In today’s era of player empowerment, it’s rare for stars to consistently show up and play well game after game for weeks on end. But Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic always plays up to his standards and doesn’t bother with the same traditions as some of his peers. In a recent chat with the media, Nuggets coach Michael Malone tried to illustrate how impressive this consistency is by using the media as an example.
“The guy is just great every night,” said Malone. “You know how hard that is? Like, is anybody in here great at their job every day? I know you guys. I know you’re not.”
The comments came after Jokic’s latest masterclass. Against the Mavericks on Friday, the 2x MVP finished with 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists per game in the 11-point win. While impressive, this statline has become the norm for the Joker, who is averaging 27, 12, and 7 on the season.
Nikola Jokic On Pace For His Third MVP
Less than 10 games into the season, it’s still far too early to start the MVP conversation, but Nikola Jokic is certainly making a pretty good case. After last season’s dominating run from start to finish, Jokic has picked up right where he left off and currently has the Nuggets 6-1 in the West. Stars like Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo will no doubt be gunning for MVP honors again in 2024, but if Jokic can keep up his current pace and lead the Nuggets to prosperity this season, it could put him on track to join the likes of Moses Malone, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson as 3x MVP winners.
The craziest thing about the Joker’s current run is that he was close to winning MVP last year as well. After opening the season on fire, Jokic was the early favorite for months before Joel Embiid edged him out at the very end. If you’ve been keeping count, this season will mark the fourth year in a row that Jokic is among the top two players in the game. And at just 28 years old, the Nuggets star still has a long way to go before he slows down.
The Nuggets Are Still The Team To Beat
The Nuggets have gone largely overlooked in the Nikola Jokic era. Before their title in 2023, the franchise had never raised a banner and the further Jokic had gone was the Western Conference Finals. In the minds of critics and fans everywhere, this lack of playoff success kept Nikola from being considered the highest rank of superstars.
Last season, we saw the Nuggets kill all the doubts one by one, proving themselves more and more with each series win. After sweeping the Lakers in the Conference Finals, the Nuggets could no longer be ignored and they made sure to let the whole world know that they weren’t done yet. This go-round, the Nuggets no longer have the element of surprise on their side, but they have more chemistry and continuity than most of their competitors in the West. Until the moment that someone takes them down in a 7-game series, the Nuggets are the team to beat and it could be this way for years to come.
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