Jokic is a finalist for Most Improved Player of the Year.
Nikola Jokic was one of the feel good stories of this NBA season. He was probably the brightest spot for the Denver Nuggets who missed the playoffs by just a smidgen.
He was the first Nugget to record a triple double in a Denver jersey since Andre Igoudala and even set records that put him in the rarified air of the Admiral, the great David Robinson. So, it is very understandable why he is a finalist for Most Improved Player of the Year.
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The other nominees he will be competing with for the award include Rudy Gobert of the Jazz and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks. It will be extremely tight with the Greek Freak and the revelation that has been Gobert for the Jazz since they are both better defensively, but Jokic still did some great things this year that cannot go unnoticed.
If you pair Jokic with Gordon Hayward or give him the same coaching and role players around him that Giannis has, then Jokic can lead that respective team to the playoffs and possibly further than the other two did in the post season. Each candidate is very deserving, but Jokic made such strides this year to the point where it is impossible to ignore.
When you look at the impact he brought to the Nuggets once he was inserted into the starting lineup, it is hard to dispute him being the Most Improved Player of the Year. Now, let’s just hope the voters see the same thing we do and provide a fair and unbiased vote.