'I hate basketball. I just want to go home'. This is what Nikola Jokic will say if he is asked to describe basketball in two sentences. Imagine being so good at basketball that you just hate it. That is why he is called 'The joker'. A man who is fond of horse racing, who spends entire off season drinking beers and watching horse race without even touching a basketball, has just won the most prestigious individual award a NBA player can win and he doesn't even care about it. The ever smiling, tall, humorous guy from Serbia has lit up the NBA season again.
Nikola Jokic of Denver Nuggets has been named as the MVP of NBA 2023/24 season. This is his third MVP title, third title in four NBA seasons and he is a one time NBA champion too. Drafted on June 26, 2014 by the Nuggets, the Serbian has been a revelation in the NBA. Many people have said that he has redefined the role of a center.
Who qualifies for the MVP award?
People have their own interpretation about what should a player achieve to be a MVP. For many people, it's the best player in the best team. Like If a player is averaging a 33 point triple double stat but his team doesn't reach the playoffs then he won't be the MVP because he might be the best individual player according to stat but he isn't in the best team. Jason Tatum can be a MVP this season, as he probably is the best player in the best team and he has good enough numbers. The team performance carries some weightage although the MVP award is an individual award. So, it is also important that your team does well which requires that your teammate also perform well.
But for some, team performance shouldn't be considered in choosing the MVP. It's an individual award so give it to the player that has been best player in the game, generally with the best stats and it is not necessary that his team finishes first but at least has qualified for the playoffs. Other argue that it should be given to the player that has had the most impact in his team and the game. First of all, five players are short listed for the MVP award and then 100 media persons vote for their number one, two and three and each position carries an weightage number. The sum total of points is calculated and the player with highest points win. So its up to these media persons to choose the MVP and yeah sometimes it may be controversial.
Jokic in this season
Jokic has had a very good season. In this season he had 26.4 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists per game average, nearly averaging triple double. He averaged 17.9 in FGA and 10.4 in FGM making 58.3% of his attempted shots. He also had a decent shooting percentage with 35.9% in three pointers. He had been the best player of his team without a doubt. His team also managed to finish at the top of the table of Western Conference, tied at first with Oklahoma. Nuggets were able to win 57 games and recorded 25 losses. He was omnipresent in the court. His average play time is 34.6 per game, which is a very good number. When he was on the bench, Nuggets used to struggle a bit both in offence and defense because it was Nikola who was making those creative offensive plays and also doing the defensive duty. His over the head signature shot was very fun to watch especially his game winner against the Warriors. Overall, I think Nikola had a very good season both individually and also his team performed well. I think what gave Jokic the edge over Luka and Shai was that he was so central to the team and in his absence the Nuggets wouldn't have enjoyed the success they had in his presence. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the playoffs as the Nuggets are down two game against the Wolves in the second round.
What about Shai and Luka?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the part of the youngest team in the NBA this season. He averaged 30.1 points, 5. rebounds and 6.2 assists this season. He was 53.5% in FGM. People might criticize for having so many free throws but there was no denying that he had been excellent this season. He led his team in the offensive plays. He was very dynamic in the court and many think that he should have been named the MVP.
Luka was producing magic in the court this season. His flamboyant behind the back passes, lob pass to Lively for dunk, his field goal percentages, his shooting and even his defense, he was excellent this season. He averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds per game, nearly averaging triple double. In my opinion, his performance was one of the best individual performance in regular season. There were many fans who were disappointed when he wasn't crowned as the MVP.
What more for Jokic?
This is a big question to answer and there is not any single definite answer but one thing is sure he will keep making us smile through his hilarious jokes, interviews. He is such a fun and lively person. I also think he will keep improving his game even though he doesn't practice much during the off season. He may win another ring or two, he may become MVP one more time, who knows? Only the time will tell. It is also fascinating to see what happens in this season's playoffs.
Reference :- Official NBA app
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