Nikola Jokic says Joel Embiid deserved to win the MVP race as he’s been playing ‘extremely tough basketball through the whole season’ – Basketball Insiders
Nikola Jokic has not only defeated former MVPs like Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns or more recently LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers in the West’s postseason, he’s currently displaying one of the strongest playoff performances in league history. The Serbian star just picked up his eighth postseason triple-double this week, and just guided the Nuggets to their first ever NBA Finals.
Nevertheless, Denver‘s center maintains his modesty even while everyone is showering him with praise and glory. Although most fans and analysts believe now more than ever that the two-time MVP deserved to earn this honor for a third time in a row this campaign, Jokic claimed that Joel Embiid is worthy of the award.
Take a look at the big man’s comments on why he believes the Sixers star deserves this recognition:
“People are just mean in saying that Embiid shouldn’t have won it. … I think he was playing … extremely, extremely tough basketball through the whole season.”
“I don’t think about MVPs anymore,” Jokic explained. “I mean, I think it’s — people are just mean in saying that Embiid shouldn’t have won it. I think he should have won it. I think he was playing, if you watch it, extremely, extremely tough basketball through whole season … He was really amazing in 82 games or how many games he played.”
After being the frontrunner for the Kia MVP race during most of the season, once the Nuggets had assured their claim for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, the team relaxed and in a way took their foot off the gas pedal.
So while Denver lost 1o out of their last 18 matches of regular season, Embiid was growing in confidence and playing some of the best basketball of his career. The 76ers were slowly crawling to the top spots of the Eastern Conference and in the final week of the campaign, beat the Celtics with a powerful 52-point exhibition from the Sixers center.
Coach Michael Malone believes that the negativity around the MVP race affected Jokic
Throughout the Serbian’s career he’s always been hesitant to talk about individual awards, but this year in particular he seemed more ambivalent than usual.
His coach Michael Malone suspects that all the pressure around the MVP race finally took a toll on the Nuggets’ big man. “You know, this is the first year where I think — I don’t know this for a fact,” he said.
“He never told me this. But in my opinion, I think the negativity around the MVP race I think did get to him. I can’t blame him. The guy goes out there and does his job every night and he is being criticized,” Malone expressed.
Either way, after beating the Lakers in Game 4, the star center just recieved the 2023 Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP award:
The fact that Jokic had a limited postseason resume was one of the main points that critics blamed him for. Now that Denver are on their way to their franchise’s first NBA Finals, the big man is relieved of all the pressure that has been mounted on his back ever since he started thriving in the NBA.
About Embiid’s MVP award, Jokic is realistic. The accolade goes to the player who played best during the first 82 contests of the campaign, and he is the first to acknowledge his opponent’s worthy regular season.
Rumors about a possible James Harden reunion with his beloved Rockets keep making the NBA headlines, as reports on the potential move are exciting fans from all over. The current Sixers star played his best basketball in Houston during the decade of the 2010s.
However, after years as a sport insider, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst isn’t naive about it, and decided to share his take on the matter during the latest episode of “The Hoop Collective” podcast. The journalist was one of the first to report on the possibility, even declaring a couple of days ago that The Beard might go for a four-year deal.
There is ‘an appetite’ around the NBA for (James) Harden landing a four-year contract worth more than $200M, per Brian Windhorst.
“The two big names out on the [free agent] market this year are James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Both of them, at $48 to $50-something million, seem like very bad bets. But, there is a scarcity [of star talent] there,” Windhorst assured.
Just like the Mavericks star, the ESPN reporter believes that they are simply looking to negotiate a better deal with their current squads. Harden’s return to Texas or Ivring to Los Angeles, are such huge media stories for the fans that they can both profit off it during their negotiations.
“I also think that both of them, Kyrie showing up to Laker games, James Harden being rumored to be attached to the Rockets, I still think/suspect all of that is one giant leverage play,” the journalist explained. “That, what James Harden really wants is to elicit the biggest offer out of the Sixers even if it isn’t a max [contract].
“Whatever the number of money is, for as long as many years as he can get. And that this slow dance for months and these rumors are all sort of tied to that.”
The ESPN analyst believes that Irving will end up doing the same as Harden, as both will stay in their respective teams
As both stars head into free agency, they know how to play the game of negotiating, not just shooting hoops on court. Windhorst suggests that the media circus around the rumors will keep adding more and more fuel throughout the summer.
“And I think that Kyrie could be doing the same exact thing [with the Mavericks],” the ESPN reporter said. “Just doing all of this, and whatever he may do between now and free agency to try to get the juiciest offer he can from the team he’s on. Cause [the Sixers and Mavericks] face the most damage from losing those guys.”
Even if it doesn’t end up happening, just to keep us excited check out The Beard’s Top 10 plays wearing the Rockets jersey:
Windhorst explained that for now this is all trade speculation, even though Harden’s agents are holding conversations with the Texan franchise. In the past, the NBA insider has proven to be right as he was the first to hint at the veteran star’s trade to the Nets.
Miami Heat forward Kevin Love (lower left leg strain) was downgraded to questionable on Monday, and now the 15-year veteran has been upgraded to probable for Tuesday night’s Game 4 matchup against the Boston Celtics of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.
Love exited Game 3 with 7:13 remaining in the first quarter after he suffered an ankle injury. After a trip to the locker room, he returned to the bench area later before halftime. Though, Love was sidelined for the rest of the game.
Per a few NBA betting sites, Kevin Love and the Heat have second-shortest odds to win the championship. Sportsbooks are still giving the Denver Nuggets the best odds to win their first title in franchise history.
— WPLG Local 10 Sports (@Local10Sports) May 22, 2023
Through 14 appearances of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Kevin Love is averaging 7.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 18.8 minutes per game. The five-time All-Star is also shooting 37.8% from the field and 36.5% beyond the arc.
Love has made 12 starts this postseason. In Miami’s 130-117 first-round win in Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks, the two-time All-NBA member scored 18 points in 23 minutes off the bench.
The 6-foot-8 forward made the NBA Finals every year his team has qualified for the playoffs. Other players listed on Miami’s injury report include Tyler Herro (hand) and Victor Oladipo (knee). Herro remains out indefinitely, whereas Oladipo is out for the season.
Heat forward Kevin Love (lower left leg strain) has been upgraded to probable for Tuesday night’s Game 4 matchup against Celtics of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals
Entering Game 4 of the ECF, the Boston Celtics are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games. The point total has gone over in 11 of Boston’s past 14 contests. Additionally, the C’s are 0-5 ATS and 0-5 overall in their previous five matchups versus Miami.
Moreover, the Celtics have covered the spread in their past six games when playing as the underdog. But Boston is also 1-4 in its last five contests played on a Tuesday. At the moment, the Miami Heat have a 3-0 series lead over Boston. Of course, Kevin Love is one win away from making his fifth NBA Finals appearance.
Furthermore, the Miami Heat are 6-1 in their previous seven games. They’ve also won their last seven straight home games. The Heat could become the second team this postseason to sweep their conference finals opponent, joining the Nuggets. Not to mention, Miami is 10-2 in its past 12 meetings versus Eastern Conference opponents.
According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Celtics have a 66.1% chance of defeating Miami away in Game 4. However, sportsbooks show the Heat as a 1.5-point favorite. Not one NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit in a seven-game series to win it. Teams are 0-149 when facing a 3-0 series deficit.
The Lakers went all-in at the NBA trade deadline and acquired some new talent to upgrade the roster. One of those “upgrades” was all-star PG D’Angelo Russell. He played well in 17 regular season appearances with the Lakers but wasn’t the same player in the postseason. That is why NBA sources say the Lakers are considering making a play to acquire all-star PG Trae Young this offseason.
Not even 24 hours after their season has ended and we already have trade rumors surrounding the Lakers. LeBron James and the Lakers looked strong in their first two series this postseason. However, they found their match in the Conference Finals vs the Nuggets, getting swept 4-0.
With certain players on the roster not showing up in the postseason, the Lakers are already having “internal discussions” about a Trae Young trade.
The Lakers are reportedly considering making a play for Trae Young this offseason, per @jovanbuha
Is Trae Young the right fit for the Lakers’ future?
Jovan Buha of The Atheltic was the first to have the scoop about the Lakers’ trade discussions. He said their front office has had “internal discussions” about a “hypothetical trade offer” for Young. They want to explore the market first and see what his asking price might be this offseason.
Young is a two-time all-star and has one All-NBA selection. The 24-year-old just finished his fifth season in the NBA and he will be 25 by the start of the 2023-24 season. In 353 career regular season games for Atlanta, Young averages 25/9/3. His career three-point average is (.351).
The Lakers traded for D’Angelo Russell this past season and expected him to be a big part of their future. After a rough Western Conference Finals vs the Nuggets, his future with the team might be uncertain. He averaged just 10 points per game in the Lakers’ final four postseason games. Russell had started the previous 16 games for the Lakers this postseason but came off the bench last night and scored three points.
