Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has reportedly won the 2021-2022 NBA MVP award, becoming just the 13th player ever to win the award in back-to-back seasons. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news via Twitter this morning. A formal announcement from the league is expected later this week.
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Known for his pinpoint passing and soft shooting touch, the Serbian center improved on his previous MVP campaign and averaged career highs with 27.1 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. Further, Jokic led the league in player efficiency rating (32.8), win shares (15.2), plus/minus (13.7), and value over replacement player (9.8), per Basketball Reference. He also became the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season.
Jokic’s sensational seventh season guided Denver back to the playoffs despite missing two of their co-stars. Point guard Jamal Murray and forward Michael Porter Jr. missed most of the season with injuries. Their stay in the playoffs was, however, very short-lived, losing to the Golden State Warriors in five games.
The Joker was one of three finalists for the award alongside Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. Embiid led the league in scoring, leading many to believe he was a lock to win the MVP award. Naturally, the toxicity of NBA Twitter eviscerated the legitimacy of Jokic winning MVP over Embiid. However, as far as advanced metrics go, there’s no question Nikola Jokic had one of the best seasons ever.
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