Nikola Jokic is the League MVP
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Following up on his 2021-22 NBA MVP campaign was always going to be difficult for Nikola Jokic, and he only put up significantly better stats, without his two best teammates, and set two new NBA all-time marks, while leading the Denver Nuggets to a top six seed in the NBA Western Conference Playoffs. I would say that in a world where MVP is such a highly contested award, with the top end talent pool being so deep, following up your previous MVP season by taking a leap forward traditionally spells “back-to-back” in my opinion.
Nikola 2021 Averages – 26.4 – 10.8 – 8.3 – 1.3 – .7
Nikola 2022 Averages – 27.1 – 13.8 – 7.9 – 1.5 – .9
So, he scored more points, rebounded more, had more steals, had more blocks, more triple doubles, more double doubles, and all advanced metrics, both offensively and defensively, say Nikola Jokic may have put up one of the best single seasons of all time.
When we look at the player efficiency rating (PER) for all time, Nikola stands alone above Wilt Chamberlain from 1961, as the most efficient season ever. PER is an advanced calculation that, “sums up all a player’s positive accomplishments, subtracts the negative accomplishments, and returns a per-minute rating of a player’s performance” according to the stat creator John Hollinger.
No disrespect to the rest of the field, I think that if I wasn’t a Denver Nugget’s fan, I wouldn’t be mad if Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo won the award, but in my mind and looking at the stats, the records, and the narratives, Nikola has done more with less.
Nikola Jokic invented the 2000 point, 1000 rebound, and 500 assist club this season, after his game last night. Going into the 81st game of the season the Nuggets needed a win to secure the playoffs and avoid the play-in tournament, and Nikola needed 31 points to create the 2000-1000-500 club, both feats were accomplished! Nikola Jokic is currently the only player in NBA history to have those season totals.
I don’t find it surprising that Nikola is having a down year as far free throw and three-point shooting percentages are concerned, because Nikola has been carrying this team for the last two seasons and quite frankly, his legs are probably tired. His two-point percentage shooting is up by a significant amount, and that’s because he needed to be as efficient as possible to keep this team in games. This team needs to return Murray and MPJ or they won’t have a legit deep playoff push, on the tired, overworked legs of Nikola Jokic.
MVP Accomplishment list
- Single Highest PER in NBA History
- 2000-1000-500 club sole member
- Increased most major statistics from his previous MVP season
- Lead the league in double doubles, 6 off from Hakeem Olajuwon’s NBA single season record of 72
- Lead the league in Triple Doubles, including seven games with either nine assists or nine rebounds missing out on the Triple Double, coining the term the Nikola Jokic Triple Double (ex – 29-16-9)
- 3rd in the NBA in personal fouls drawn per game (6.5), 12th in free throws per game (6.32) the two above him in fouls drawn per game shoot double the number of free throws per game
- Missing two max contract teammates for all but the first nine games of the season
- 49-point triple double
- Game winning assists to Aaron Gordon in the Corner
- Game winning assist to Monte Morris over Golden State
- 3 game-winning blocks this season
- Most Road wins in Denver Nuggets Franchise History
- Stat Muse on Twitter says:
- Headband Jokic:
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