It is crunch time here.

Let's do a little Nikola Yokich watch.

He scored a career high 50 50 points in a loss to the King's on Saturday.

We also saw him drop 47 in a win over the Jazz just a couple weeks ago.

Richard, do you expect this scoring surge to continue all season?

Well, I wouldn't say all season, but I think he's put himself in a position where he understand that he's got a score, that he's an amazing playmaker.

He does so much.

He always, you know, he's a pretty good score, you know, probably not in the league's elite, but I expect him to continue this.

I mean, this is unbelievable.

When I'm looking, this guy can't jump over a phone book.

He's not that fast.

He just continues to dominate these games year in and year out.

It makes me want to believe that he's probably our games.

He has to be the top three most skilled players in the because he doesn't have any athleticism.

I mean, no definition, no speed and it continues to be major, major major factor out there on the offensive end and it's just it's fun to watch, though.

I mean, it just puts hope and all the little pudgy kids around the world that you could be.

Oh, he's not that pudgy anymore.

Paul.

He's been on this whole diet since the bubble.

He's, you know, he did compare him his athleticism to LeBron's.

The other day, he said, You know he does.

He gets up a little higher and and and has a little bit more razzle dazzle when he dunks than LeBron.

But hey, have no one's perfect right.

I mean, he's got to feel bad for that LeBron guy.

He said, Um, he's got a great sense of humor, obviously.

Richard, where do you see him in the M V P race right now?

I definitely think I think he's top three in the M V P race.

I think it's really him.

I think it's It's LeBron and I think, indeed, in the Eastern Conference, all three of them are just, you know, dominating in different ways.

Uh, you know, especially I would, you know, given LeBron's age and the short off season for him to come out on, be as impactful with, you know, Anthony Davis.

Not really having you know, the same type of high level season.

We know Anthony Davis is gonna be just fine.

He's gonna be that man.

But Yokich, especially because Denver slow start he has picked it up, and I think that definitely has vaulted him higher in that that M V P race.

Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, the numbers speak for itself.

I mean, like you said, LeBron nb uh, you know Denver If they continue to surge and that could be a top three seeds, I believe that he's He's a true candidate for the M V P.

Because numbers like I said, they're going to speak for themselves all year long.

It's gonna be dependent on how well his team does in the Western Conference.

They could secure a top four seeds, the most definitely, Yeah, to be interesting.

We're already about the third a third of the way through this season.

This one's gonna fly by, remember only 72 games.

So these conversations are definitely being had around the association.

All right, let's move on to the Jazz because they beat the Pacers Sunday, their fourth straight win.

Utah just like being on winning streaks, Paul because they won 15 of their last 16 games.

And this is a big deal, right?

Yeah, absolutely.

And then the world lost.

They have.

What's to Denver, where Joker goes out and gets like 40 40 e mean this, you know, remind me because they don't have that super superstar like, you know?

I mean, Jonathan Mitchell is a great player, but he's not in the same tears LeBron and Katie and these guys.

But they remind me of that Detroit team with Chauncey Billups, with guys who could do so many things and a great defensive team.

And so, you know, this is a team to watch out for.

It still blows my mind when we and this is no disrespect for two to you, Paul.

I'd still think Donovan Mitchell is a super superstar.

Yeah, if he was playing in a little bit bigger market, he might get a little bit more attention putting up these numbers and having this success, Let's say, for the Lakers or the Knicks or something a little bit more high profile of a team.

But Donovan Mitchell is a superstar.

He does all of the things that are needed.

This guy has been a stud since he came into the league.

Rudy Gobert is one of the best offensive players that this league has had in the last 10 years.

So when you have one of the best offensive players, you have one of the best late game studs and then you surround them with talent.

That's what they are.

They have Conley.

They have Clark's and they have so many guys around them that are contributing.

This team is going to be a force, but kind of like how we alluded to earlier in the show.

It's all about how you play in the postseason.

For him to be a super superstar.

He's got to get to the conference.

Finals are finals.

Okay, I didn't know we have superstars and then we have super superstar.

That's another E waited another tier.

So way superstars.

And they're super superstars.

Okay, well, he's a superstar, Paul.

You know, Richard, hey has his own world.

There's so many ways that Richard's rolled.

This just organized a little differently than the rest of us.

Donovan would be the first one to tell you, by the way, that he needs more playoff success to reach that top echelon.

He's very determined to get it.

The presence he has as a young player and we forget sometimes that he is young still in this league, he is a lot more to Dio.

I do think the continuity, though in Utah is a really, really win and something you're seeing in this streak.

There's been so much turnover across the league, it's now become just the most constant thing in the n b.

A.

Is that everything changes.

And here is Utah, with guys who know each other, have good relationships and chemistry with each other and are building on what they have put together for the past few seasons, and we're seeing it now.

We'll see how long this streak last.

Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content.