The MVP Has Become Nikola Jokic's To Lose Whether You Like It Or Not

AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images. Getty Images.

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For some reason, if you look around NBA Twitter or listen to certain podcasts, you'll find that people are trying to bend over backwards to find a way in which Nikola Jokic is not the MVP. For a while now it's really only been a 2 man race between Jokic and Dame, but with the Blazers taking a little bit of a step back recently and then Jokic having a pretty huge MVP moment last night

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It's pretty clear to most people with a brain that barring injury, Jokic has wrapped up this award. I'm sure there might be some salty Sixers fans that will scream Embiid is more deserving, and that might be true if he didn't miss so many games, but he's played just 39 this season. That's nearly 20 games fewer than Jokic (57) and I'm sorry, that stuff matters. Maybe some LeBron fanboys like Brian Windhorst will cry about LeBron actually being the MVP. The thing is, Jokic isn't going to win MVP just because he's the only guy that hasn't gotten hurt. He's having a historically outrageous season that is absolutely deserving of an MVP. 

There is no shame in Jokic winning, which is why I don't get why you hear so many out there try and jam other guys into the conversation. Is it because the Nuggets are a small market? Is it because Jokic is quiet and doesn't really give a shit about being famous? Shit I bet he doesn't even really care about the MVP. I'm of the thought that it's actually a good thing that these small market teams have guys that win MVPs. Whether it's Giannis in MIL or Jokic in DEN. Who knows, maybe it makes those franchises more of a destination for really good players. We just saw Jrue Holiday choose to stay in MIL (in part because they backed up the BRINKS truck), and Aaron Gordon just talked about how much he loves playing in Denver next to Jokic. 

Also, the Nuggets are good. Just 2 games back from the 3 seed and winners of 3 straight, all of which came after Jamal Murray's injury. So far this season we've seen Jokic go for 50 on 20-33 and then 47 last night on 20-31. He's doing shit from the center position that many of us have never seen before. It's OK that he's the MVP. A lot of this is coming off Steph's insane run, which is about as impressive as it gets. He should definitely find himself somewhere on the MVP ballot when things are all said and done.

But this?

Doesn't need to happen. You'll notice Magic didn't tweet out something similar when Jokic wrapped up his 47/15/8. He's not alone in pushing this narrative though. I just don't get it. We're watching someone have one of the most dominant regular seasons in league history and yet everyone is looking for another reason or another player that should be the MVP. 

I guess Nuggets fans are probably used to this. They are weirdly a team that no matter how successful they are or how dominant their best player is, they never get the national respect. That feels wrong. You want to talk about their title chances and all that, fine. That's a different argument. When it comes to Nikola Jokic and the MVP discussion, there's really nothing more to say.