We are halfway through the 2022-2023 NBA campaign and the Denver Nuggets currently sit at 1st seed with the reigning two-time MVP Nikola Jokic leading the way. In a Western Conference where the top seed seemed like it was someone new every day, the Nuggets have been holding on to the top spot for a few days now.
While the team is one of the deepest in the NBA, the key reason they are so successful this season is due to the excellent play of Jokic. The Joker has been doing it all this season with his averages of 25.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game. He’s also currently leading the NBA in triple-doubles.
In a season where Michael Porter Jr. has not played in a majority of his games this season and Jamal Murray has been trying to knock off the rust after returning from his torn ACL, Jokic has done everything he possibly can to keep the team in check and win games this season.
Nikola Jokic is proving the MVP Award should still go through him
Jokic has done everything he can to prove to people that he should win his third straight Most Valuable Player Award. While there have been players like Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, and others putting up MVP numbers, Jokic has been playing incredible basketball himself.
His best performance this season came on Christmas Day against the Phoenix Suns where he put up a 45-point, 15-rebound, and 15-assist game. While he has had many other great performances this season, that one was the pinnacle performance that showed people why he should win the award once again.
Coming into the season, people were not thinking about the Denver Nuggets as a contender in the Western Conference and were ready to write off the Jokic to win the award again, but he has topped his previous seasons and is showing everyone how dangerous he is when he has a healthy team with weapons all around him.
While his biggest competition in the race right now is Jayson Tatum, the two teams met on New Years’ and the Nuggets came away with the win. While Tatum put up great numbers in that game, Jokic put up a 30-point, 12-rebound,12-assist triple-double in the win.
People are quick to consider Jokic a player that did not deserve his last two MVP trophies, but he proves the doubters wrong over and over again and shows them why he is the best center in the NBA and why his previous MVP trophies were no mistake. Let’s take a look at Jokic vs some of the top candidates for the trophy.