National Basketball Association

The Colin Smythe Award: Top five NBA playoff MVPs, according to Colin Cowherd

Updated Jun. 15, 2021 11:56 a.m. ET

The MVP is out of the NBA playoffs, leaving a void to be filled.

The NBA's MVP award accounts for just the regular season, and Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokić was certainly a deserving winner after the season he had.

But he and the Nuggets are gone after falling to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semis in ignominious fashion.

On Monday, Colin Cowherd said he believes not accounting for the postseason when it comes to the MVP award is "ridiculous."

With that in mind, the host of "The Herd" came up with his list of the top five MVP candidates based on the postseason.

Similar to the NHL's Conn Smythe Trophy, Cowherd's "Colin Smythe Award" is based solely on playoff performances.

Here's what he came up with:

2021 postseason stats: 31.3 points per game, 3.8 assists per game, 8.2 rebounds per game | 6-3 record

Cowherd's thoughts: "No other healthy player for the Brooklyn Nets is averaging more than 12 [points] per game. So [Kevin Durant] is in the discussion. He could be the most talented, but that's not what this award is."

2021 postseason stats: 32.9 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.5 RPG | 6-2 record (missed one game)

Cowherd's thoughts: "I think one of the things that's pretty clear about Donovan [Mitchell] that I really like: He'll play defense, too. … He has really blossomed as a two-way player."

2021 postseason stats: 27.4 PPG, 3.5 APG, 9.9 RPG | 5-3 record (missed one game)

Cowherd's thoughts: "I've got to give Joel Embiid a lot of credit. … The reason I have Embiid so high is because you're just not getting enough consistency from Ben Simmons. And so it's really falling on Joel Embiid."

2021 postseason stats: 30.4 PPG, 4.4 APG, 7.7 RPG | 6-5 record

Cowherd's thoughts: "[Kawhi Leonard's] efficiency ⁠— it's really very much like Michael Jordan at the end of his career. … The second three-peat for Michael, his efficiency was so amazing. Not a wasted motion."

2021 postseason stats: 15.7 PPG, 8.7 APG, 4.1 RPG | 8-2 record

Cowherd's thoughts: "Chris Paul — intelligence, toughness, leadership. In the fourth quarter this postseason … he has 19 assists and no turnovers. That is insane. That would be like a quarterback at the end of the season having 19 touchdowns, no picks, in the fourth quarter. … Chris Paul is my MVP."

For Cowherd's full breakdown, check out the video below: