Denver Nuggets: The good, the bad and the MVP on opening night

Nikola Jokic looks like he has taken another leap following his MVP season.

This past season, his stamina and agility improved and now he looks slimmer and even more agile. There were multiple instances in which he beat the young center Deandre Ayton who is known for his ability to be a rim running big man.

He is still a highly-skilled scorer out of the post with an ability to hit circus-level shots. He was an efficient 13/22 from the field and was a perfect 3/3 from the midrange. He dominated Ayton in the mid-post and used his post moves to manipulate him however he wanted to.

Whether he is used as a screener or ball-handler, Jokic will again be required to continue to control the offense with the Jamal Murray injury. He will be responsible for controlling and manipulating the tempo of the entire offense while his ability to find teammates open in the half-court is elite.

Jokic is looking quicker than ever and more nimble than he did last year, while he still isn’t exploding his ability to be one step ahead of the defense mentally allows him to always be in the right spot. He seems to seal defenders when running in the full court, much like how Chris Paul does baiting defenders into fouls and beating players down the court.

Ayton always seemed to be two steps behind Jokic as he pushed the ball up the court and generated easy looks for himself at the rim.

If the MVP is still improving, the league needs to watch out.