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Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic enters a class of his own

Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic officially became the first player in NBA history to register 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a single season.

"The MVP isn't even a competition," Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. "There's other great players. I'm not saying they're not great players. But what Nikola Jokic has done this year - with this team, everything we've had to go through - is just incredible.

"He was good last year, and he's even better this year."
Indeed, what we are seeing from Jokic is just legendary on so many different levels.
Throughout the history of the NBA, we've seen big men who can dominate with their ability to score in the paint or use their huge frame to haul in some rebounds.
However, we have never seen a big man just dominate the flow of the game with their playmaking skills alone, as Jokic has been averaging over six assists per game since his third season in the league.
Jokic, as a 7-foot center, has the ability to pass the ball through some tight spots to find his teammates exactly where they need to be to score the ball.
"The Joker" is not a primary ball-handler either, so it's even more impressive how he can rack up all of those assists throughout the course of a game. It speaks volumes about his awareness of his teammates' tendencies and what the defense is giving him.

MVP Encore?

Jokic putting up those astronomical numbers is definitely impressive on the surface of things, but it becomes even more impressive when you consider that it has contributed to meaningful wins.
Denver has missed Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. essentially all season long, which are the two scorers that are supposed to give Jokic a boost with scoring the ball.
Initially, the Nuggets struggled in both players' absence, but Jokic was able to carry this team through rocky waters and bring out the best of his teammates from Will Barton all the way down to Bones Hyland.
When it comes to the playoffs, Jokic will have his work cut out for him to take down either the Golden State Warriors or Dallas Mavericks, but without Jokic, this team would easily be well out of the playoff picture this season. Plus, the MVP is a regular season award.
The MVP will likely come down to Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, with all three making compelling cases in their own right.
However, Jokic has been able to carry a supporting cast significantly worse than those other two players, so he is likely to repeat as the MVP this season.
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