Mark Jackson on why Nikola Jokic deserved the MVP and could chase more MVP awards
joker
Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was recently named the 2024 NBA Most Valuable Player. The ‘Joker’ bested finalists Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic to win his third MVP award in the last four seasons.
While other NBA personalities like Shaquille O’Neal didn’t agree with Jokic winning the award, former Knick PG and Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson says he is fine with Nikola winning the award.
“I got not problem who would’ve won the MVP,” said Jackson on ‘The Mark Jackson Show.’ “Shai was in it, Luka was in it, Joker was in it. If you pick one of those guys, it’s a tough decision to make. All had outstanding, incredible years.”
Mark also had SGA winning MVP honors
But while Jackson says that Jokic deserves the award, he also told his co-host Bluu that he felt Gilgeous-Alexander was the MVP this season. However, Nikola also had a fantastic year, as his Nuggets finished with the same 57-25 record as SGA’s Thunder.
“I believe that Shai was the MVP but I have no problem with the Joker winning the award, absolutely no problem. He put the type of season together that puts him into the discussion, gives him status as far as being in that category with Luka and Shai, and you could’ve either way,” Mark added.
Jackson also thinks that Jokic winning his third Most Valuable Player award in the last four years is scary because he is only 29 years old. With Nikola still very much in his athletic prime, he can still win up to three MVPs before his career is over. However, the question is how good will the Nuggets be in the years to come.
Is Denver a one-hit wonder?
The Nuggets joined the ranks of champions when they won the first Larry O’Brien Trophy in franchise history last season. Prior to the previous campaign, Denver hadn’t even played in an NBA Finals, but after putting together a perfect storm, they defeated the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals.
Denver had a strong finishing kick this season, and they ended up as the second seed in the Western Conference standings. However, after dismantling LeBron James and the Lakers in Round 1, the Nuggets find themselves down 0-2 in the second round against the up-and-coming Minnesota Timberwolves. Although the series is far from over, history says that only 7.3% of teams down 0-2 in a playoff series have come back to win it.
If Jokic continues to play the way he is right now, there’s no doubt he will always be in the MVP conversation. However, as Mark said, winning more MVPs will depend on whether the Nuggets will continue to be successful in the coming seasons, with teams like OKC, Minnesota, and Dallas in the West and New York, Indiana, Cleveland, and Orlando in the East starting to emerge.