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Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets might be having the best season of his NBA career. Considering that he's coming off back-to-back MVPs, it's almost crazy to say that, but that's the case.
It may to be tough for him to get his third MVP in a row because of voter fatigue, but if somebody can do it, it has to be Jokic. The Nuggets (27-13) are also leading the Western Conference at the moment, which should be perfect news for him.
Nikola Jokic is averaging 25.0 points per game on 61.6% shooting while also averaging 10.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game. He's been a force to be reckoned with all season long.
"I think the most impressive part of his game – I think he's always a passer; he was always a rebounder and scorer – I would say his basketball IQ and his understanding of when to raise his level," ESPN's Richard Jefferson said.
"There are times – like his scoring is down this season from his prior MVP seasons, by design, but his assists numbers are up – so that tells me that he scores when he needs to and he knows how to get everyone else involved. Part of the success of their roster construction this year and adding ... Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, KCP (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope).
"Adding KCP, adding the roster construction that they did has been so impressive. Bruce Bown, those are the individuals, to me, that when you put them there, Jokic makes everyone feel at home: 'I got you. Where do you want the ball?' Like, I played with Jason Kidd, and Jason Kidd was like, 'How do you want me to throw the ball?'
"He makes everyone feel at home, because he has such an immense basketball IQ. That's to me what's so impressive."
Nikola Jokic could win his third MVP
This isn't the first time that Richard Jefferson has said something similar about Jokic. He's even said that it's his MVP award to lose. If somebody is going to win the MVP other than Jokic, they need to take it away from the player who has been the MVP the past two seasons.
It's going to be interesting to see if voters vote for Jokic to win this award once again, but there's certainly a possibility.
"He is the reigning MVP," Jefferson said. "He is the defending MVP. And in my book, he is the defending MVP until someone shows me that they're having a better season. There's not a person having currently a better season than Nikola Jokic.
"There are people in the conversation, but to me, you got to knock out the champ. If you wanna be an MVP, if you're Ja Morant, if you're Jayson Tatum, go take the MVP. Don't give an argument. Don't have us up here making arguments. But right now, there's not an individual player."
