Nikola Jokic called out for putting ’empty stats’ by ex-champ as Denver Nuggets struggle to perform

Despite Nikola Jokic's stellar performances, the Denver Nuggets have struggled to perform at the top level in the ongoing NBA season.

Nikola Jokic called out for putting ’empty stats’ by ex-champ as Denver Nuggets struggle to perform

Nikola Jokic

On a recent episode of his podcast, Gil’s Arena, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas shared his thoughts on Nikola Jokic’s individual statistics this season. Despite Jokic’s remarkable performance, including a career-high 56 points in a recent loss to the Wizards, Arenas believes that Jokic’s numbers are “empty stats” that aren’t translating to team success. The Denver Nuggets currently sit at 12-10 and outside of the top seven in the Western Conference.

Arenas expressed concern that the Denever Nuggets are relying too heavily on Nikola Jokic‘s individual brilliance, drawing parallels with the late Kobe Bryant‘s situation in previous years. Arenas argued that while Jokic’s stats were impressive, they aren’t enough to win the MVP award, citing the importance of team success and dominance in the league. Arenas believes that Jokic’s “empty stats” should be called out, emphasizing that individual performance alone is not enough to guarantee championship success.

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They don’t wanna call this ‘empty stats’? It just don’t make no sense.

Gilbert Arenas said

Nikola Jokic is dominating the league with impressive averages of 32.3 points, 13.6 rebounds, 10.2 assists, and a 56.1% field goal percentage. His latest outing against the Atlanta Hawks was a masterclass, as he finished with 48 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. Jokic’s outstanding performance has catapulted him to the top of the MVP ladder, solidifying his position as one of the league’s top players.

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Can Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets make the playoffs?

Former Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl recently expressed his concerns about the team’s performance, stating that the Nuggets are “washed.” Karl questioned whether Nikola Jokic’s impressive individual performance would be enough to secure the MVP award if the team fails to make the playoffs. Historically, only one player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, has achieved this feat in 1976.

The Nuggets’ recent loss on Saturday had dropped them to the 9th seed in the Western Conference, with only a game separating them from the 11th-seeded San Antonio Spurs. Although they bounced back with a 141-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday (to move to 7th), behind Jokic’s MVP-caliber performance, the team still finds itself outside the playoff spots in the Western Conference standings with a 12-10 record.

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Saturday was a historical night for Nikola Jokic in the Denver Nuggets’ game against the Washington Wizards. He finished with an unreal stat line of 56 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists. The downside? The Wizards ended their 16-game losing streak with a 122-113 win over the Nuggets.