“When it really really counts, who’s getting the MVP? We looking at Jokic” - Stephen A. Smith says that Nikola Jokic is not underappreciated
The 2022 MVP race has been fierce, with the Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid emerging as favorites this late in the season. However, there is concern that Jokic might not be getting as much recognition as he ought to, considering what he is achieving with the Nuggets.
Although Jokic is the reigning MVP, he was not seen as a top contender coming into the 2021-22 season. But the Serbian has been sensational this season and deserves to be in the running for the award.
Since the start of the season, there has been talk of disrespect towards Jokic, whose team did not have any primetime games or consistent national TV coverage. The conversation hwasbrought up again, with sports analyst Stephen A. Smith saying the big man is not being underappreciated.
On ESPN's First Take, he acknowledged that not much coverage has been given to the Nuggets but that it does not take away from the fact that Jokic's exploits are being recognized. When asked if Jokic is getting enough credit, he said:
"In the end, when it really really counts, who's getting the MVP? We looking at Jokic. So, stop acting like he's underappreciated. He's not underappreciated, he is appreciated."
There was a brief back-and-forth about teams getting airtime on national television, with Stephen A. highlighting the New York Knicks even though he was not happy with covering them considering how poorly they have performed this season. Nonetheless, he pointed out that the market has a lot to do with which teams get more attention.
"It's because of the market those people might get national shine. What I'm attacking is the fact that it doesn't blind us to the greatness of Jokic. We know! He's the reigning league MVP! We know it and we don't ignore it and he's gonna get his props again."
The competition is fierce, and it could go either way. Jokic took the opportunity to assert himself when the Nuggets faced the Sixers and led his team to victory.
Nikola Jokic has led the Denver Nuggets to 42 wins so far this season
Without Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic has done an outstanding job leading the Nuggets to sixth place in the Western Conference standings with a 42-28 record. He also lost Michael Porter Jr., who was the favorite to win the 2022 Most Improved Player award.
Regardless, he has successfully kept the team afloat, and they stand a good chance of featuring in the playoffs. Nikola Jokic is leading the team in every major statistical category, including points (26.0), assists (8.1), rebounds (13.8), steals (1.4), and blocks (0.8).
Nikola Jokic becomes the second-fastest player (Larry Bird) to reach 10K points, 5K rebounds and 3K assists 🃏 https://t.co/cHfGmRRNUW
Although his sixth-place ranking will negatively impact his chances of winning the MVP award, what he is doing as an individual is worthy of praise. However, the award might go to Embiid, who is ranked higher up in the standings.
It is imperative to note that Embiid is also having an incredible season, and is also well-deserving of the award. The Cameroonian currently leads the league in scoring, averaging 29.9, and has led the Sixers to third in the East.