Nikola Jokic is the MVP of the 2020-21 NBA season. With the number of games left being countable on one hand, the vote should pretty much be unanimous for the Denver Nuggets star. However, that hasn’t stopped some talking heads from dictating otherwise and that the trophy actually belongs to someone else.
Nikola Jokic’s MVP Case – Ending the Debate
The ever-controversial Nick Wright of Fox Sports 1 recently called Jokic potentially the worst MVP in the last 35 years. ESPN analyst and fellow hot take specialist Kendrick Perkins also had some strong opinions about anointing the Joker just yet. To these people I would say – stop with the nonsense.
We’ve all heard about what a crazy season Nikola Jokic is having. So instead of rehashing the (extremely strong) case for the Joker to win the award, let’s examine exactly why Nikola Jokic trumps every single other candidate – starting with the guy both Perkins and Wright would rather have winning the award – Chris Paul.
Nikola Jokic vs. Chris Paul
Phoenix Suns savior and designated grizzled veteran Chris Paul has become the intriguing dark horse candidate in the MVP debate. People love to point out the fact that he turned the Suns from a perennial loser to a bona fide championship contender. He did virtually the same thing on a lower scale with the Oklahoma City Thunder last season.
Paul’s unbelievable impact on team success is unquestioned. Paul is absolutely deserving of being a part of the conversation, and should even garner some votes for the All-NBA First Team. But to actually win the MVP award over Nikola Jokic? That’s utter insanity.
There are two (2) clear cut reasons as to why it’s so very clearly Jokic over CP3.
The first reason is the more obvious one – stats. The numbers battle isn't just so one-sided it's silly. Chris Paul averages 16.2 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game on tremendous shooting splits of 49.2% – 39.2% – 93.1%.
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic posts norms of 26.4 points, 8.5 assists, and 10.8 rebounds per game with even better percentages of 56.6% from the field and 40.2% from deep. Although he shoots “just” 86.3% from the line compared to Paul's insane accuracy, he does shoot twice as many free-throws (5.4 vs. 2.6 FTA) as Paul does.
The second reason is a simple thought exercise. Which team would put up a better fight in the playoffs: The Denver Nuggets without Nikola Jokic or the Phoenix Suns without Chris Paul?
Even if in this scenario you magically have a fully-healthy Jamal Murray, the answer isn’t in doubt. The Suns still have Devin Booker who had been carrying their offense long before Paul came around, albeit with much less success. But the fact that Booker has a legitimate argument to being more valuable to the Suns than Paul speaks to how the CP3 vs. Joker debate shouldn’t even be questioned.
Chris Paul is the ultimate amplifier, capable of maximizing a team’s strengths and being the #intangibles god for any franchise. He’s increased the ceiling of every single team he’s been on. But as great as that is, it’s not the clearest indicator for whether he’s most valuable or not. He’s probably the best at unlocking the potential of his star teammates (Booker, James Harden, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Blake Griffin) but that’s an entirely different category of value.
Nikola Jokic acts as the sun at the center of the Denver Nuggets’ universe, plain and simple. If you’ve watched the Nuggets thrive without Jamal Murray, you’d know just how dark things would be in the Mile High City without the Joker shining the light for his team.
Nikola Jokic vs. LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and James Harden
Admittedly, the case for Nikola Jokic as the MVP wasn’t as open and shut throughout the season. The MVP race is often dictated by the best narrative, which means that the top 10 player that generates enough buzz towards the latter half of the season wins the final sprint towards the trophy.
But in a topsy-turvy season such as this one, things instead became a war of attrition. Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was the first name who emerged as a frontrunner. However, his season got derailed with an untimely bone bruise on his left knee in mid March forcing him to miss nearly a month of in-game action.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was an early sexy pick as well, with an even sexier narrative. King James, fresh off another championship run, was in hot pursuit of more silverware to strengthen his GOAT debate. Nabbing a fifth Maurice Podoloff trophy would tie him with Michael Jordan, after all. But he also went down with a brutal ankle injury that sidelined him for more than a month.
James Harden’s banner just started being raised before being shred to pieces by an injury of his own. The Brooklyn Nets point guard still hasn’t returned since as we head towards the final stretch before the playoffs.
All in all, these three contenders have missed a combined 65 of their teams’ 199 games, which amounts to 32.3% of total contests. Imagine crowning an MVP who’s missed a third of their team’s contests. The fact that their teams stayed afloat and will all make the playoffs (or at the very least the play-in for you Lakers fans) with them missing as many games as they have is a death sentence in terms of arguing a player as the league’s most valuable.
In contrast, Nikola Jokic has played in every single one of the Nuggets’ games – 68 out of 68. That’s enough said. These other three and Chris Paul need to be ready to applaud when they announce that Jokic wins the award.
Watch out for part two – Nikola Jokic’s MVP trump card over Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo
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