Nikola Jokic has been outstanding this season. The Denver Nuggets big man is in the midst of a year in which he’s become a legitimate star, leading the team to a 42-18 record that has them one game behind the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference. Even if the Nuggets don’t win a ring, thanks to a core that features Jokic in the middle, there is optimism about what they can do in the future.
We got a glimpse of how good Denver and Jokic are on Tuesday night. The Nuggets held off a late charge from the Oklahoma City Thunder, winning 121-112. Jokic particularly was magnificent, going for 36 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds against Steven Adams and company.
Late in the game, Nuggets fans stressed their appreciation for the big man, giving him MVP chants while he stood at the free throw line and tried to ice the game. After it was over, Caron Butler asked Jokic about the chants, at which point he said the thought of him winning the award was a bit much.
Nikola Jokic is humble. https://t.co/fVAndZIpVs
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) February 27, 2019
“I think it’s funny, to be honest,” Jokic said. “I think that there is a better player than me that is gonna win MVP. I’m just trying to play really good team basketball, that’s all I’m trying to do.”
Now, to be clear, Jokic wasn’t going to win MVP this season — he has a case for inclusion in the race, but he’s not quite on that top tier of contenders. Plus so much of it is based on hype, and all of rightly that centers around Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, and James Harden. Still, Jokic has had one hell of a year, even if he doesn’t end up being named the league’s best player.
