Great as he’s been this NBA season, Nikola Jokic has been criticized for his performances and the lack of success with the Denver Nuggets.
After winning two consecutive MVP awards, Charles Barkley believes the Serbian big man needs to take it to the next level and lead his squad to the NBA Finals (3:55 mark).
“It doesn’t matter matchups. They probably have to get to the Finals. You can’t win back-to-back MVPs and be in the conversation for the third one and don’t get to the Finals. When you’re the MVP… He’s won two! He [Nikola Jokic] has to get to the Finals!”
Shaquille O’Neal agreed with Chuck, saying that when you play in the regular season and the playoffs, the approach is different, and it’s the postseason where Jokic needs to prove his worth. Shaq also named Joel Embiid as a player who needs to go deep in the playoffs.
“That they don’t have enough experience to get it done. We know, from experience, that the regular season and playoffs are something different. We’ve seen quite a few teams have beautiful regular seasons, but can’t quite get it done in the playoffs… I agree with Chuck, he [Nikola Jokic] has to go to the Finals, and so does Joel Embiid!”
Embiid is once again having an impressive regular season with the Nuggets, but many people have criticized him for his lack of collective success. Of course, he has done so much with what he’s been given, becoming the only MVP to never had an All-Star or All-NBA teammate.
Still, it’s time for the Joker to step up and show his quality on the biggest stage while leading his team to play for an NBA championship this campaign.
NBA Players See Joel Embiid As The 2023 MVP Over Nikola Jokic
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, many NBA players consider Joel Embiid the rightful 2023 NBA MVP, surpassing Jokic for the honor. In the past couple of games, the Cameroonian-born player has taken his game to the next level, and right now, plenty of fans think he’s a lock for the coveted award.
As for Jokic, people keep bringing up unflattering stats about him, including the one that shows he’s the worst layup defender in NBA history. The defense has been Jokic’s weakness since always, and this season it’s been more visible.
Despite taking the Denver Nuggets to the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference for the first time ever, some people are favoring Embiid over Jokic in a photo finish for the MVP award. This is one of the fiercest races in recent years, and it seems like it’ll come down to these two players when everything is said and done.
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