Nikola Jokic is the talk of the town when it comes to this season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) discussion. His flawless season has earned him flowers from notable names and former NBA player JJ Redick just joined the list.
On his podcast, “The Old Man and the Three”, the former guard-turned-analyst candidly revealed his MVP list where the Denver Nuggets standout Jokic sits at the top. Redick said, “MVP for me, again it came down to 3 guys, it came down to Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Ultimately I gave, by the slightest of margins, I gave my vote to Nikola Jokic for MVP.”
Mentioning that the decision was hard to make, Redick voted for the Serbian center as his first choice, followed by the other two, although by a narrow margin. Mavs’ Doncic, who had an exceptional season, is at the second spot on his list, while the favorite star of former players and analysts, OKC’s Shai, is closely the second runner-up. Redick further added his fourth and fifth picks to be Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and NY Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, respectively.
Following Joel Embiid’s exit from the MVP race this season, Jokic became the favorite among NBA enthusiasts. His remarkable performance throughout the season held him atop the NBA.com list. Even in the last week of the regular season, when most of the renowned players have either received injuries or are sidelined due to load management, “the Joker” bagged the Western Conference Player of the Week (POTW) award for his brilliance.
Nikola Jokic wins POTW award
Considering the performance from April 8 (Monday) to April 14 (Sunday), the league announced Nikola Jokic as the Western Conference POTW, which comes as no surprise. His numbers speak for themselves.
The reigning NBA champion in his last four games averaged 26.5 points, snagged 11.5 rebounds, gave out 7.8 assists, and had 3 steals while shooting at 83.3% from the 3-point range and 68.8% from the field. His dominant double-doubles per game helped him secure three wins for the Denver franchise.
To top it off, Jokic’s steal contribution for the week is recorded as the highest among the Western players, whereas his rebounds and assists are the third highest. His total points might not be the highest, but ranks fourth in the entire Conference.
With his consistency on the court, Jokic pulled the Nuggets to second place, securing their post-season participation.
