Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic reportedly won the NBA's 2022 MVP award for the second straight year, beating out Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid for the honor.

Speaking to reporters after Philly's 120-85 Game 5 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Embiid congratulated Jokic for winning the award, which has yet to be officially announced. He also said "there's no right or wrong" answer between himself, Antetokounmpo, Jokic and even Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker for the honor.

Many believed Embiid, this year's scoring champion, should have been named the league's MVP after he put together the best statistical season of his career. He was also the first center since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 to be named scoring champion.

The 28-year-old averaged 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 49.9 percent from the floor and 37.1 percent from deep in 68 regular-season games. He also averaged 1.1 steals and 1.5 block per game.

Embiid's career year helped the Sixers finish fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 51-31 record. They were technically tied for the second-best record in the East, but the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks earned the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively, because of tiebreakers.

What's even more impressive about Embiid's performance is that he did it without a true No. 2 beside him as Ben Simmons sat out until he was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden. That said, Tyrese Maxey also had a career year and blossomed into a star for the Sixers.

Even 76ers head coach Doc Rivers was disappointed that Embiid didn't win the award, telling reporters before Tuesday's Game 5 that he's unsure what more the 2014 third overall pick could have done"

I don't know if a guy could've done more than he did this year, play without the second-best player [Ben Simmons] all year. Listen, his resume was great. I'm not taking anything away from Jokic either, because he's a hell of a player.

I do think this whole analytic-driven society, world is out of control at times with some of the measures that they use. Like, watch the dang game and decide is what I've always said.

Jokic was still deserving of the honor, especially considering he led a severely depleted Nuggets team, which was without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. for much of the season, to the playoffs.

The 27-year-old also improved upon his numbers from the 2020-21 season, when he won his first MVP award. He averaged a career-high 27.1 points and 13.8 rebounds, in addition to 7.9 assists and 1.5 steals, in 74 regular-season games.

In addition, Jokic shot 58.3 percent from the floor and 33.7 percent from deep and became the first player in NBA history to record 2,000 points (2,004), 1,000 rebounds (1,019), and 500 assists (584) in a single season.

Considering Embiid is just 28 years old, he still has plenty of time to add an MVP trophy to his numerous accolades. Who knows, maybe it will come as early as next season. 

Rival NBA teams reportedly haven't dedicated any resources to potentially luring Nikola Jokic away from the Denver Nuggets.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst recounted on The Hoop Collective podcast how front offices stockpiled cap space and assets for a possible Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit before he signed a five-year extension with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020, and he noted that hasn't happened with Jokic, who can become a free agent in 2023.

"No one that I've ever heard has talked about trying to steal Jokic," Windhorst said. "No one has talked about, 'Can we get him out of Denver?' And he just basically announces before [a supermax contract extension] is even offered, he'll sign it."

Typically, any time a superstar is a year from free agency, the rumor mill is already spinning with links to possible landing spots, but that hasn't been the case with Jokic.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday the 27-year-old center is set to win the NBA MVP Award for the second straight season, with a formal announcement to come this week.

Yet instead of prepping for a run at one of the league's gold standards, other teams are seemingly resigned to the fact he's staying in Denver, which is great news for the Nuggets.

Jokic is eligible to sign a five-year, $254 million extension with Denver this offseason, per ESPN's Bobby Marks. If added on to the last year of his current deal, it would keep him with the franchise for six more seasons through the 2027-28 campaign.

"I would like it, of course," Jokic said. "But it's not something that I'm deciding. I think if [the] offer is on the table, of course I'm going to accept it because I really like the organization, I really like the people who works here. I'm in [a] really good relationship with everybody from [the] owner to equipment manager."

The Serbian sensation has spent his entire NBA career with the Nuggets since being selected in the second round of the 2014 draft.

Jokic didn't arrive in Denver for another year, making his debut during the 2015-16 season, but he was obviously worth the wait as he transformed into a franchise cornerstone.

He's coming off a season where he set new career-highs in points (27.1 per game), rebounds (13.8), steals (1.5) and shooting percentage (58.3). He also averaged 7.9 assists and 1.3 threes.

If an extension is ultimately signed, the focus for the Nuggets will be trying to chase down an NBA title during that championship window. They reached the 2020 Western Conference Finals but were eliminated in the first round of this year's playoffs.

A healthy Jamal Murray, who missed the entire 2021-22 season while recovering from a torn ACL, would be a major boost to those efforts. The same goes for Michael Porter Jr., who was limited to nine games because of a back injury.

The fact the Nuggets still cruised to the playoffs despite those injuries highlights the MVP impact of Jokic, and getting his extension done would give the team more long-term financial clarity for the remainder of the offseason.

Last month, B/R NBA writers were asked to pick our league MVP. I had Nikola Jokic third, behind Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

After tallying our results, Jokic was the winner, but it was close. We were then asked, "Are We Sure Nikola Jokic Should Be MVP?"

Here was my response:

"Jokic is a statistical dream come true: a big man who can bang in the paint, knock down threes and still manage to get his teammates involved in the role of playmaker. But I'm not convinced Jokic makes his teammates that much better, which should be a given when you are the NBA's best player. I know the Nuggets have had a slew of injuries. That can't be ignored. But his available teammates have not elevated their play significantly this season with Jokic. He still seems to struggle at times determining when he needs to take over and when he needs to try to get others involved."

I like Jokic. He is a fine player who has clearly established himself as one of the game’s best. 

But the idea of him being this year's MVP for the second straight season was laughable to me.

The NBA is expected to formally announce this week that Jokic did win MVP, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Him winning this year is yet another reminder that we put far more stock in a player's individual statistics than we do to what should matter most: winning. 

Denver won 48 games in a season in which the Western Conference’s middle class wasn't nearly as strong as its Eastern Conference brethren. To get into the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, the last team in (Charlotte) won 43 regular-season games. Out West, the San Antonio Spurs snagged the last play-in spot with 34 victories. 

Placing a high value on winning is nothing new to the MVP conversation. For years, the award has been mostly about the best player on a team that won a ton of games during the regular season. For MVPs who aren't on one of the top few seeds in their respective conferences, their individual play tends to be far and away better than anyone else's, making it a no-brainer that they are the best player in the game for that season. 

Jokic did not meet that threshold.

Even with all of the challenges Denver faced this season, an MVP should deliver more wins—or at least lead his team to better than a No. 6 seed.

This is especially true when comparing Jokic to Embiid and Antetokounmpo, both of whom had strong stats and also lifted their teams to better records and a real shot at a title.  

For those who argue Jokic did a lot for Denver with less surrounding talent and therefore deserves to be the MVP, I hear you. But last I checked, the award is called the NBA's Most Valuable Player, not the NBA Analytics Most Valuable Player On An Injury-Riddled Team.

Jokic guiding the Nuggets into the playoffs as the sixth seed was impressive. But if you're the MVP, you find a way to win at a high level regardless of who is healthy. Jokic did not do that in 2021-22.

How many times did LeBron James lead a team that talent-wise should have barely qualified for the playoffs to one of the top seeds? But we want to celebrate a great player under less-than-ideal circumstances for leading his team to the No. 6 spot?

We did so in 2016-17 when Russell Westbrook won the MVP and the Oklahoma City Thunder were a sixth seed. However, Westbrook averaged a triple-double that season, joining Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to ever accomplish that feat. 

While there's certainly value in Jokic becoming the first player in league history to register 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a single season while having a career season shooting the ball, the MVP award has never been and never should be about stats only. 

MVPs have significant crossover appeal, but at a minimum, they fill the stands at home, right? 

This past season, the Nuggets ranked 16th in the league in average home attendance. Only 86.9 percent of their seats were filled at home, which ranked 20th in the league. 

Meanwhile, Embiid and Antetokounmpo's teams ranked No. 2 and No. 12 in home attendance, respectively. When it came to the percentage of seats filled at home, the Bucks were No. 2 in the NBA, while the Sixers were eighth.

That’s why I gave Embiid and Giannis the MVP advantage over Jokic. They had strong statistical seasons that captivated fans to turn out and see them play, and they got their teams home-court advantage in Round 1 as the fourth and third seeds in the East, respectively.

The Value of 'Empty Stats'

After winning MVP last year, Jokic averaged career highs this season in points (27.1) and rebounds (13.8) per game. However, some key factors contributed to that boost.

Jokic played the entire 2021-22 campaign without point guard Jamal Murray, the team’s second-best player and arguably best scorer. The Nuggets also got only nine games out of Michael Porter Jr. (back), the third-best player on the team, before he underwent season-ending back surgery. 

Without Murray and Porter on the floor, defenses could devote more of their attention to Jokic. Despite that, he shot a career-best 58.3 percent from the field, which is undeniably impressive.

Although Jokic's efficiency was great, it needed to come with an increased urgency. As much as the Nuggets needed Jokic, he needed to take full command of the ball in every aspect night in and night out.

Jokic deserves major props for the 7.9 assists per game that he averaged this season considering what he had to work with at that end of the floor. However, the scoring (0.7 more points per game than last season) and rebounding aren’t as impressive considering the caliber of players who were injured. 

If Not Jokic, Who?

The player I picked for MVP, Embiid, raised his assist numbers from 2.8 per game last year to 4.2 this season. Embiid also led the league in scoring, which is almost unheard of for a center. His team won enough games to have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, and at least one of his teammates (Tyrese Maxey) experienced a breakout season in part because of his play, presence and impact on the game. 

Jokic’s per-game and advanced numbers looked better than Embiid’s overall, but the margin between the two was close. For those pointing to Jokic’s better assist numbers, I counter with Embiid scoring more points and being a significantly better defender. That's never more evident than when you consider where Embiid is when the Sixers need a critical defensive stop, especially compared to Jokic's defensive struggles when teams run pick-and-rolls and get him switched out on a guard.

The historical relevance of Jokic becoming the NBA's first 2,000-1,000-500 player, while subject to debate among fans and analysts alike, isn't as important as Embiid's season for the modern-day center—at least if you ask me.

Embiid led the league in scoring, becoming the first center to do so since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000. And by averaging 30.6 points per game, he became the first at his position to average 30 or more points since Moses Malone in 1982.

Dominant centers like him are supposed to be extinct in today's wing- and guard-friendly NBA.

All three MVP finalists had to overcome adversity this season. Jokic got a combined 265 minutes from Murray and Porter. Embiid kept the Sixers together through Ben Simmons' offseason trade request and absence from the team until he got sent to Brooklyn for James Harden at the trade deadline. And Antetokounmpo, a two-time league MVP, was playing out of position for a large stretch of the season with center Brook Lopez injured. 

Jokic did a lot with little to work with this season. He's unquestionably the MVP of the Nuggets. But was he worthy of the league MVP?

A lot of folks felt that way. I’m not one of them. 

Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Houston Rockets with a non-COVID-related illness, the team announced. 

Jokic also missed time earlier this season with a wrist injury suffered in a Nov. 18 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. In addition, he suffered a right knee contusion in a loss to the Utah Jazz on Oct. 26 and returned to the court on Oct. 29 without missing too much time. 

The 26-year-old is averaging 25.4 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game while shooting 56.7 percent from the field, following up a 2020-21 campaign in which he was named MVP. 

He averaged 26.4 points on 56.6 percent shooting, 10.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game last season. 

With Jokic sidelined, Jeff Green and DeMarcus Cousins should see more playing time on Friday. 

The Nuggets are 36-26 on the season, sixth place in the Western Conference. Jokic's illness isn't cause for concern, and he should return to the lineup soon. 

The Denver Nuggets have gotten just nine combined games between Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. this season, but there is reportedly a "strong sense" the two could be back by the playoffs, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. 

Porter is reportedly on track to return from his back injury by mid-March, per Amick. The forward underwent surgery in December and hasn't played since Nov. 6.

Murray has yet to play in 2021-22 after tearing his ACL last April.

President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly said earlier this month on Altitude Sports Radio that both Murray and Porter could be physically cleared "hopefully in the not too distant future."

If each player returns to full strength, it could help shift the dynamic of the NBA playoffs.

Denver entered Monday sixth in the Western Conference at 36-25, relying mostly on reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. The center is currently averaging 25.5 points, 13.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game.

Murray averaged 21.2 points and 4.8 assists per game last season before his injury. And in the 2020 playoffs, he averaged a team-high 26.5 points per game while leading the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals.

Without him in 2021, Denver was swept out of the second round of the playoffs.

Porter, meanwhile, was off to a slow start in 2021-22 before his injury but had a breakout year in 2020-21. The forward averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, shooting 44.5 percent from three-point range.

If he returns near that level, the Nuggets could be a scary team to face this postseason.     

It's looking increasingly like a two-man race for the 2021-22 NBA MVP.

Joel Embiid narrowly leads Nikola Jokic in the latest voter straw poll taken by ESPN's Tim Bontemps, earning 45 first-place votes to Jokic's 43. Embiid holds a 35-point lead overall, with Giannis Antetokounmpo coming in a distant third place. 

ESPN NBA MVP Voting Straw Poll
1. Joel Embiid
2. Nikola Jokic
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
4. Stephen Curry
5. Chris Paul

The two big men finished 1-2 in MVP voting last season, with Jokic becoming the first Denver Nuggets player to win the NBA's top individual honor. 

Embiid was arguably the favorite at the All-Star break last season before falling behind Jokic because of injury issues. He has played 45 of the Sixers' 57 games this season, averaging 29.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists. 

The Sixers navigated the season-long controversy surrounding Ben Simmons to sit 34-23 heading into Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. With the Simmons situation finally sorted and James Harden in place, the burden should be lessened on Embiid for the stretch run.

Jokic continues to wow every night as perhaps the most offensively skilled big man in NBA history. He's putting up 26.0 points, 13.8 points and 7.9 assists a night while being a consistent three-point shooter and keeping the Nuggets afloat despite Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. being out of the lineup with injuries.

Nearly every advanced metric favors Jokic, but metrics tend to do a poor job of quantifying non-statistical defensive impact—an area where Embiid is head and shoulders above his counterpart. Embiid acts as a fulcrum of the Sixers defense, thwarting opponents at the rim with his combination of size and stellar instincts.

Jokic is a vastly improved defensive player but still nowhere near the caliber of Embiid.  

Antetokounmpo, Curry and Paul were the only other players to receive first-place votes. Curry raced out to an early-season lead in polling but has fallen behind amid the most prolonged shooting slump of his NBA career. 

Denver Nuggets veteran Nikola Jokic made history in Sunday's 124-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets. 

Jokic joined Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain as the only players with multiple 25-point triple-doubles on 80 percent shooting in NBA history, according to ESPN. He finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists on 12-of-15 shooting from the floor. 

In addition, Jokic, who won the 2020-21 MVP award, now has an NBA-best 14 triple-doubles this season and 71 for his career. He is seven triple-doubles away from tying Chamberlain for sixth all-time.

Jokic is having a tremendous year, even with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. sidelined. He entered Sunday's game averaging 25.9 points, 13.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists while shooting 57.4 percent from the floor through 46 games. 

If the 26-year-old continues at this pace, he will join Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as just the third center in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a season.

While Jokic has been in the MVP conversation this season, many overlook him for players like Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, he recently told reporters he doesn't care if he receives the attention or not.

While Jokic doesn't seem to mind, Nuggets head coach Mike Malone recently said he's one of the more disrespected reigning MVPs that he can remember. 

If you open up the dictionary and look up the word consistency, there's going to be a picture of Nikola there. That's going back to the (2020 Disney World) bubble, that's going back to the 72-game season last year and this year. We knew Jamal was going to be out for an extended period, but when you add a Michael Porter (injury) and a P.J. Dozier (injury) to that list, it becomes even more incredible what he's doing.

Because of Jokic, the Nuggets are currently sixth in the Western Conference with a 29-24 record. Although they are 13.5 games behind the first-place Phoenix Suns, they're in solid position to compete with the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies for a higher seed. 

The Miami Heat are reportedly "uneasy" about clearing Markieff Morris to play following his altercation with Nikola Jokic in a Nov. 8 loss to the Denver Nuggets, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Jackson and Chiang write:

The Heat’s specific medical concern with Morris isn’t clear, but the sources said it was significant enough to make the Heat uneasy about clearing him to play, at least to this point, and significant enough to leave the team concerned about liability issues.

Jokic was ejected from that matchup after running up and barging into Morris' back at half court. The incident occurred after Morris body checked Jokic and elbowed him in the ribs. 

After being shoved, Morris laid on the court in pain for a good amount of time before heading to the locker room. Officials assessed Jokic a flagrant 2 foul, and he was later suspended for one game. 

Morris, meanwhile, was fined $50,000 for the altercation. 

While the Heat reportedly don't feel comfortable clearing Morris, who has missed the team's last 44 games, the 32-year-old tweeted that he will be back this season and that he has been cleared to play.

If he has truly been cleared to play, it's uncertain when he'll take the court. 

Morris, the 13th overall pick in 2011, joined the Heat on a one-year deal ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. He averaged 7.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 10 games before being sidelined. 

Morris has mostly bounced around the NBA since being drafted by the Phoenix Suns. He spent the first four and a half seasons of his career in Phoenix before being traded to the Washington Wizards during the 2015-16 season. 

The Kansas product spent two full seasons in Washington before getting dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2018-19 season. The Pelicans waived him, and he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. After that, he joined the Detroit Pistons for the 2019-20 season before heading to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he spent the entire 2020-21 season. 

Miami has been just fine in Morris' absence. The Heat are second in the Eastern Conference with a 34-20 record, and that's quite impressive considering Jimmy Butler has also been in-and-out of the lineup because of injuries.