NFL
By Keith Richards
In the history of the NBA, there have only been three players to win the NBA MVP award back-to-back-to-back: Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell. Arguably, it’s the holy grail of individual NBA accomplishments. Outside of Nikola Jokic, there have been eight other players to be back-to-back NBA MVP awards. However, Nikola is the first since LeBron James to have a realistic shot at immortality. So, what sets Jokic apart?
First, it’s important to stress that King James (in his own right) is in a rarified space. LeBron won the NBA MVP award in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. In 2011, Derrick Rose won the award, but I feel LeBron should have won that year as well. So, we were dangerously close to James winning the award five years in a row, which is just absurd. I’m here to talk about Nikola Jokic, though, and what sets him apart from the others.
What sets Jokic apart from other consecutive MVPs is his efficiency. The top 22 PERs of all time are littered with consecutive MVPs: Antetokounmpo, Chamberlain, and James…just to name a couple. If you look at the top five PERs of all time, though, Nikola holds the first and fourth spots at 32.8 (2021-22) and 31.9 (2022-23) respectively. Now, the fourth spot could change as there is a lot of season left to play. That rating could get worse, but it could also get better.
Before everyone gets on their high horse, it’s also important to stress just how good Giannis Antetokounmpo was in his back-to-back reign. The Greek Freak holds the third, fifth, and twentieth-highest PERs of all time. Giannis wasn’t able to complete the threepeat because of Jokic. As the kids say, that’s just how it be sometimes.
Looking at his last season, Jokic averaged 27.1 PPG, 13.8 PPG, 7.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, and 0.9 BPG. He did all of this while shooting 58.3% from the field and 81% from the stripe. Much has been said about Nikola being a defensive liability. While that may have been true earlier in his career, Jokic’s 1.5 SPG and 0.9 BPG last season prove that is no longer the case, which is another bullet point of what sets Jokic apart: his continuous improvement.
From his first season to now, Nikola’s PPG has progressively improved. He went from 10 PPG in season one to 26.4 PPG in his first MVP season. In Jokic’s second MVP season, he went from 10.8 RPG to 13.8 RPG. Even looking at his last MVP win versus the current campaign, Nikola’s three-point field goal percentage has increased from 33.7% to 37.5%. Much like Giannis or LeBron, he’s always looking for ways to improve.
Saving the best for last, what sets Nikola Jokic apart is his adaptability. By nature, Jokic is a passing playmaker. He’d much rather set his team up for success than be the scoring focal point. In truth, this is what many Nikola non-believers used as a detractor earlier. Jokic proved, though, that it was just noise.
With numerous injuries over the past several seasons for the Nuggets, he willfully took on the scoring load. With no dominant defensive force, Nikola improved his defense. Most importantly, seen as not tough enough, Jokic continues to increase his attack down low, which has caused a continued rise in his free throw attempts per game.
The NBA MVP race in 2022-23 is tight. So, a threepeat for Nikola Jokic won’t be easy but it is possible. What sets Jokic apart from the pack is that he’s a consummate team player. That’s not to say Tatum, Doncic, Durant, or Antetokounmpo are not, but Nikola is that much more of a team player that adds the most value to his team. In the end, isn’t that what the MVP award is about?
So, will he get it done? Follow our NBA coverage with Team NBS to see why he will or will not. Don’t forget to get your Jokic gear before it’s too late!
