NBA
Golden State’s Draymond Green calls NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins ‘lazy’ for his take on Nikola Jokic stat-padding this season
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated10 Mar 2023
Only three players in league history have ever won MVP in three straight seasons. Denver’s big man Nikola Jokic is well on his way to becoming the fourth as he averages a triple-double this season. He’s a selfless player and his team has second-best record in the NBA at the moment. Media and analysts around the league like Kendrick Perkins claim that Jokic is stat-padding. Warriors PF Draymond Green called Perkins ‘lazy’ in that argument and wouldn’t let him get away with that.
The back-to-back MVP has 25 triple-doubles this season and his team has won 29 straight dating back to last season when he has a triple-double. It’s one thing to have a triple-double on a consistent basis like he does, but it’s another when his team is winning every time as well.
Denver currently own’s the best record in the Western Conference. Colorado Sports Betting sites have the Nuggets at (+650) to win the Finals this season.
Perkins getting cooked as of late pic.twitter.com/EVNBrJADuM
— Aadan (@JMurrayWrld) March 9, 2023
Draymond Green calls out Kendrick Perkins for saying that Nikola Jokic is stat-padding this season
In 58 games played and started this season Nikola Jokic has 25 triple-doubles. He’s averaging (24.3) points, (11.8) rebounds, and (10.0) assists. His (.630) field-goal percentage is as career-high for him this season as well. Analysts around the league like Kendrick Perkins have called out Jokic, saying that he’s stat-padding.
Four-time NBA champ Draymond Green backed Jokic in this argument and called Perkins ‘lazy’ for his take on the back-to-back MVP. Green had this to say on his podcast.
“The whole stat padding thing I think is ridiculous. You can’t win that many games in a row getting a triple-double and only packing your stats. Trust me, I see Joker’s stat lines often, there’s often times where he could have 10 or 11 assists so if he’s stat-padding at some point, you chasing that 10 to 11 assists is going to cost you all a game,” – Draymond Green
He’s basically saying that Jokic is only doing this because it’s what gets his teams wins. Other players could certainly have more assist or rebounds than Jokic, but that’s the way he plays and dominates the game. Jokic dissects the defense and is always ready to make the right pass.
No other big man in the league can do what he does on a consistent basis. The only player remotely close is Domantas Sabonis, but he only has eight triple-doubles compared to Jokic’s 25 this season.
