LAYUP LINES: Nikola Jokic should win the MVP, and this defensive stat proves why

He more than deserves the MVP.

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I’m just going to get right into it. Nikola Jokic is the Most Valuable Player in the NBA. His versatility on offense is oft-cited, but I’ve got another reason.

Only four players have recorded at least 90 steals and 50 blocks this season. They are Matisse Thybulle, Robert Covington, Herbert Jones, and (surprise!) Jokic. What are we even doing here if he is having this much success as a defensive playmaker? (More on that here).

For the sake of argument, I decided to throw in some offensive qualifiers.

The only other players to ever reach those thresholds on defense while notching at least 1,200 points, 800 rebounds, and 400 assists in the same season are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Larry Bird, and Kevin Garnett. Yet this is the third time Jokic has done exactly that.

Any argument about who should win MVP stops here.

The Tip-Off

Highlighting some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Stop me if you have heard this one before: There is a complicated saga brewing between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Our own Mike Sykes broke it down well, but the most important detail: The 76ers withheld nearly $20 million in salary from Simmons. After filing a grievance, Simmons and the Sixers will face arbitration to decide whether or not he is actually owed that money.

Sykes helped us contextualize why this is such a complicated issue:

It’s a sticky situation because players have been away from their teams for mental health reasons before. But they’ve never actually been fined for it. It’s normally something that shows up on the injury report in one way or another, generally listed as “personal reasons.”

That didn’t happen with Simmons. Should it have? I’m not sure. But that could potentially have an impact on this case.

I’m not sure what to make of this, except it might take a long time to resolve.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico)

Kansas (-4.5, -190) vs. North Carolina (+155), O/U 151.5, 9:20 PM ET

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The NBA’s scheduling committee knows what it’s doing. They’re not going to stand in the way of the national championship game between North Carolina and Kansas.

I know that this is an NBA newsletter, but let’s be honest with ourselves. If we want to be the best versions of ourselves as sports fans, we need to know what happens in the college basketball title game.

You’ll get to see some future pro players, too. Kansas stars Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun appear in our latest mock draft. On the other end, North Carolina could send a few of their own (Caleb Love, Brady Manek, Armando Bacot, RJ Davis, and Dawson Garcia) to the league.

Who’s in and out?

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

— LeBron James (ankle) is questionable against the Suns on Tuesday

— Zach LaVine (knee) and Alex Caruso (back) are both probable for the Bulls against the Bucks on Tuesday

— Wendell Carter Jr. (wrist) is out against the Cavaliers on Tuesday

— Dejounte Murray (illness) is probable against the Nuggets on Tuesday

Shootaround

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

— Mike Sykes gave us his updated NBA power rankings, and the Suns are No. 1

—The Pelicans pulled off a perfect troll of ESPN after getting a win in LA.

— HoopsHype gave us their latest trade rumor rankings, and there’s one about what the Pacers could do with Malcolm Brogdon.

— Multiple players on the Hornets showed respect to Embiid, James Harden after Saturday’s win over the Hornets.

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