Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic finishes 9th in MVP voting

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic received six votes for NBA MVP.

As expected, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has won the NBA’s MVP award for the 2019-20 season. Interestingly though, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic received two third-place votes and with 18 total points, would finish 9th in MVP voting this season.

While he certainly wasn’t a finalist and it’s difficult — if not impossible — to make case that he should have been, the respect that Jokic has garnered for his play shouldn’t be ignored.

Jokic, a point-center whose passing, post-ups and unconventional jumpers have become widely regarded as elite, was the fulcrum for a team that finished third in the Western Conference standings with a win-loss record of 46-27. In the West, their record was only behind the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, the only playoff teams with a Finals MVP on their roster.

Unlike any of the other players who received votes for MVP this season, Jokic didn’t miss a game. In 73 games, Jokic recorded 43 double-doubles and 13 triple-doubles (ranked second in the NBA), while ranking eighth in Player Impact Estimate (PIE) among players who played at least 15 games.

The big man averaged 19.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game this season while having a true shooting percentage of 60.5. He scored a career-high 47 points against the Atlanta Hawks in January, which was just one of ten times he scored at least 30 points this season. In addition, the Joker led his team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals this season.

Clearly, Jokic is one of the most impactful players in the NBA and while he may not be the league’s MVP, he was the Nuggets’ most valuable player. Perhaps, in the future, he can be both.