We Have To Stop Pretending Like Nikola Jokic Isn't the Best Basketball Player in the World

The NBA media loves nothing more than being cute and trying to create narratives when they get bored. Nikola Jokic is the back-to-back reigning MVP having an even better season than he has in the past and every discussion about the best player in the league seems to exclude or ignore Jokic completely.

On Sunday night, the Denver Nuggets beat the Charlotte Hornets 119-115 thanks mainly to the dominance of Nikola Jokic. Here’s what he did against Charlotte:

40 points
13-for-26 shooting (50%)
2-for-4 from 3
12-for-17 from the line
27 rebounds
10 assists
2 steals
+20

Are we kidding? Even if he did half of those numbers, it would still be a fantastic game. 20 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists is All-Star-level productivity. Jokic is just putting up 40, 27, and 10 on a random Sunday in December.

But in the last edition of the NBA’s MVP Ladder thing, Jokic is listed 3rd behind Jayson Tatum and Giannis. Sure, the Celtics and the Bucks have a better record right now but the Denver Nuggets are 18-11 sitting in 2nd place in the Western Conference with the second-best player on the team, Jamal Murray, having a weird up-and-down season scoring 20 points one night and 5 points the next.

Jokic doesn’t have a Jaylen Brown or Khris Middleton playing next to him. Jokic is playing with Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The success of the Nuggets is 1000% attached to what Jokic does on a nightly basis.

Jokic last 5 games:

40 PTS | 27 REB | 10 AST
25 PTS | 11 REB | 8 AST
43 PTS | 14 REB | 8 AST
31 PTS | 12 REB | 14 AST
33 PTS | 10 REB | 9 AST

Building a strong MVP case. pic.twitter.com/w3OXKPBbXo

— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 19, 2022

Nikola Jokic is currently averaging 25.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 9 assists on 62% shooting from the field. He leads the NBA in box plus/minus. The Nuggets are +11.1 with Jokic on the floor and -15.9 with him on the bench and that 27-point difference is the biggest in the NBA. Isn’t that the literal definition of most valuable player?

Jokic is the best basketball player on the planet. There are no debates about the best big man between him, Anthony Davis or Joel Embiid. Nikola Jokic has surpassed that conversation and should walk directly into 3 straight MVPs.

But NBA awards voters won’t give him that trophy because of the historical precedent of winning 3 consecutive MVPs as if it is Jokic’s fault that former great players haven’t been given the trophy that many times. Jokic is only responsible for what he does on the court but he’ll be punished for the actions of previous voters.

Ja Morant or Jayson Tatum will most likely win the MVP because they’re the new shiny toy to write stories about but Nikola Jokic is the best basketball player in the world.

People will tell you Jokic isn’t the best defender while simultaneously ignoring how absurd his passing is.

If passing were painting, Nikola Jokic would be Picasso pic.twitter.com/LxetZYessD

— Joel Rush (@JoelRushNBA) December 15, 2022

Nikola Jokic is an alien who came to Earth with the sole purpose of dropping perfect dimes and scoring the most casual 25 points a night you’ll ever see. Just give him the MVP and stop playing.