Nikola Jokic leaves the court after their double overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers during Game 5 of their Western Conference 1st-round playoff series at Ball Arena (Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)Photo: Getty Images
According to multiple reports, Nuggets Center Nikola Jokic is set to be named the first Most Valuable Player in franchise history. Both The Athletic and the Denver Post are reporting the 3-Time All-Star has won the award. The reports, and subsequent announcement is not the biggest surprise, but it still very exciting.
Joker is not only an unlikely MVP candidate this year, with his pre-season odds of winning the award at 25-1, he's the most unlikely MVP in league history. As the 41st player taken in the 2014 draft, he is far and away the lowest MVP ever drafted, and the only 2nd rounder. Prior to this year, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and current Nets Head Coach, Steve Nash, both 2 time winners, were both selected 15th in their respective drafts.
Jokic played all 72 games this season and it was a point of pride for the Serbian Star. He averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and eye-popping 8.3 assists. It's eye-popping because other than legendary big-man Wilt Chamberlain, most centers average less than 4 assists per game. It is worth noting a handful over the years have average more than 5 in a given year including Hall-of-Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell and Wes Unseld. There are plenty of people who not only consider Jokic the best passing big-man in the game, but perhaps all-time, and perhaps the flat out best passer in all of basketball currently.
Jokic has downplayed his MVP candidacy all season, but his Coach and teammates have done the talking for him. Whether it was Michael Porter Jr. talking about his "intensity" this season, or Paul Millsap discussing his leadership or even players who haven't been around him as long, like Austin Rivers, the one consistent message is that Joker is playing at a different level, and deserves to be named MVP.