player B: 3,168

• Player C: 3,987

Counting statistics: PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK (per 100 possessions)

• Player A: 72.1

• Player B: 74.6

• Player C: 70.1

Advanced statistics: average finish (PER, WS/48, BPM, RPM, WAR, EPM, DPM, VORP)

• Player A: 2.13 (2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd)

• Player B: 6.88 (3rd, 9th, 5th, 14th, 8th, 7th, 3rd, 6th)

• Player C: 1.25 (1st, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st)

Scoring efficiency

• Player A: 57.1 eFG%, 65.4 TS%

• Player B: 57.2 eFG%, 60.5 TS%

• Player C: 66.1 eFG%, 70.2 TS%

Shot creation: unassisted field goals made (% of total FGM)

• Player A: 267 unassisted FGM (37.1%)

• Player B: 404 unassisted FGM (57.1%)

• Player C: 241 unassisted FGM (37.4%)

Rim protection (Synergy rank out of 216 players to defend 100+ FGA in restricted area)

• Player A: 442 DFGA (4th), 63.8 DFG% (61st)

• Player B: 214 DFGA (58th), 55.6 DFG% (10th)

• Player C: 436 DFGA (5th), 70.0 DFG% (119th)

Pick-and-roll defense (Synergy rank out of 235 players to defend 200+ screens)

• Player A: 2,134 screens defended (5th), 0.96 points per direct PNR possession (57th)

• Player B: 937 screens defended (43rd), 0.91 points per direct PNR possession (27th)

• Player C: 2,305 screens defended (4th), 1.01 points per direct PNR possession (120th)

Isolation defense (Synergy rank out of 181 players to defend 100+ isolations)

• Player A: 132 isolations defended (113th), 0.83 points per direct ISO possession (8th)

• Player B: 116 isolations defended (142nd), 0.88 points per direct ISO possession (19th)

• Player C: 126 isolations defended (125th), 1.083 points per direct ISO possession (140th)

Team record when in the lineup (winning percentage)

• Player A: 43-22 (.662)

• Player B: 47-16 (.746)

• Player C: 48-20 (.706)

Superlative teammates (current All-Stars, potential All-NBA and potential All-Defense)

• Player A: 1

• Player B: 2

• Player C: 0

On/off differential (via Cleaning the Glass)

• Player A: +12.3 (96th percentile)

• Player B: +7.5 (88th percentile)

• Player C: +26.5 (99th percentile)

On-court ratings

• Player A: 119.0 offensive rating, 109.9 defensive rating (9.1 net rating)

• Player B: 116.4 offensive rating, 109.2 defensive rating (7.2 net rating)

• Player C: 124.3 offensive rating, 111.5 defensive rating (12.8 net rating)

Versus each other's teams (per game)

• Player A: 31-11-6 (54.3 TS%); .500 team record (-1.39 net rating)

• Player B: 30-13-5 (59.7 TS%); .500 team record (0.71 net rating)

• Player C: 26-10-11 (65.3 TS%); 500 team record (10.9 net rating)

Versus .500+ teams (per game)

• Player A: 33-11-4 (63.8 TS%); 23-14 team record

• Player B: 31-12-6 (59.9 TS%); 26-11 team record

• Player C: 25-13-10 (71.7 TS%); 24-11 team record

Clutch (per 100 possessions)

• Player A: 47-12-6 (63.7 TS%); 23-13 team record (31.0 net rating)

• Player B: 34-13-10 (48.0 TS%); 21-7 team record (-0.7 net rating)

• Player C: 40-14-11 (64.9 TS%); 20-9 team record (27.1 net rating)

If you paid close enough attention to the numbers, you have probably figured out who is who by now.

Player A has been incredibly clutch. He is the most active rim protector and a stalwart defender in space. He is a dominant force on both ends of the floor, although pretty clearly second-best statistically overall.

Player B fills the box score best among this trio. He creates more of his own scoring and is the best all-around defender, and his team is tops when he is in the lineup. He also is the least efficient scorer, owns the worst advanced statistics, has played the fewest minutes and gets the most help from his teammates. His production dips against winning teams and in the clutch, where he has been the least helpful of this group.

Player C is an offensive maestro. He has created the most points and done so most efficiently. His advanced statistics are undeniably the best of this bunch. He has also played the most minutes, received the least help from his teammates and been on the floor for the most wins. His production and efficiency translate against winning teams and in the clutch. He is the worst defender among the three candidates, but the 10 additional points he creates per game has yielded the highest net rating when he is on the court.

Strictly by the numbers, it is hardest to argue against Player C, who, if you have not guessed, is Jokić. (Embiid is Player A, and Antetokounmpo is Player B.) Everyone's eye test can tell a different story, as it did on Tuesday night and may well in the voting, too. Good luck to all with ballots. May you avoid any toxicity.