<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-receives-57-percent-first-place-votes-espn-mvp-straw-poll');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic receives 57% of first place votes in ESPN MVP Straw Poll');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Nuggets-news-Nikola-Jokic-receives-57-of-first-place-votes-in-ESPN-MVP-Straw-Poll.jpg"></figure><h1>Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic receives 57% of first place votes in ESPN MVP Straw Poll</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T08:50:59-08:00">December 20th, 8:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T08:50:59-08:00">December 20th, 8:50am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Yes, it’s still early in the 2024-25 NBA season, but apparently not too early to begin <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-luka-doncic-rejoins-top-5-nikola-jokic-insane-numbers">talking about the MVP race</a>, and with that conversation starting, it’s worth noting that Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is on the precipice of history. With an MVP win this season, Jokic would become the sixth player ever to win four or more MVP awards, and just the third to win four in a five year span, joining Bill Russell and LeBron James in that illustrious category.</p><p>And from the sounds of it, that’s the direction that we’re heading in.</p><p>On a recent episode of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1334&amp;v=sahzLMR-E6U&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="noopener">The Hoop Collective Podcast</a>, Tim Bontemps stated that Jokic led all players in ESPN’s first NBA MVP Straw Poll of the year with 57 1st-place votes. He appeared on all 100 ballots that were cast and has been a top-two vote getter in the last seven MVP Straw Polls.</p><p>It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the Nuggets’ star center is considered the MVP front-runner. Right now, Jokic ranks 2nd in points per game (31.0), 3rd in rebounds (13.0), and 2nd in assists (9.8). The only player in NBA history to finish in the top five in points, rebounds and assists per game in the same season was Wilt Chamberlain, who did it in back to back years in 1967 and 1968.</p><p>The standard numbers alone paint a picture where <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-george-karl-fires-off-bold-nikola-jokic-michael-jordan-take">The Joker is clearly one of the most impactful players in the NBA</a>, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find that he’s truly in rarefied air.</p><p>Jokic is shooting 56 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line. If that holds, he’d be the only player <i>ever </i>to average at least 15 points per game with at least 55-50-80 shooting splits. Jokic also leads the league in Vorps and Shmorps — shout-out to the GOAT Zach Lowe — and PER with a 31.9, which is the fifth-highest mark in league history.</p><p>But perhaps most importantly, the eye test leaves no doubt that Nikola Jokic is the best basketball player alive who controls more of the game on any given night than anyone else in the league</p><h2><b>Can Nikola Jokic hold off the rest of the field in the race for the MVP? </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Nikola-Jokic-contests-a-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-jump-shot.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>© Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Per Bontemps, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was second in the initial Straw Poll after a 2023-24 season in which he finished 2nd in the MVP vote behind Jokic. SGA’s numbers are right on par with where he was at last year — 30 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists per game — and he’s the go-to-guy on the team with the 2nd-best record in the NBA, which is generally enough to land you in the MVP conversation.</p><p>Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was 3rd in the Straw Poll, likely in large part due to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-makes-promise-nba-cup">dominant run through the NBA Cup</a>. Giannis is averaging a career-high and league-best 32.7 points per game for a Bucks squad that is playing their best basketball <i>right now</i>.</p><p>Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic round out the top five less than six months after squaring off in the 2024 NBA Finals.</p><p>In total, fourteen players received a top five vote — Jokic, SGA, Giannis, Tatum, Luka, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic receives 57% of first place votes in ESPN MVP Straw Poll

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-stuns-nikola-jokic-nuggets-with-epic-game-winner');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Anfernee Simons stuns Nikola Jokic, Nuggets with epic game-winner');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Blazers-news-Anfernee-Simons-stuns-Nikola-Jokic-Nuggets-with-epic-game-winner.jpg"></figure><h1>Blazers’ Anfernee Simons stuns Nikola Jokic, Nuggets with epic game-winner</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T21:39:28-08:00">December 19th, 9:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T21:49:03-08:00">December 19th, 9:49pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-3-key-blazers-drawing-trade-interest">Portland Trail Blazers were in cruise control</a> against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, taking a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter. But the Nuggets have come from behind on multiple occasions this season, and it looked as though they seized momentum of the game for good after Russell Westbrook swallowed up an Anfernee Simons shot leading to a Michael Porter Jr. dunk that gave Denver a two-point lead. However, it was Simons who had the last laugh, as he <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1869978699220824237" rel="noopener">drained a game-winning floater</a> over Westbrook in isolation just as the time expired to give Portland a 122-120 win.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">ANFERNEE SIMONS CALLED GAME ON RUSSELL WESTBROOK AND THE NUGGETS 🚨</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>)<a href="https://t.co/Cea2J0q7BJ">pic.twitter.com/Cea2J0q7BJ</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1869978699220824237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Simons was on point all night long, and he was the no-brainer pick for the Blazers to give the ball to for the last shot of the game. His isolation on Westbrook was eerily reminiscent of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/paul-george-vs-damian-lillard-a-timeline-of-their-feud">Damian Lillard’s iso against Paul George</a> back in the 2019 NBA playoffs, but this time, Simons drove to the lane and got the step on the Nuggets guard, and all Westbrook could do was flail at the ball to try and swipe it, failing to contest the shot at the apex. This resulted in a pretty easy bucket for Simons who gave the Blazers their ninth win of the season in 27 contests.</p><p>The Blazers breathe a major sigh of relief, especially after Simons slipped in what was a scary moment earlier in the fourth quarter. Simons was making his way to the basket when he slipped on a wet spot near the restricted area, turning the ball over which then led to a Nuggets three-pointer. The 25-year-old guard shrugged off the slip and finished the game off strong, and in the end, he recorded 28 points on 11-20 shooting from the field — a continuation of the trend of good games he’s been having as of late.</p><h2><b>Blazers stave off choke job vs. Nuggets thanks to Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Blazers-Anfernee-Simons-smiling.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It was apparent in the fourth quarter that the Blazers were a less-experienced team than the Nuggets. They were being outplayed and outhustled, with Russell Westbrook and Jamal Murray leading them back from 17 down to pave the way for Nikola Jokic to try and cement the game for Denver. But Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe did just enough to lead Portland across the finish line as the victor.</p><p>Simons and Sharpe combined for 18 of the Blazers’ 22 points in the fourth quarter, with the latter hitting two free throws following a Jokic loose ball foul to give the Blazers a 122-120 lead. Jokic retaliated with an easy basket on the other end, but they left too much time for the Blazers, setting up Simons’ heroics.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers’ Anfernee Simons stuns Nikola Jokic, Nuggets with epic game-winner

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-nuggets-targeting-zach-lavine-trade-to-pair-with-nikola-jokic');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Nuggets targeting Zach LaVine trade to pair with Nikola Jokic');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-rumors-Nuggets-targeting-Zach-LaVine-trade-to-pair-with-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Nuggets targeting Zach LaVine trade to pair with Nikola Jokic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-17T19:15:17-08:00">December 17th, 7:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-18T06:54:11-08:00">December 18th, 6:54am</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a multifaceted writer who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2024 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-critics-on-michael-malone">Denver Nuggets have been rather disappointing versus expectations</a>, right?</p><p>Now, sure, they aren’t the Philadelphia 76ers or some other poor squad that can’t seem to find a win despite adding incredible talent to their roster over the offseason, but after<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-mistake-nuggets-made-with-kentavious-caldwell-pope"> saying goodbye to Kardavious Caldwell-Pope</a> during the offseason, the Nuggets have been treading water in the Western Conference, clearly behind the top teams but not so bad that they could approach a rebuild.</p><p>Could the Nuggets catch fire and go on a run? Sure, but they might just need some help to get there, with the dynamic duo of Tony Jones and Sam Amick discussing some potential options the team could pursue based on their reporting.</p><p>One name to keep an eye on in the Mile High City? Zach LaVine, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6002502/2024/12/17/zach-lavine-trade-rumors-nuggets/" rel="noopener">highest-paid player</a> on the Chicago Bulls, has been on the block for what feels like two years now since the team low-key started to pursue a youth movement around players like Coby White and Josh Giddey.</p><p>“With the NBA’s trade window opening this past weekend, and with the trade deadline less than two months away, the Nuggets are canvassing the league in pursuit of a player who can offer significant help offensively, league sources tell <i>The Athletic</i>,” Tony Jones and Sam Amick wrote for The Athletic.</p><p>“As a result, the Nuggets have either expressed interest in or have had preliminary trade discussions on the following players: Chicago’s Zach LaVine, Washington’s Jordan Poole, Utah’s Jordan Clarkson, Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter, Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson, and Washington’s Jonas Valančiūnas.”</p><p>Alright, while that collection of players is incredibly eclectic, ranging from guards to wings and even a center for good measure, the idea of bringing LaVine to Denver is a very interesting one for more reasons than one.</p><p>On the one hand, LaVine is a good scoring guard who could likely play a similar style to long-time point guard Jamal Murray in the two-man offensive game. He can score from all three levels and is a beast in the fast break, where he could benefit from some Jokic deep passes Bo Nix-style.</p><p>And yet, LaVine is also a poor defender who does pretty much the opposite of what the KCP used to bring to the table. He would certainly start on the team next to Murray and Michael Porter Jr., but his defensive struggles might provide more harm than good for the Nuggets, as opposing teams would almost certainly target him down the stretch in playoff games, where his position could be exploited.</p><p>Factor in the contractual situation, as Lavine is <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/15365/zach-lavine" rel="noopener">making $43 million this season</a>, almost $46 million next year, and nearly $49 million in 2026-27, and the idea of bringing the UCLA product to town feels incredibly unlikely, unless, of course, Denver wants to send MPJ to Chicago to move off of his contract too. And yet, the Nuggets wouldn’t be having conversations with the Bulls about LaVine if they didn’t think he could help them out, so hey, you never really know: maybe the two teams could make a deal before the deadline, and every other team will have to adjust to this new NBA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Nuggets targeting Zach LaVine trade to pair with Nikola Jokic

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-criticism-take-from-ex-nba-player');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nikola Jokic criticism gets 100% real take from ex-NBA player');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Nikola-Jokic-criticism-gets-100-real-take-from-ex-NBA-player.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Nikola Jokic criticism gets 100% real take from ex-NBA player</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-17T12:58:22-08:00">December 17th, 12:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-17T12:58:22-08:00">December 17th, 12:58pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former NBA player Lou Williams weighed in on the criticism surrounding three-time MVP Nikola Jokic during a segment on FanDuel’s Run It Back.</p><p>Jokic, the centerpiece of the Denver Nuggets, continues to draw both praise and scrutiny as he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-luka-doncic-rejoins-top-5-nikola-jokic-insane-numbers">remains a frontrunner for a fourth MVP award</a>. Despite his dominance on the court, some critique his unconventional style and appearance, a topic that Williams and co-host Michelle Beadle addressed on the show.</p><p>Beadle remarked on the unique perception of Jokic.</p><p>“I do think he gets crushed because he’s not chiseled or you know, he looks like he’s stepping out of some stupid muscle magazine,” Beadle said. “I personally like his attitude. He’s like dry and sarcastic – just love that.”</p><p>Williams <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1869083858098167987" rel="noopener">offered a candid perspective</a> on the nature of the criticism Jokic faces.</p><p>“That’s just a credit to his greatness. Like none of our greats get out without criticism. None of them,” Williams said. “So the fact that he’s looking at his fourth MVP – at some point, he’s going to get criticized. People get bored with you just being great. People get bored with it, so they start talking s**t.”</p><h2><b>Nikola Jokic’s dominance fuels Nuggets’ surge amid MVP-level campaign</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Nikola-Jokic-15-looks-on-during-the-fourth-quarter-against-the-Sacramento-Kings.jpg"><figcaption>© Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Jokic’s numbers this season have underscored his continued dominance in the league. The Nuggets center is averaging 30.9 points, 13.3 rebounds, 9.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 55.8% from the field and an exceptional 48.9% from three-point range.</p><p>His recent performance in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-mike-malone-sends-warning-denver-getting-away-with-kings-win">Monday night’s 130-129 win over the Sacramento Kings</a> showcased his versatility, as Jokic posted 20 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, two steals, and a block.</p><p>The Nuggets, currently fifth in the Western Conference with a 14-10 record, are riding a three-game winning streak. They look to build on their momentum during a three-game road trip, starting with a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers (8-18).</p><p>Jokic’s sustained excellence remains the driving force for the Denver Nuggets as they continue their push to secure a top spot in the West. While the criticism persists, it serves as yet another testament to his status among the league’s all-time greats.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Jokic criticism gets 100% real take from ex-NBA player

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/colorado-football-news-travis-hunter-historic-feat-nikola-jokic-nathan-mackinnon');   ga('set', 'title', 'Colorado’s Travis Hunter completes historic feat involving Nikola Jokic, Nathan MacKinnon');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Travis-Hunter-holds-up-the-Heisman-Trophy.jpg"><figcaption>Lucas Boland-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Colorado’s Travis Hunter completes historic feat involving Nikola Jokic, Nathan MacKinnon</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-15T06:09:02-08:00">December 15th, 6:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-15T06:09:02-08:00">December 15th, 6:09am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NCAA Football</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In what turned out to be the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/colorado-football-news-how-many-votes-did-travis-hunter-get-to-win-heisman-trophy">closest Heisman Trophy race in fifteen years</a>, Colorado Buffaloes two-way star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/colorado-football-news-travis-hunter-named-heisman-winner-over-ashton-jeanty">Travis Hunter edged out Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty</a> to win the most prestigious award in college sports on Saturday night, capping off a tremendous junior season that will likely catapult Hunter to NFL stardom.</p><p>Hunter’s Heisman win makes him the first defensive player to win the award since Charles Woodson in 1997, and the first Colorado Buffalo to earn the honor since Rashaan Salaam rushed to the award in 1994. Additionally, thanks to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Colorado Avalanche centre (notice the spelling difference) Nathan MacKinnon, Hunter is now part of a piece of some <a href="https://x.com/OptaSTATS/status/1868112308817580090" rel="noopener">unique Centennial State history</a>.</p><p>According to OptaSTATS:</p><p>“2024 is the first year in which the winners of the Heisman Trophy (Travis Hunter), NBA MVP (Nikola Jokic) and NHL MVP (Nathan MacKinnon) all played for teams in the same state.”</p><p>For Nikola Jokic, taking home the NBA MVP award is old news, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-video-captures-heartwarming-moment-nikola-jokic-learned-of-third-mvp-win">The Joker is one of just nine players in league history to win the award three or more times</a>. For Nathan MacKinnon, it was the first time that one of this generation’s most talented players was given the hardware to prove it.</p><p>Although the winners of the Heisman Trophy, NBA MVP and NHL MVP have never come from the same state prior to this season, there has been one other instance this century where four major award winners played in the same state. In 2002, the NFL MVP (Rich Gannon), MLB AL and NL MVP’s (Barry Bonds and Miguel Tejada), and Heisman Trophy winner (Carson Palmer) all played in the state of California. Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal finished third in the NBA MVP voting.</p><p>Next up for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/colorado-football-news-deion-sanders-shedeur-sanders-travis-hunters-bowl-status">Travis Hunter will be an appearance in Alamo Bowl against the BYU Cougars</a>. For both Hunter and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, it will be their final college game before they both head to the NFL Draft, where they’ll <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/colorado-football-news-deion-sanders-drops-shocking-shedeur-sanders-travis-hunter-nfl-draft-admission">each be in play for the No. 1 overall pick</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
30.9	12.5	9.7	0.7	1.7

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
30.9	12.5	9.7	0.7	1.7

Nikola
Jokić

Latest Nikola Jokic News

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Nikola Jokic criticism gets 100% real take from ex-NBA player

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Nikola Jokić

Latest Nikola Jokic News

Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic receives 57% of first place votes in ESPN MVP Straw Poll

Blazers’ Anfernee Simons stuns Nikola Jokic, Nuggets with epic game-winner

NBA rumors: Nuggets targeting Zach LaVine trade to pair with Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic criticism gets 100% real take from ex-NBA player

Colorado’s Travis Hunter completes historic feat involving Nikola Jokic, Nathan MacKinnon

Nikola
Jokić