Nikola Jokic played with grit in Game 7 for the Denver Nuggets.
The Serbian big man messed around and got a triple double in the Nuggets’ 90-86 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic messed around
21 points 15 rebounds 10 assists //t.co/Plymee9FwC
— Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson 📍 (@ScoopB) April 28, 2019
With a 21 point, 15 rebound, 10 assists stat line on Saturday at Pepsi Center, Jokic helped Denver progress to Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs, where they’ll face Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.
On Inside The NBA, NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst, Shaquille O’Neal talked glowingly of Jokic and the Nuggets.
Rightly so!
The Nuggets increased their win totals in each of the past four seasons, taking the experience from being eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of their 2017-18 regular season to winning 54 games and a Northwest Division title this season.
Despite entering the Western Conference playoffs as the No. 2 seed, these Nuggets always seemed to have something missing. They went a joint 2-6 against the Warriors and Houston Rockets in the regular season.
With that determination, Shaq labeled Jokic a Baby Superstar.
Nuggets' Jokic is a 'baby superstar' says Shaq.
— Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson 📍 (@ScoopB) April 28, 2019
That’s not surprising and high praise.
Charles Barkley spoke well of Jokic back in December.
“I told you, I’m in about the Denver Nuggets,” he said.
“The Joker (Nikola Jokic) should be the front runner for MVP,” he said.
“I told you. ”
Jokic for MVP? Does Chuck have a point? 👀 pic.twitter.com/cEZ3750Tex
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 21, 2018
Reggie Miller was in studio that night; fillng in for an Shaq. Throughout the discussion, Miller stated he disagreed with Barkley and that Jokic ‘can’t be a front runner, but might be in the discussion. ’
The Ringer’s Dan Devine wrote last month that Denver looked like the second-best team in the West at various times this season:
“But Denver’s struggles to include elite high-octane, high-volume scorers like [James] Harden, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson loom large. Denver doesn’t need to pitch shutouts to win in the postseason, but from putting up numbers that are crooked, it will need to keep opposing gunners. As good as they’ve looked defensively at times, the Nuggets’ reliance on a 7-footer as the heart of their offense poses problems when dealing with opposing attacks that may spread the floor and target plodding defenders in space. ”
Nonetheless, Nikola Jokic has support from players and NBA personalities.
“I have this debate with people all the time about the Denver Nuggets,” NBA writer, Chris Sheridan told me about the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“I really like the Nuggets, I adore Nikola Jokic. If he keeps it up I think he’s an MVP candidate. But when I say that people question and state he’s not about the highlights. Theyrsquo;re not understood, but if they win ten in a row and come in first place in the west people will notice. The Nuggets are a team and if they win the Western Conference, you must give consideration to Nikola Jokic as the MVP. ”
NBA Hall of Famer, Tracy McGrady echoed similar sentiments throughout the regular season on ESPN The Jump with Rachel Nichols.
McGrady believes that Jokic is having a spectacular season, but isn’t quite there to win it, just yet!
“Their big man is phenomenal,” McGrady said of Jokic.
“He is a candidate for MVP, absolutely! ”
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