“He is the worst MVP winner in the last 40 years.” - Gilbert Arenas on Nikola Jokic
Gilbert Arenas thinks Nikola Jokic is the worst MVP winner in the last 40 years
NBAFriday, 05 April 2024 at 15:12
Gilbert Arenas who was a former NBA player went on Shannon Sharpe's podcast and was talking about how he thinks Nikola Jokic is the worst MVP winner in the last 40 years. He was talking about overall and statistically that makes him probably the weakest out of the last MVP award winners.
Today we are going to look at a couple of the past winners of the MVP award and compare their stats to Nikola Jokic to see if Gilbert Arenas has a point here or not.
past NBA MVP winners
The first person we are going to look at is Michael Jordan and when he one his first MVP award he averaged 35 points a game, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assist, 3.2 steals per game, and he also won defensive player of the year.
When Shaq won his first he averaged 29.7 points with 13.6 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. Kobe Bryant for his MVP season averaged 28.3 points with 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assist.
Russell Westbrook averaged a triple double in the season he won MVP a stat that no one had done since Oscar Robertson. LeBron James averaged 28.4 points with 7.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assist for his first MVP.
Looking at one more recently, last year Joel Embiid averaged 33.1 points per game with 10.2 rebounds per game, and 1.7 blocks.
If you just look at those couple you would think Gilbert Arenas has a point, that statistically speaking Jokic might be the weakest MVP award winner, because these are stats Jokic never achieved. He has never averaged a triple double before or averaged more than 30 points in a season.
However, if you look at some other MVP award winners like Steve Nash who averaged 18.8 points with 10.5 assist or the first time he won when he averaged 15.5 points per game with 11.5 assist. Also, Steph Curry the first year he won averaged 23.8 points with 7.7 assist.
If you look at those three compared to the other one's you are going to probably say that Jokic has had better statistical seasons than those people when he won his two MVP awards.
Nikola Jokic MVP seasons
Before, we give our conclusion let's look at Nikola Jokic stats for his two MVP seasons. His first season he averaged 26.4 points per game with 8.3 assist, and the second one he averaged 27.1 points per game with 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assist.
He is also the front-runner for MVP this year and if he does win this year, he has averaged 26.4 points with 12.3 rebounds, and 9.0 assist.
In the year he averaged 8.3 assist in the season he won MVP that is only behind the likes of Harden, Westbrook, James, Nash, and Magic for assist's averaged in the season you won MVP.
All of them besides James who is a wing are guards. Nikola Jokic is a center and they are not suppose to be able to pass the ball like Jokic does.
Conclusion
Finally, the question is does Gilbert Arenas have a point when saying he is the weakest MVP award winner in the last 40 years? Looking at the stats we just shared, it is safe to say no he does not have a point.
If you compare him with the top of the line MVP winners and the stats they had then yes, but he is not the worst statistical MVP award winner in the last 40 years. There are other things that are in play for an MVP then just stats alone.
Instead of trying to diminish Jokic for winning those MVP awards we should be appreciating what he has done and how he has changed the game for centers in this league. He has made it where every team wants a center that can shoot, and pass.
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