Jalen Brunson is the face of the Knicks, and the NBA just gave him the Clutch Player of the Year award. He earned 70 of the 100 available first-place votes and appeared on nearly every ballot. Nikola Jokić came in second with just 26 first-place votes, while Anthony Edwards finished third. Brunson had an excellent season in crunch time. He scored 156 clutch points to Jokić’s 140, a number that likely swayed voters. Still, the Nikola Jokić snub here feels impossible to ignore. Jokić led all finalists in clutch field goal percentage, hitting 56.2% of his shots. He finished in the top five for points, assists, and rebounds in late-game situations. That kind of balance should matter.
With One Snub Already, Nikola Jokić’s Historic Season Could Go To Waste
The award, named after Jerry West, has only been around for three years. De’Aaron Fox won the first, Stephen Curry the second. Brunson joins that short list. Yet this year’s results shine a light on something bigger — voters may be underestimating one of the greatest statistical seasons in NBA history.
Jokić’s Numbers Were Legendary
Jokić didn’t just have a great season. He had a historic one. He averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game. That puts him in rare company with Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. Only those two had averaged a triple-double over an entire season before.
This wasn’t empty stat-padding either. Jokić shot efficiently from everywhere. He made over 56% of his field goals in the clutch. He was third in clutch rebounds and second in assists. Jokić ranked fourth in points during high-pressure moments. And yet, this snub cost him his first shot at a major award this year.
Brunson deserves praise. But does the snub reveal a larger issue: do voters now expect greatness from Nikola Jokić to the point where they overlook it?
The MVP Race May Deliver Another Blow
Jokić’s bad luck might not stop at the Clutch Player award. The MVP race isn’t looking good for him either. Media straw polls from ESPN and player surveys from The Athletic suggest Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the front-runner.
If that trend holds, this Nikola Jokić snub could grow into something bigger — a complete shutout. Despite historic stats, Jokić might finish the year without a single individual accolade. That’s hard to accept for a player who arguably had the best all-around season in the league.
Only the Playoffs Remain
With one award already gone and others slipping away, Jokić has one goal left — winning. The Nuggets are tied 1-1 in their first-round series against the Clippers. Jokić has played well in both games. He nearly had a triple-double in Game 1 with 29 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds. In Game 2, he recorded a full triple-double, but the team still lost.
So far in the playoffs, he has five clutch points, five assists, and two rebounds. That keeps him among the league’s best in all three categories. But stats mean little if Denver exits early.
Jokic’s Greatness Deserves Recognition
Jokić doesn’t campaign. He doesn’t give sound bites to win awards. He just plays, and he dominates. That makes the recent Nikola Jokić snub all the more frustrating. Voters may simply be numb to his brilliance. They’ve seen it so often that it no longer stands out.
But history will remember this season. It should. Jokić played the game at a level few have ever reached. Whether voters catch up or not, he has one last platform to remind everyone of his greatness — the NBA playoffs.
