Steve Nash: Clearly, Nikola Jokic is the MVP this year

Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash believes there is a clear favorite in the MVP race.

(Via Denver Post)

“Clearly, (Nikola) Jokic is the MVP this year. He’s kind of gone wire-to-wire at this high level. He makes his teammates better and everything go. They lose Jamal Murray and they haven’t really skipped a beat. That shows how good he is. He’s such a willing and contagious passer…He can make the assist, but he can also make the right read. It becomes the hockey assist where the ball moves to one or two guys down the line, and they get open shots. He facilitates that style of play and that willingness to pass. He’s able to knock down that first domino”.

The Serbian big man prefers not to express himself on the MVP, but is now considered the clear favorite even by bookmakers.

His numbers definitely support his candidacy: 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.4 steals, shooting 56% from the field, 40% from beyond the arc and 86% from the foul line. They are all career-high …