Cooper Flagg chooses Nikola Jokic as NBA’s best over SGA

Duke star Cooper Flagg will be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. This is no secret. Who Flagg believes is the NBA’s best player is also no longer a mystery.

In a recent interview, Flagg was asked about who he believes is the NBA’s best.

“Best player in the NBA right now? Joker,” Flagg said. “I mean he does so much, he impacts winning in so many different ways.”

Flagg is absolutely correct. Jokic does impact the game on levels that no other player does. He’s certainly the best player in the league, and it’s not really close.

With that said, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will likely win this season’s MVP and that would be the right choice. SGA had a great year, leading the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander also led the Thunder to the best record during the season, winning 68 games. This compares to Jokic’s Nuggets winning just 50 games.

Beyond team success, SGA showcased dominance on the defensive end. This is something that Jokic cannot claim.

SGA led the NBA in Defensive Win Shares with 4.8, demonstrating how dominant he was on that side of the floor. This certainly has helped his case for MVP.

Fans are still waiting for the final decision on who will win the MVP, but it won’t be much longer, much like Flagg’s upcoming NBA debut next season.