If someone in 50 years looked at Nikola Jokic’s numbers for the Denver Nuggets over the past five seasons, they might not believe it.
But as NBA fans have seen, it’s all been real, and Jokic continues to defy what was previously thought possible on the basketball court. Most recently, the superstar center has been given another honor for his individual success, as he was named the most recent NBA Player of the Week in the Western Conference.
“The NBA has announced that Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, November 10th to Sunday, November 16th,” an official release by the league read. “During the week, Jokić, 30, averaged 39.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.7 steals while shooting 73.7% from the field and 64.3% from three, leading the Nuggets to a 3-0 record.”
Jokic won the Player of the Week award the last time it was handed out, and this latest occasion is the 19th time he’s taken home the honor, the most in Nuggets history.
Nikola Jokic Is The NBA Player Of The Week, Again
The numbers from Jokic over the last week put him on a fast track to the NBA MVP award. However, while the scoring is a bit higher compared to his average, the rebounding and assist numbers are nothing new.
Over the course of the season, Jokic is averaging 28.7 points, 13 rebounds (first), and 10.9 assists (first) on 67.2% shooting (fifth) with a league-high seven triple-doubles. While his shooting percentage is higher, Jokic has been around or near those numbers since he won his first NBA MVP award in 2021.
Yet still, what he did over the past week was nothing short of incredible. His performances in Denver’s three wins included back-to-back 50-point games. In all of the contests, the center recorded a minimum of 35 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.
“He has a league-leading seven triple-doubles, totaling the next three players combined. He also ranks first in the NBA in assists per game, first in rebounds per game, fifth in FG%, and eighth in points per game,” the statement added.
“Jokić became the first player since the 1997-98 season when play-by-play started being recorded to post 52 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists before the fourth quarter. He was also the first player to score 90+ points on 80% shooting from the field in the span of two days. He capped the week by recording 27 points (8-15 FGs, 3-6 3FGs, 8-8 FTs), 12 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals and one block on the road against Minnesota on 11/15, marking his 171st triple-double of his career.”
Just about every time he steps on the floor, Jokic breaks some sort of NBA history.
Nuggets 7-0 Over Past Two Weeks
In that time frame, Jokic has averaged 34.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 11.0 assists on 71.4% shooting over the past two weeks. The Nuggets have also gone undefeated in that span. They took wins over the Warriors, Clippers, and Timberwolves, and have yet to lose in the month of November.
The team’s only losses came against the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State, but they sit second in the Western Conference standings, only behind the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
While Jokic has been on another level and currently leads the race to win the MVP, it hasn’t been just him helping lead Denver to an undefeated month. Jamal Murray (22.1 ppg) and Aaron Gordon (19.9 ppg) are both averaging career-highs in scoring, and have turned into even better partners for Jokic on the offensive end.
The Nuggets have also gotten some much-needed help from new additions Tim Hardaway and Jonas Valanciunas. Specifically for the latter, as he has offered a solid backup for Jokic, to give the MVP some much-needed rest. While he still leads the team in minutes, his time on the court has gone down a bit from last year, and the team isn’t hemorrhaging when he’s off, like they have in the past.
Christian Bruan, Bruce Brown, and Cam Johnson have all been a bit underwhelming through 12 games, but so far, it hasn’t mattered for Denver.
If Jokic can keep up this pace, he will be on track to win his fourth MVP award in six years. While he didn’t win it twice, the Serbian has only finished first or second in MVP voting so far this decade.
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