In his attempt to win an historic third straight MVP award, Nikola Jokic has dealt with plenty of outside noise, good and bad.
As the regular season nears its end, the discussion over who deserves this year’s honor has begun to ramp up even more, drawing the ire of Jokic’s teammate and good friend, Vlatko Cancar.
Appearing on this week’s DNVR Nuggets podcast, Cancar revealed his disdain for how reporters and analysts alike have treated Jokic, which he says adds “unnecessary pressure” onto the shoulders of the big Serbian.
“It’s like, guys, can you please just shut the f— up just for one second?” Cancar said. “Why are we talking about this? He’s already won two of them. I wish he wins 10 more, but I don’t think he needs to hear about this anymore. I don’t think he ever wanted to hear about it.”
Oddschecker notes that sportsbooks have Jokic (-350) as the heavy favorite to win MVP. The 28-year-old is averaging 24.4 points per game while ranking third in the NBA in rebounds (11.8), fourth in assists (10.0), and seventh in field goal percentage (63.4). Behind Jokic, the Nuggets own the best record (46-19) in the Western Conference, trailing only the Bucks (47-18) for the best mark in the NBA.
As for detractors — and there are always detractors — Jokic’s success this season has been explained away by stat padding. More complicatedly, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins alleged that Jokic’s MVP reign was primarily race-driven.
The highs and lows in the NBA come fast and furious. As Cancar described it, you’re beloved when you’re playing well. But, when you’re not, negativity runs rampant, which Cancar says can put a player in a “deep hole.”
Cancar blames the media for creating narratives, an aspect of the NBA which players can find exasperating.
“It’s not a lie. We do.” Cancar said.
