The Denver Nuggets are three games into the regular season, and Nikola Jokić has three triple-doubles. He joins Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook as the only three players in NBA history to record a triple-double in each of the first three games of the season. We're less than a week into the season, and Jokić is already making history. Is anyone surprised?
We're to the point where if Jokić doesn't finish with a triple-double, it's surprising. It's been that way for a while.
This isn't about Jokić recording triple-doubles—that's the norm. How many wins did he power the Nuggets to in the past couple of seasons with his triple-doubles? More than he should've had to. This season, though, you can already tell that it's different. He doesn't have to put on his superhero cape.
The season just started and Nikola Jokić is already making history
Jamal Murray outscored Jokić on Monday, posting 43 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. shot 4-of-6 from three for 20 points off the bench. In Saturday's win over the Suns, Jokić scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, the lowest points scored among the starters. Aaron Gordon stole the show in Denver's loss last Thursday to Golden State, shooting 10-of-11 from three for a career-high 50 points.
The Nuggets' supporting cast around Jokić is much better than it was in the past couple of seasons. Denver will be a contender as long as Jokić is around, but the Nuggets re-solidified themselves as a genuine threat in the West with their offseason moves. As important as their new additions will be as the season goes on, you can't forget about Murray and Gordon, who are off to hot starts.
So, as fun as it is to watch Jokić record another triple-double on what feels like a nightly basis, it's even more fun to know that Denver doesn't need him to fill the stat sheet just to have a chance to win.
As Jokić said at the end of last season, after the Thunder eliminated the Nuggets in the semifinals, the teams that were still in it had long benches. Ben Wallace and Jon Tenzer delivered over the offseason. Denver's hopes of winning another championship with its superstar are alive and well.
It's still very early in the season, too early to make predictions, but it's not too early to say that this season feels different for the Nuggets. Jokić could win his fourth MVP, but more importantly, he could take part in another championship parade.