As Nuggets star Nikola Jokic sits on the edge of winning his third-straight MVP, there are those around the league who aren’t so convinced he should be the favorite to win the award again.
Kendrick Perkins falls in this camp, and it’s no secret that he has Joel Embiid as the frontrunner on his ballot instead. In fact, as he explained during a recent segment on First Take, there’s a very particular reason why he thinks Jokic is on track to win the MVP once again.
“There are only three guys who won the MVP who wasn’t top 10 in scoring: Steve Nash, Jokic, and Dirk Nowitzki,” said Perk. “Now what do those guys have in common? I’ll let it sit there and marinate, you think about it.”
The conversation began with Perk questioning the criteria for MVP and how it changes almost every season. Last year, the Joker somehow won it despite being the 6th seed in the West and now he’s on track to win his third straight despite a limited track record in the playoffs.
While we will never know the motivations behind every single MVP vote, it’s a stretch to think that skin color has anything to do with the voting. Both Nash and Dirk deserved their MVP nods that year. When Nash won his second, he put the Suns on his back in one of the most efficient shooting seasons ever while averaging 18.8 points per game. Meanwhile, Dirk led the 2006-07 Mavericks to an impressive 67-15 record, as his offensive talent was on full display.
As for Jokic, he still has a strong case this year despite what the critics might say.
Nikola Jokic Is The Rightful MVP Frontrunner
It’s true that Nikola Jokic is far from the perfect player. Compared to Joel Embiid and Giannis, his effort on the defensive end leaves much to be desired. Still, what he’s been doing for the top-seeded Nuggets this year deserves recognition.
In 55 games this season, the Joker is averaging 24.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, and a career-high 10 assists per game on 63% shooting. He’s been putting on a clinic all season long and it has Denver in a position to enjoy homecourt advantage throughout the West playoffs.
Of course, there are still plenty of games left this season, but the MVP Jokic’s to lose even if the critics say otherwise.
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