As the MVP race dwindles down Nikola Jokic is looking to be one of the favorites to win MVP. If he wins the award this season he will join NBA legends Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell as the only players to win 3 consecutive MVP awards.
Before we get into whether or not Nikola Jokic is an MVP favorite, we have to establish the criteria that get looked at for picking the MVP. The criteria for being an MVP in the NBA is quite stringent. Generally speaking, the MVP award is given to the best player in the league who has had the most impressive season.
The MVP candidate should be a player who has the ability to influence the game in multiple ways. They should have the highest individual performance, such as points per game, assists per game, rebounds per game, etc. The player should also help their team reach the playoffs, or perhaps even win the championship. Finally, the MVP should be the leader of their team and have the ability to inspire the other players to perform better. Finally, the player should have a strong presence off the court, in terms of
promoting the game and being a positive role model.
Nikola Jokic is the driving force for the Nuggets as a whole. He is currently averaging a triple double with 24.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, and a career high of 10.1 assists. The back to back MVP also is averaging this triple double at an efficient level. He is shooting 63% on FG’s, 38.5% from beyond the ark and 82.5% from the line. He is the only player in the NBA to ever have a statline of 10+ points, 10+ rebounds and 15+ assists while going 100% from the field.
Nikola Jokic is not only a walking bucket for the Nuggets, but he is one of the greatest passing big men we have seen in a long time. His ability to create open shots just by making good passes is something that will put the whole crowd in awe. As a big man who can Score effectively, and rebound the ball, his passing congeals itself to make one of the most beautiful skillsets of all time.
Jokic has proven himself in the last 3 years, as he not only is a great player overall but he has led his team to victory. After taking his team to the playoffs last year without some of the Nuggets key players due to their injuries, Jokic has helped his team go from finishing 6th in the Western Conference, to sitting first in the Western Conference with a 37-17 record this season. Jokic is a winner, and that is a quality that is separating him from players like Anthony Davis, and even Luka Doncic, two elite players who may miss the MVP due to their team not succeeding.
The winning category also includes taking their teams to the playoffs even in dire situations and Jokic has excelled in this category. Jokic took his team last year to the playoffs, and this season they are on track to succeed in their playoff run and even make it farther than that of what they did last season. Jokic is going to lead his team to the playoffs, and he will most likely lead them to a more victorious season as they are only 12 wins away from beating their previous record.
The last category discussed is the players ability to inspire others and be a positive role model and Jokic has done that this season as well. Nikola Jokic is an inspiration to all overseas players, but more specifically those from Serbia. Many of the other candidates for MVP are international players as well such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Joel Embiid. These players not only made it to the league, but they have excelled, proving to those everywhere that as long as you are willing to work, you can succeed no matter what league you play for.
Jokic also is very involved with other organizations that look out for those who need extra help. He has not only handed out Christmas gifts with the Rocky Mountain hospital, but one year he partnered with the special olympics and he stayed after to sign autographs. He is a player for the people and he continues to inspire not only athletes, but he looks out for “the little guys.” He’s spoken about how one of
his favorite things to do is to get together with the team, and host events for the public.
While there are other players who do this as well, it goes to show how much Jokic loves the game of basketball and the lengths he will go to promote it. Whether it be skill, leadership, or his presence off the court, Jokic succeeds in all these categories showing that he strives to be the best player on and off the court.
This year’s MVP race is something special, and it will be hard to choose who deserves the accolade this year. There are numerous players who are worthy of MVP this year including Joel Embiid who is having one of the best seasons of his career, Giannis Antetokounmpo who continues to dominate every game he plays, and Luka Doncic who is having a great season, but may not be a candidate due to his teams success. I believe the clear favorite is going to be Jokic, but after Embiid’s performance against Jokic, we may see him win as well.
Only time will tell if Jokic will win the award, so it’s important that we keep track of what these candidates are doing for their team week by week. The MVP award will be revealed at the end of the season so all of these guys still have time to prove why they should be deserving of this accolade.
Hasn’t even been to finals and win three in a row
Can’t see it
Many candidates this year