The new NBA MVP has officially been crowned. The Milwaukee Bucks‘ super-star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is now the reigning MVP. However, it is becoming increasingly rare for a player to win the MVP two seasons in a row. The last time it happened, it was Stephen Curry in the 2015 and the 2016 seasons. With this in mind, there is a good chance we will have a new MVP next year. Antetokounmpo completed his “Mamba,” challenge issued by Kobe Bryant. However, there is another player who has been issued this challenge as well.
Forecasting the NBA MVP for 2019-2020
Nikola Jokic Has the Potential to Be the MVP
Nikola Jokic has been improving every year. Jokic is only 24 years old and still has a lot of time left in the league. Last season, he averaged a career-high 20.1 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game coupled with 7.3 assists per game.
Not to mention, his team is one of the youngest in the league and the Denver Nuggets are going to keep getting better. Whether it is right or not, an MVP’s team record always has a little bit to do with the votes they get for the award. Last year, Denver got to the second round of the playoffs. With Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant missing most or all of next season, the Western Conference is wide open. Therefore, the Nuggets have a legitimate chance to make the Western Conference Finals, which will bolster Jokic’s chances at MVP.
Predicting Nikola Jokic’s Numbers for Next Year
Predicting a player like Nikola Jokic’s numbers is tricky. The Nuggets have Michael Porter coming to the rotation and they are also interested in Tobias Harris per Ric Bucher. As a result, this could take some scoring opportunities away from the Jokic. However, Jokic can still be impactful without scoring, as evident by his rebounding and assist numbers.
Jokic showed massive improvements on defense in this past season’s postseason. In the playoffs, he had a defensive box plus/minus of 4.1, a defensive rebounding percentage of 24.5 percent, and held his own as a rim protector. Next season, Jokic should average numbers around 22 points per game, nine assists per game and 10 rebounds per game. Not to mention, he has the capacity to shoot 36 percent from three-point territory and 55 percent from the field. If the team can get to the Western Conference Finals while he is putting up these numbers, along with his impressive advanced stats, then Jokic should be next year’s MVP.
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