The NBA finally announced the winner of the 2022 Most Valuable Player Award on Monday and fans of the Denver Nuggets were more than happy.
That’s because the team’s big man, Nikola Jokic, was named MVP for the second consecutive season.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for a second consecutive season, sources tell ESPN. A formal announcement is expected this week.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 9, 2022
The choice of Jokic as MVP isn’t that shocking.
For months now, many people predicted he would get the most votes and win this back-to-back honor.
Regardless of if people saw it coming, landing this trophy yet again is a massive victory for Jokic, who has become one of the most important big men the game has ever seen.
Yet, the achievement is a little bittersweet for Nuggets fans because the Denver squad keeps coming up short in the postseason.
MVP Yet Again
Jokic won MVP last year and was well on his way to doing it again since the very beginning of this NBA season.
The Serbian center averaged a wild 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists a game throughout the season.
In many ways, he kept his team alive and allowed them to reach the postseason.
Winning MVP again wasn’t a foregone conclusion because he had some tough competition this season.
For example, many people thought that Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers could sneak in his first win.
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is another star who could have landed the honors.
In the end, Jokic’s impact on his team and the league was enough to get the trophy.
Sadly, it wasn’t enough to get his Nuggets far in the playoffs.
The Nuggets are still missing Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. and the lack of those players handicapped the team in the playoffs and they were pushed out in the first round.
Even with Jokic’s power, the Nuggets are still lacking those extra puzzle pieces to make them complete.
Hopefully, that changes next season and this two-time MVP is able to earn more wins for his squad.
NEXT: Nikola Jokic Has Perfect Comment About MVP Award