Draymond Green asserts Nikola Jokic has joined the list of NBA legends: “LeBron effect like the Steph Curry effect”
Nikola Jokic has been on an absolute tear in recent years. As a back-to-back MVP winner, Jokic has the chance to cement himself among elite company this year. With the Denver Nuggets sitting atop the Western Conference, if Jokic is able to three-peat as an MVP, he would be just the fourth man to do so.
With the MVP race being incredibly tight this season given the dominance of players like Kevin Durant, it will be interesting to see how things play out. Prior to going down with a sprained MCL, Durant and the Brooklyn Nets were on a roll. Given that Durant is now expected to be sidelined for an entire month, Jokic will further his case for a third consecutive MVP.
During a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show, the four-time NBA champion spoke about 'The LeBron Effect'. The way he sees things, when players like LeBron, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant dominate for so long, people become immune to it. Once a player is expected to dominate the game, it becomes harder for them to stand out.
"For him (Durant) to get mentioned in that category not only does he have to be playing great but his team has to be doing great because when he plays great everyone's just so accustomed to it like the LeBron effect like the Steph Curry effect where you kind of get bored and it's been interesting to see how people have gotten bored with like those guys performances."
"And yet Joker now is kind of getting into that category of where you just expect the dominance but it doesn't feel like people has gotten bored with Joker's performances yet and I wonder why? Like is it because of the assists as well, and it's just not scoring?"
You can see his comments in the video above beginning at the 11:59 mark.
The case for Nikola Jokic as a three-time MVP
Nikola Jokic has been building an incredible case for an MVP award as the Nuggets sit atop the Western Conference. While the team rides a four-game win streak, Jokic's averages have been remarkable.
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Jokic is currently averaging 24.9 points per game on 61.8% from the field. The staggering number sees him post a career-high in regards to his scoring efficiency, while he also has a career-high of 9.7 assists per game. The figure puts him in third place for assist leaders this season behind Tyrese Haliburton and Trae Young.
With Jamal Murray back in the lineup, Jokic has plenty of help and plenty of opportunities to dish the ball to a capable scorer. FOn Fridaynight against the LA Clippers, the team will try to make it five straight wins.
If Nikola Jokic is able to keep it up, we could see the first MVP three-peat since Larry Bird in 1986.
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