The 2020-2021 NBA Season has not been kind to the MVP candidates. Joel Embiid, LeBron James, and James Harden were all forced to miss significant time with injuries. While Joel Embiid returned after missing ten games, LeBron and Harden remain out. It seems as if the MVP this year will be awarded in large part based on the war of attrition. But even with all the injuries this season, there’s one MVP candidate who has played every game, and moving forward, will be forced to play every game, and that player is Nikola Jokić.
One month ago, I wrote a piece on how Nikola Jokić could make NBA history by winning the MVP. Since that time, a lot has changed, and the ball is now solely in his court. No pun intended. His running mate Jamal Murray has been added to the lengthy list of injured players by tearing his ACL against the Warriors. So, with Murray out indefinitely, on top of Jokić’s stat-stuffing play, compounded by the other MVP candidates missing time, not much can stop Jokić from winning Most Valuable Player.
He’s the very definition of “valuable”.
Most “Valuable” Player
Since Jamal Murray’s season-ending injury, Nikola Jokić has led the nuggets to four straight wins. In the four wins, he’s averaging 29.5 points, 7.8 assists, and 12.5 rebounds while playing 35 minutes a night. This includes a 47 point overtime win against the Grizzlies. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but this is what he’ll need to do for the Nuggets to have any shot of winning. The term stat-stuffing as it relates to Nikola Jokić isn’t an insult. It simply describes how good he is.
Getting into the second-level stats of The Joker only proves his case. What he lacks on defense, he more than makes up for everywhere else. Nikola Jokić is currently first in all the following categories…
- Field Goals Made
- Win Shares
- Offensive Win Shares
- Win Shares Per 48 Minutes
- Box Plus/Minus
- Offensive Box Plus/Minus
- Value Over Replacement Player
Before Joel Embiid’s return, Nikola Jokić was ALSO no.1 in Player Efficiency Rating. There was a real argument to be made that he was the best basketball of anyone this season. Plain and simple, Jokić is in a class by himself when it comes to Centers in the NBA. He leads his team in every major statistical category and has the Nuggets in fourth place. If this isn’t the definition of Most Valuable Player, I don’t know what is.
Jokić Gets Bonus Credit
It’s hard to give the MVP to a player when they have a star/superstar teammates. Unless one of the players is statistically dominating, neither is likely to get much MVP consideration. In the case of Nikola Jokić, he was getting major MVP buzz even while Jamal Murray was healthy. With him out for the remainder of the season, The Joker’s credit essentially doubles with the team’s success placed on his shoulders. If that’s not enough, then adding the fact he’ll (probably) have played all 72 games should all but seal his MVP.
Closing Argument
Joel Embiid has played 18 fewer games than Nikola Jokić. LeBron James has played 17 fewer, while James Harden has played 16 fewer. Giannis Antetokoumpo has won back-to-back MVPs, and the likelihood of him winning a third is between slim and none. His only real competition is Damian Lillard, but the Trailblazers don’t win enough. So barring a catastrophic collapse of the Nuggets season, there should be no one standing in the way of Nikola Jokić’s receiving the honors of Most Valuable Player.
The Joker’s game isn’t the most flashy, and he’s not exactly graceful on the court. But there’s no denying how effective and dominant he is. He stays healthy, he’s almost averaging a triple-double, he’s the best Center in the league, and is your soon-to-be 2021 NBA MVP.
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