FIRST TAKE | “Nikola Jokic is the best CENTER player in the NBA” – Stephen A.: He is the MVP this yr

FIRST TAKE | “Nikola Jokic is the best CENTER player in the NBA” – Stephen A.: He is the MVP this yr

On MVP at ESPN bet Stephen A if he wins this would be his third in the last four seasons Jay gilders Alexander is second and would be the first Thunder player to win it since Russell Westbrook did back in 2017 Luca Giannis and Jason Tatum rounding out the top five all right sa

You’re up here first who’s gonna challenge yic for MVP well first of all I want I want to say that I have Jason Tatum ahead of everybody for League MVP averaging 27 to game being the best player on the best team in the league that’s how I feel about Jason Tatum but

When I was asked this question originally they was talking about in the west and my answer has been Shay gilis Alexander have you seen this brother have you seen this I mean Molly shanon you got to watch this brother dance on people right now the brother

6610 I mean it dances on you with his handle got a j can shoot from anywhere Hits free throws pullup jumpers threes open Cy dancing on you he’s special he’s absolutely special and last I checked they have a better record than the Denver Nuggets right now and when I look

At him being tied for the number one seed in the western conference let’s say hypothetically that the Oklahoma City Thunder finishes with the top seed in the west this man they played I mean I mean listen they played 50 some odd games the brother has had over 30 on 42

Occasions he is something special and I’m looking at him right now and yeah they got other Talent on the squad the Williams of the world and and Dort and Giddy and others and I get Chad honger let’s not forget him he’s a candidate for Rookie of the Year it ain’t ain’t a

Four gun conclusion it could be but Chad ham is balling now he is balling and they’re winning so we can’t ignore that but Chay gilis Alexander is the name that comes to my mind Shannon the brother special he is I agree with you he would he would

He’s right behind joic I mean if he if joic is 1A he has to be 1B averaging 31 5 and a half rebound 6 and a half assist leag but here’s the thing y he’s shooting 55% as a guard yes yes he can get can finish with either hand can pull up from

The mid-range his three ball is increased great at the free throw line he does it all on this very very young team and I believe it’s Nicole AIC Shay Gil just I would have I would have JT in front of Giannis I understand Giannis is having another outstanding season 31

Points 11 and a half rebounds Lucas is doing Luca things but they’re not winning nearly enough for him to get serious serious consideration I would go joic I would go Shay Gil just out put JT in third to me I got JT at number one

Shay Gil just at number two and yic at number three yic again they up but listen listen they they’re creeping up top three listen you can say what you want to say I gave you just gave the say say Gil Alexander numbers I gave you Jason Tatum numbers I mean listen the

Best player on the best team you’re the number one option everybody’s watching you all every everybody’s coming at you every single night you’re the number one team by six games come on now I can’t I can’t ignore that from Jason Tatum I can’t ignore that what I supposed to do

About 3216 to 16 I feel you on that that’s that is spectacular there’s no doubt about that but but 27 a night for a team that’s six games better than you you just brought up Boston’s record they’re the number one overall seed Jason Tatum can’t be ignored but when I

Look at Shay gilis Alexander let me just throw some numbers about you about it Ain and NBA High 24 drives per game scoring a league high 17.2 points per game on 57% shooting on drives one of only four players averaging 35 and five along with Luca Giannis and embiid 15.3

Points in the paint for a point guard all right which is fifth in the NBA and then shooting 40% on pullup threes this is Shay Gil just Alexander and they’re tied for the number one seed in the west yeah I can’t ignore that I can’t I’m

Sorry I I just think the thing is when people just look at Nicole y y’s number yes and you see the uh uh the 26 and a half and you see the 12 rebounds and you see the N he’s great he’s great it’s like he’s great and you you see that

Team I don’t know where they would be they’d be in the lottery if he wasn’t on that team I listen I if Jamal Murray was was healthy and the rest of them were healthy I wouldn’t say the lottery no I’d give them I Y without yoke I’d still

Have them in a plane I’d still have them in the plan I’d still have them in the plane you just said the 18 half points better when he on the cour I feel you on that because he’s really off the court you he don’t miss too many games no he

Don’t miss G he don’t he don’t miss games but it’s not like he play so so two or three games he out that’s what we going to go by come on now I’m not going to do that I’m saying when he’s on the court so when he’s on the court as far

As plus minus got I got you okay twoone take off you know when I start to the Clear My Throat okay guys okay like that’s that’s like the WRA it up signal we clearing throat because we think you’re eating and you just ate something

And then when do the like when I do the mhm that kind of thing like those are all symbols like time to go party people all right M’s the only person that I know that went to a game and took pictures of herself eating to send to

People Ross Stephen A that Ross took that picture for you I can’t explain now what you do you ask people to take pict chance to establish himself and you never know which direction it all winds up going but clearly from a mobile standpoint from a branding standpoint

And from a physical Marvel standpoint he has everything going his way plus the personality I put him at five I put John Morant at number four John Morant remains in my mind when healthy and when in the right place the most watchable player in the NBA the best show to watch

In basketball if he has it together he’s still young enough and spectacular enough I think he has a chance to reclaim a spot as the the face of the NBA now Jason Tatum is at three he has talked about it being a Boston Celtic helps a great deal obviously I think he

Is a championship away from staking a legitimate claim he’s endlessly likable his son is endlessly likable the personality there’s so many things about Jason Tatum to love he needs the championship and then I think he’s got a real shot at it but I also think he’s trailing behind the two International

Superstars LCA donic is ridiculous whether he wins MVP or not this year his team is sneaky very good by the way I was talking to legs the other day about it here on the show The Mavericks might make a deep run this year LCA has led

Them on a Deep Run in the past he is as spectacular to watch on the offensive end as any player in the league with the exception of no one I think he has a great chance to be the face of the league and then frankly I’m almost cheating by putting Giannis at number

One because I think he is the face of the NBA he was the overall leading vote getter for the All-Star game when he won the championship he became his big Stars they could possibly be he’s got every quality you want in this the greatness the physical extraordinary feature the

Incredible personality the big smile there’s nothing about him not to love I think the Greek Freak is already the current face of the NBA along with those Legends so here they are my list yanis at one Luca 2 followed by Tatum johnar and Victor wanyama Monica is here and

I’ll bring Austin in in Austin Rivers I want to give you credit I’m not going to steal it from you you brought up someone that I should have put on this list I absolutely defer to you because you right and I was wrong tell everyone who that

Is Anthony Edwards man he’s uh he’s musty TV when we talk about a complete athlete in the aura of a superstar and what makes somebody the face of the league I talk about on the court and off the court let’s talk about the on the court he has the complete

Game MJ he has the smile he has the Charisma he has the style and his game speaks the loudest even though he’s a very confident young man his game is even more loud his team is the best in the west or one of the best teams in the

West right now uh you got to put Anthony Edwards there and then we talk about the or of a superstar and how he gets people to just like him and likeability he has all of that he has the number one selling sneaker with Adidas right now he

Has a lot of different things going for him within a small Market in Minnesota that he’s accomplishing all this and it’s very impressive he’s young and his best days are ahead of him Anthony Edwards is definitely one of the faces of the NBA and be the face you’re 100%

Right and despite the fact that I am the world’s foremost authority on all matters I got that one wrong and I wanted to give him credit because he’s 100% right I do love him now other names that came up Nicole yic yic is the best player but he doesn’t he doesn’t strike

Me as though he wants any part of that right like he just wants to do his thing go watch the go watch his horse races and all that kind of stuff and then there’s SGA and Shay gildas Alexander who’s terrific and and maybe as good as

Any of the players on this list but also doesn’t strike me as someone who has the kind of personality that he wants that that’s just my observation from a distance I I agree SGA is really laidback okay see everything they do is sort of Team oriented very rarely do you

See a single guy in an interview without grabbing some of their teammates I know folks are asking a lot of questions about their age in terms of what they can achieve this year I really like this team and I think they’re arriving ahead of schedule I will say though I just

Think of like guards across the league I the other day I just had the Sixers and the Knicks Jaylen Brunson Tyrese Maxi guys that have the kind of personality that are infectious in the same way that a is I love that you included John Moran on this list though greeny because I

Think this year could be sort of Forgotten slash a reset for him obviously he’s dealing with that injury right now and he’s got a signature shoe that was very very popular I think the next generation of NBA fan and consumer is really into the authenticity of these

Players so like they may not always get it right but if you can get back on the floor and get back on track I think there’s real res real resonance there as this league continues to change look the the the issues that J has had have been

Well documented and and they don’t need to be gone over again here and right now he’s dealing with an injury but he is still young enough again I I I’ll for Spe for might spe foreign spee foreign for For E Spee

FIRST TAKE | “Nikola Jokic is the best CENTER player in the NBA” – Stephen A.: He is the MVP this year