Richard Jefferson lauds Nikola Jokic's leadership trait: “If you're Ja Morant, if you're Jayson Tatum, go take the MVP”
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is once again in the MVP race and could win for the third straight season. Former NBA player Richard Jefferson believes Jokic is still the clear winner of the award, and no one has shown significant promise to take the MVP from him.
The 2016 champ and the rest of the cast on "NBA Today" discussed different parts of Jokic's game. From his scoring to his passing, the four-time All-Star is Jefferson's choice as MVP until someone outperforms him.
"He is the reigning MVP," Jefferson said. "He is the defending MVP. And in my book, he is the defending MVP until someone shows me that they're having a better season. There's not a person having currently a better season than Nikola Jokic.
"There are people in the conversation, but to me, you got to knock out the champ. If you wanna be an MVP, if you're Ja Morant, if you're Jayson Tatum, go take the MVP. Don't give an argument. Don't have us up here making arguments. But right now, there's not an individual player."
This season's MVP race is incredibly close. In the most recent update of the NBA's Kia MVP Ladder, Jayson Tatum took the top spot for his incredible week. Jokic, on the other hand, is in third place. He continues to surprise fans and the media for his stellar outing.
During the Nuggets' 119-115 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, the Serbian big had an exceptional statline.
Jokic had 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 50.0% (13-for-26) , including 50.0% from 3-point range (2-for-4). With these kinds of performances, he has a chance to win for the third time. When that happens, he'll join an all-time group of players who have won the award three seasons in a row.
Also read: Watch: Nikola Jokic loses it on Shaquille O’Neal after he mistakenly speaks Russian to him instead of Serbian
Nikola Jokic has to do a lot more to win his third straight MVP
Nikola Jokic is one of the brightest stars in today's league. His style of play has helped revolutionize modern centers, who are now capable of doing everything on the offensive end. With the rise of Jokic, there has been a plethora of centers who do everything offensively, making the game more fun for the average viewer.
This season, he's doing the same things he did in his previous campaigns. However, it might not be enough, since there has been an emergence of great young stars.
It's also notable that the Nuggets recently tied the Memphis Grizzlies at 19-11 atop the Western Conference after hovering in the middle of the pack. Denver has won four of its past five games and is 9-4 in its last 13 games.
For Jokic to win the award, he'll have to help Denver sustain its spot in the standings. Fans aren't happy anymore with players from low-finishing teams winning the award. Although winning his third is much more difficult than the first two, his chances of being named MVP again are high.
Also read: Nikola Jokic wants Houston Rockets to run offense through Alperen Sengun - “Because sometimes they seem too stagnant as a team”