Just because ESPN corrected one of its own, Kendrick Perkins, about a recent statement saying that NBA MVP voters are 80% white, it doesn't mean the player-turned-analyst is going to start believing that Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets — and not Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers — is the best player in the league right now.
Tom Haberstroh, however, might have the data to finally shut Perkins up for good. Haberstrough recently posted a sheet showing that Nikola Jokic NEVER “had a teammate selected to All-Star, All-NBA or All-Defense.”
Nikola Jokic has never had a teammate selected to All-Star, All-NBA or All-Defense.
How rare is that lack of teammate starpower?
He's the only MVP to have that distinction at this point in their career. A typical MVP had ~12 by now.
🪬 @bballilluminati: https://t.co/uih6ajHp2Z pic.twitter.com/96jbbORbGW
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) March 8, 2023
No MVP winner before Nikola Jokic had lasted eight seasons in the league without playing alongside at least one player who's gotten an All-Star, All-NBA, or All-Defense nod. It's an incredible piece of information that supports the idea that the Nuggets would be absolutely nowhere near where they are without Nikola Jokic.
While Perkins thinks that racial bias plays a major role in Nikola Jokic being a favorite to win the MVP award for the third year in a row (which is fundamentally wrong to begin with because of the erroneous claim he made about the makeup of NBA MVP voters), hard stats show that the Nuggets big man clearly has a strong case to bring home yet another MVP trophy.
On the season, Jokic is averaging 24.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 10.0 assists per game, while shooting 63.4 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from behind the arc. Entering Wednesday, Jokic leads the Nuggets in win shares (12.7) and Value Over Replacement Player (7.4) each by a wide margin.
Follow Us
Subscribe