As the second half of the NBA regular season began on Thursday, there are several storylines to keep an eye on, including the race for the Most Valuable Player (MVP). Here’s our prediction on where the awards stand as we come out of the All-Star break: For the MVP race, Nikola Jokić is currently leading the way. With impressive performances and leading Denver’s success as the West’s top team, Jokić’s triple-double average makes a strong case for an MVP three-peat. Joel Embiid is also in the running, especially if he can lead the Sixers to the top of the East by the end of the regular season. His head-to-head battles…