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THIS Former Warrior Believes Nikola Jokic Is the Worst MVP Winner in Last 40 Years
Former Warrior stirred controversy by calling Nikola Jokic the "worst MVP winner in the last 40 years." His bold statement has sparked debates among fans and analysts. Read more!
Gilbert Arenas, a former NBA guard, disparaged Denver Nuggets' star, Nikola Jokic, by labeling him the "least impressive MVP winner" over the league's past four decades. Arenas and Shannon Sharpe responded to the speculation of Jokic earning his third MVP title in four seasons. In the most recent ESPN straw poll, Jokic emerged as a significant favorite.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon further amplified this favoritism on the Hoop Collective podcast by explaining Jokic's worthiness for this recognition. MacMahon stated, "Someone from a different team objected to the idea of awarding this guy three MVP titles in four years, considering the historical context."
The protest, he said, was against how this would appear in hindsight. However, MacMahon countered this by questioning why it can't be done and expressing his confidence in the decision aging well. “This 28-year-old player, already an MVP in the Finals, dominates like none other we have seen in ages. He'll end up as a top-10 all-time player. I feel secure about how this decision will stand the test of time."
However, Arenas doesn't resonate with this opinion. Despite Jokic almost averaging a triple-double this season and currently leading the MVP candidates in Player Impact Estimate (PIE) (Joel Embiid, the number one, does not meet the game requirement for MVP award eligibility).
Arenas critiqued Jokic saying, "Statistically speaking, across the entire game, Jokic ranks as the least impressive MVP winner. He's the least impactful MVP winner in the last 40 years."
Sharpe encouraged Arenas to delve deeper into his viewpoint on the current NBA Finals MVP. Arenas clarified, "When considering MVPs, the players who were not in first or second place – their teams took the first and second positions. The recipients of the MVP award belonged to the first and second placed' teams.”
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Jokic's Influence and MVP Performance
Currently, Jokic and the Nuggets occupy the second seed in the Western Conference, maintaining a tied record with Minnesota for the conference's best.
Jokic clinched an MVP award in the 2021-22 season when his team held the sixth seed, although the Nuggets were without Jamal Murray for the entire season. They managed to stay clear of the play-in tournament. In the same season, Jokic recorded impressive averages of 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists each game, and a commanding plus-16.4 net plus/minus per 100 possessions.
The ex-guard seems unhappy with Jokic winning the MVP without a league-topping record—a valid argument, indeed. Nevertheless, one cannot ignore Jokic's transformative influence on his team, as reflected in his plus/minus stats.
Over the previous two seasons, Jokic's net plus/minus per 100 possessions has increased even further. Last season, he recorded a plus-21.9 (yet was not named MVP) and currently sits at plus-19.7. Comparatively, this season, MVP contender Luka Doncic's net plus/minus is plus-6.7.
Therefore, in the last three seasons, without Jokic, Denver's net plus/minus per 100 possessions has been a consistent negative minus 8.0, minus 9.9, and 8.6.
In the 2016-17 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder, during Westbrook's historic triple-double MVP season, mirrored this trend.
While Westbrook recorded a plus-4.0 when present, the overall on/off plus/minus was plus-12.5. This signifies that the team was minus 8.5 points per 100 possessions when he was absent from the floor.
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