"He becomes the first MVP to get swept in the 1st round" - Nick Wright says he's done "killing" potential MVP candidate after woeful playoff runs and another potential early exit
Following their 118-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, Denver Nuggets headliner jokic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Nikola Jokic received harsh criticism from Nick Wright.
While mentioning that Jokic played well despite the loss, Wright said the Serbian was on the verge of going down in the history books. Jokic is the NBA's reigning MVP and a finalist for the award this season.
On "First Things First," Wright said:
"Jokic has a big opportunity in Game 4. Big opportunity. Because if they lose Game 4, he becomes the first MVP to be swept in the first round. If they lose in Game 4, it will be the longest playoff losing streak for an reigning MVP.
"And if they lose Game 4, it will be the longest losing streak in the playoffs for anyone that has ever won MVP at any point in their career. This will be eight consecutive postseason losses. Right now, that record is held by Allen Iverson. He did it not when he was winning MVP's. He did that in Denver at the end of his run.
"Jokic would be doing it while winning MVPs."
"Finally, Nikola Jokić really showed up. Until he blew it defensively & offensively, he played really well. I'm done killing Joker. History is going to judge me fairly & history's going to come very quickly when they announce he's won MVP & his season is over." — @getnickwright https://t.co/KYqhWYU2Yj
Wright ended by showing appreciation for Jokic, albeit sarcastically as he brought up his blunders down the stretch.
Draymond Green, with five fouls, strips Nikola Jokic on an iso post up to seal the game and likely the series https://t.co/Vua0LnefYP
Jokic is possibly the frontrunner for the MVP award. Unfortunately for him, his poor playoff record and early exits have not done him any favors.
Will Nick Wright's prediction for Nikola Jokic come true?
WIth their most recent loss, the Denver Nuggets are down 0-3 to the Golden State Warriors in their Western Conference first-round playoff series. Although the sixth-seeded Nuggets dominated the third-seeded Warriors in the regular-season, the playoffs have been a different story.
Nikola Jokic has received most of the blame for Denver's failures. Given his defensive failures and offensive mishaps under frustration, the team has given up valuable possessions and opportunities to turn things around.
But is it fair to blame the Joker?
While convenient, this isn't exactly fair. As Nick Wright begrudgingly mentioned, Jokic came to play in every game. Attracting most of the defensive pressure, the Joker still managed 37 points in Game 3.
A major issue is the lack of roster strength and depth. Already with Jamal Murray (ACL) and Michael Porter Jr. (back) out, most of Denver's role players have struggled in the playoffs.
In this regard, the playoffs often differentiate the competitors from the players, and Denver hasn't seen many players step up.
Nikola Jokic has lost 7 playoff games in a row.
In those games, none of his teammates scored more than 25 points. https://t.co/EXFs20sPbW
Given the momentum, the Warriors are likely to sweep the Nuggets in their next game on Sunday. While the Serbian will continue to fill the stat sheet, not having solid contributors to support him will result in another disappointing postseason.