The article below was written February 6, 2021 and to be published on a local sports blog. I tackled the topic of who I thought was a frontrunner for the NBA MVP at that time. I picked Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. As fate would have it, four months later, the Nugget big man was in fact named the league’s MVP. Unfortunately, this article was never published on that sports blog, and I was not able to follow through on becoming a regular contributor. So instead of keeping my writing hidden in the dark, I am sharing it with you here. Enjoy!
By: Jonathan Hemingway
The first twenty-five years that the NBA voted on the Most Valuable Player, 23 of those awards went to big men. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain dominated the interior and as a result dominated the game. Magic Johnson and the Lakers helped change the game in the 1980’s by playing Pat Riley’s ‘Showtime’ style. The Lakers rivalry with Larry Bird and the Celtics revived the league and boosted it into popularity in the same realm as the NFL and the MLB. Both Johnson and Bird would win three MVP’s a piece during that decade, but both teams still boasted of All NBA caliber big men. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a six-time MVP in his own right for the Lakers, is often underrated when the all-time greats are ranked. Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish anchored a Celtics front court that some consider one of the best teams of all time.
Fast forward to 2021 and the last true back to the basket big man to win an MVP was Shaquille O’Neal in the 1999-2000 season. In the matter of two decades centers went from being the best players in the game and essential to winning an NBA title, to being a little more than an afterthought when constructing a team.
Yet there is hope for the big man in the NBA.
Enter Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. He is revolutionizing how a center can play the game in the modern era. The 6-foot-11 Serbian born big man is currently averaging 26 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists per game. These numbers are each career highs for him in each category.
It is not unusual to see a big man average a double-double in points and rebounds, but it is unusual to see a center in the top five in the league in assists, trailing Chris Paul by just .1 assist per game.
Jokic was once quoted as saying, “A point makes you happy; an assist makes you and your teammate happy. An assist makes two people happy.”
Describing the Denver Nugget big man’s game is akin to describing a piece of artwork. You may be able to capture the essence of artwork with symbolism or phrases, but it is much more satisfying to watch for yourself. Check out his highlights from ESPN from this year when he scored 47 points in a win over the Utah Jazz:
Basketball has always favored the player who can play above the rim, run fast or simply overpower opponents with athleticism. Jokic cannot do any of those things. He plays the game almost exclusively below the rim. He has a feel for the game that is saved for only the all-time elite in the game.
One of the reasons why the center position has been so devalued in the modern NBA is because the traditional post-up is ranked as one of the least efficient shots. This and the contested mid-range jumper have been all, but game planned out of NBA team’s offensive scheme.
Having a big man who can set the high screen for a creating point guard and be a threat to score in some form or another has become essential for the position. Rim runners like Rudy Gobert (Jazz) or Clint Capela (Hawks) have earned big contracts by being a threat to score on lobs after setting screens along the 3-point arc.
Jokic’s value is quite the opposite. Rather than being a rim runner, he often becomes the lead playmaker after pick and popping at the top of the key. He averages 1.3 made 3-pointers per game this year at a 38% clip. By pulling the opponent’s rim protector away from the basket, it opens the lane for cuts and slashes for his teammates.
Jokic arrived at this season’s training camp in the best shape of his life and it is paying dividends as he is hitting career marks in just about every statistical category. What the six-year veteran will have to prove is whether he can provide the same type of impact on the defensive end. Anthony Davis and Lebron James steamrolled past the Nuggets in last year’s Western Conference Finals with a 4-1 series victory. Jokic was all but ineffective in slowing down the All-NBA forward in Davis.
Questions still arise about his defensive capabilities in the high pick and roll scheme. His ground game attack on the offensive end is not quite as useful on the defensive end.
Whether Jokic can earn the 2020-2021 MVP will largely hinge upon his team’s success. Despite his gaudy stats, the Nuggets are 12-9 and currently sit fourth in the Western Conference. MVP honors are usually awarded to players who man one of the two to three best teams in the league. Russell Westbrook in 2017 is the outlier when he won the award while leading the Oklahoma City Thunder team to a 47-35 record good for a sixth-place finish in the West.
With 51 games left for Jokic and the Nuggets, expect a full surge to the top of the standings and the attention span of league voters.
Jonathan Hemingway is the founder of the NBA Fantasy Basketball League named “The Process.” It is a fantasy league that is a one-of-a-kind experience that puts league owners to the test with NBA knowledge, patience and General Managing Skill that rewards only the best in the field.
