Nuggets' Nikola Jokic to be Named NBA MVP for 2nd Straight Season
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will be named the league’s MVP for the second straight year.
ESPN Sources: Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic voted the NBA?s MVP for a second consecutive season https://t.co/qN5VI0N96Q
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 9, 2022
The official announcement is expected later this week.
In 2021-22 Jokic averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 assists, 13.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 74 games. He slightly improved over his 2020-21 season, where he averaged 26.4 points, 8.3 assists, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals.
Jokic is the first player in NBA history to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season. He’s the second straight winner to take the prize in back-to-back years after Giannis Antetokounmpo did so in 2019 and 2020.
The award isn’t without controversy, as many fans and pundits believe that Joel Embiid had a more MVP-worthy campaign. Although this is a regular-season award, they will point to Embiid still playing in the postseason while Jokic was eliminated in the first round. The Sixers big man also led the NBA in scoring with 30.6 points per game.
Over at FanDuel Sportsbook, the Philadelphia 76ers are +134 moneyline dogs against the Heat in Miami for Game 5 on Tuesday.
