Nikola Jokic has long been considered by many to be the best basketball player in the world. He's got three MVPs and two runner-up finishes, and he's got seven consecutive All-NBA team finishes. But Jokic only has one NBA championship to his name, and the all-time greats usually have at least two or more. His name would not only go squarely into that all-time great debate, but it would be thrust to the higher levels if he leads the Nuggets through a playoff gauntlet to a championship.
The Nuggets may have won the battle for the third seed and the ability to avoid the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, but they drew the short end of the stick when it comes to their playoff road. However, it could be a legacy-defining run for Joker if they can win it all.
Jokic and the Nuggets have to run through the gauntlet
They first take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that knocked the Nuggets out in the second round of the playoffs two years ago, and has made it to the Western Conference Finals the past two years. The Nuggets have had a tough time against the Wolves in the past. They're just 11-16, including the playoffs against Minnesota, since 2021-22.
The second round would likely present the San Antonio Spurs and the probable Defensive Player of the Year, Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs rattled off a 30-4 record since Feb. 1st, the best in the NBA over that period, and they finished with the second seed in the Western Conference and the NBA's second-best record.
The conference finals likely draw the Thunder, the defending NBA champions, the number one seed, and the owners of the league's best record. Plus, the Thunder have defending NBA MVP and the front-runner for MVP this year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Who knows in the East, but there's a strong chance it's the Boston Celtics or the Detroit Pistons, the number one and two seeds. It's a gauntlet of the who's who of the NBA this year for Jokic and the Nuggets to get past for a second championship.
Jokic can add to his legacy going through them all
The knock on Joker right now in the all-time great debate is his one championship. Running through that gauntlet would be ring number two, and because of the difficulty of getting through such a hard road, he'd enter the upper levels of the conversation.
"We’re going to be having some pretty high-level conversations about him after the finals," Zach Lowe said about Jokic on the possible Nuggets win in June on a recent "The Bill Simmons Podcast."
Jokic certainly has a good chance to get his name into the upper echelons. Denver comes in hot, well-rested, and having played well against their playoff opponents this year. They're 3-1 against the Spurs and Wolves, and had close losses despite a 1-3 record against the Thunder.
Needless to say, coming out champions on the other side of that gauntlet would certainly put Jokic's name into the upper echelons of the all-time debate.
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