ESPN analyst says MVP right now is between two players, no Jokic

ESPN is at it again, as NBA analyst Jay Williams on Thursday morning said the MVP race right now is between two players, and didn’t include Nikola Jokic.

First of all, it’s way too early to be talking MVP. The Denver Nuggets have played just 11 games, like most of the league. But it’s bizarre to have this conversation and not include Jokic, who’s been easily the best player thus far by most metrics.

Here’s the segment in which Williams identifies Phoenix’s Kevin Durant and Boston’s Jayson Tatum — if you want to take a look.

.@RealJayWilliams thinks the NBA MVP is between KD and Jayson Tatum 🏆 pic.twitter.com/YORn7zNNb3

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 16, 2023

Both Williams and Mike Greenberg go on to say Boston is the best team in the NBA before hedging it with “they’re the best team in the East, at minimum.” The Celtics are 9-2, and the Nuggets are 9-2. That’s tied for the top mark in the league.

Right now, Jokic is fifth in points (30.0 per game), first in rebounds (13.9 per game) and fourth in assists (8.4 per game). He’s in the top-5 of all three major categories, while Durant is fourth and scoring (30.1 per game) and nowhere near the top-5 in rebounds and assists. Tatum is ninth in scoring (28.5 per game), and same deal on the other two categories.

I mean, come on, what are we doing here?! Has the slander of Jokic already started, like when it got ugly with Kendrick Perkins a season ago?

It’s unclear why ESPN has such a strong agenda against Jokic, but a case can be made it cost him his third straight MVP last year. And the network is already back at it, promoting a strange narrative.