Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone didn’t mince words when discussing the ongoing NBA MVP race between his star center Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Obviously Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a great player,” said Malone. “If he wins his first MVP, he’s deserving of that. My thing is, if you didn’t know that Nikola won three MVPs and I put player A and player B on paper. And you had no idea that the guy was averaging a triple-double, the guy who is top 3 in the three major statistical categories, things that no one’s ever done, he wins the MVP 10 times out of 10. And if you guys don’t think so, you’re full of s**t.”
Michael Malone makes the case for Nikola Jokic’s fourth MVP
Malone’s passionate defense of his player isn’t coming from nowhere, as Jokic is putting together another historic season. The Nuggets’ Serbian center is averaging 29.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. These numbers have him on pace to average a triple-double for an entire season, a feat accomplished only by Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook in NBA history.
Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a worthy candidate as well, putting up impressive numbers of his own with 32.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. The Thunder guard has led a dominant OKC squad to first place in the Western Conference standings.
Despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s stellar play, the Nuggets coach emphasized that his support for Jokic isn’t about tearing down other candidates.
“I will never negative recruit. Like Shai is not a good player, but a great player. If he wins it, I’ll actually you know, be happy for him because he’s such a great guy who’s a great player and who’s good for this game,” said Malone. “So it’s not Nikola vs. Shai for me, it’s me promoting my guy because I know what he means to this game. When you look at it from a historical perspective, he’s doing things that no one has ever done.”
Jokic is known for his quiet, humble demeanor. When asked about the MVP race, in a rare instance, Jokic said he believes he is playing the best basketball of his career. But he also made sure to give Gilgeous-Alexander his flowers.
“I will say I think I’m playing the best basketball of my life, so if that’s enough, it’s enough,” Jokic said via Altitude TV’s Katie Winge. “If not, the guy deserves it. He’s really amazing.”
As the regular season winds down, the MVP race appears to be coming down to a choice between Jokic’s historic all-around brilliance and Gilgeous-Alexander’s explosive scoring and team success.
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