3 Nuggets whose stocks are skyrocketing, 2 that are fading fast
By Tyler Watts
Stock skyrocketing: Nikola Jokic
The Joker is a two-time MVP coming off a championship run. He is the best player in the world until someone dethrones the Nuggets, but that has not stopped him from improving his game. Jokic is averaging a career-high in points, rebounds, and 3-pointers made per game. He leads the league in rebounding and is in the top six in points and assists.
The Joker should be atop the MVP race after three weeks. Denver has the best record in the NBA, and Jokic leads in box score plus-minus, value over replacement player (VORP), player efficiency rating (PER), and win shares. The advanced metric all favorite the Nuggets superstar and the eye test does too.
Nikola Jokic is truly unstoppable. Teams have to decide between letting him cook to shut down everyone else or sending multiple defenders his way in hopes of slowing him slightly. There is no correct answer. Both ways the Nuggets are difficult to contain and even harder to defeat. It seems impossible that the best player in the world coming off a championship could raise his stock further, but the Joker is doing it.
The Denver Nuggets are on track to building a dynasty. Jokic is 28 and right in the middle of his prime. They have the best record in the NBA and are the defending champions. Denver needs to keep building, but they will be a force throughout. Expect their stocks to keep rising, and no team is looking forward to facing them in the playoffs.
