Nikola Jokic is one of the best players in the league, and it is clear that he is a special talent. Jokic is already one of the best passing centers of all time, and he still has many years ahead of him.
This season, Nikola Jokic has been playing at an MVP level and has led the Denver Nuggets to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. However, it seems as though there is still some criticism of the center present, as Kendrick Perkins recently stated that the center has been “stat-padding” during games.
Kendrick Perkins says Nikola Jokic has been “stat-padding” in games this season
(Via @FirstTake ) pic.twitter.com/gdxolidOOo
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 28, 2023
A lot of fans ended up reacting to this take from Kendrick Perkins, with many suggesting that he is wrong. For example, one fan suggested that Nikola Jokic simply isn’t interested in stat padding.
https://twitter.com/MtbLawson/status/1630658173710532608
Another person said that Kendrick Perkins needs to get off the TV.
just get him off TV already bro
— Old NBA Tweets (@oldnbatweetz) February 28, 2023
One commenter astutely pointed out that a lot of stars engage in “stat-padding,” not just Nikola Jokic.
a lot of stars statpad in games sometimes, idk why it matters lmao, i respect the hustle
— Matt (@MattTalksBall) February 28, 2023
Some fans, however, admitted that they believe Nikola Jokic is, in fact, someone who pads his stats.
Jokic does stat pad but not as bad as Luka
— Sports Talk Drew ☘️ (@SportsTalkDrew) February 28, 2023
https://twitter.com/jordanrawa/status/1630619200854147097https://twitter.com/Kelso2Turnt/status/1630620056202756099
Some people pointed out that Nikola Jokic has led the Nuggets to the No. 1 seed.
How can you statpad your way to the #1 seed?
— Go D. Usopp (@floatinParidise) February 28, 2023
It will be interesting to see if Nikola Jokic ends up responding to Kendrick Perkins’ comments about his stat padding. Generally, that is a term reserved for players that end up getting stats without impact or wins, and Nikola Jokic is definitely not in that category.
As of right now, Nikola Jokic is averaging 24.8 PPG, 11.7 RPG, and 10.0 APG for the Denver Nuggets while shooting 63.3% from the field and 39.8% from the 3PT range. The key for him this year will be to lead his team to the Finals, and we’ll see what happens in the future.
Mike Malone Made A Solid Argument For Nikola Jokic’s MVP Case
There is no doubt that Nikola Jokic has a solid MVP case due to his production and impact. Previously, Mike Malone made a good case for his superstar, noting that he “impacts the game in every way.”
“Nikola impacts the game in so many ways,” said Malone. “Is he going to be a guy that’ll be on SportsCenter making a game-saving block? No. But his hand-eye coordination, his deflections, his steals. We’ve seen it in his first MVP season, he had like 4 game-saving blocks. If you’re looking for a super-athlete to win MVP, he’s not your candidate. If you’re looking for a great player that impacts the game in every way and whose team is in first place in the Western Conference, then he’s your man.”
There is no doubt that Nikola Jokic is a player that is a dominant offensive force, even if he isn’t always flashy in his execution. Most people understand just how elite he is, and his sense of the game is impeccable.
In many ways, the only thing that will change some of the haters’ minds about Nikola Jokic is him winning a championship. Hopefully, he will manage to do so at some point in his career.
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