Nikola Jokic’s grip on the NBA MVP conversation is loosening after the first 10 games of the season.
The Denver Nuggets are 6-4 through that opening stretch, and Jokic’s numbers, while still elite, have not matched the standard he’s set for himself. He’s averaging 23.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field and 23.3% from 3-point range.
That’s the kind of line most players would love to own. For Jokic, it reads more like a slow start.
The bigger issue is what’s happening around him. Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jayson Tatum are all producing at a very high level, and that has pushed Jokic down in the race. FanDuel Sportsbook still lists him among the top five MVP candidates, but he’s not sitting where Nuggets fans are used to seeing him.
Wembanyama has emerged as the favorite and is on track to become the fourth player in league history to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. Doncic is making his own case in a big way, leading the league with 38.6 points per game. Right now, the MVP race looks like it may be a two-man battle.
Still, there’s a long way to go. There are 72 games left, and Jokic has plenty of time to make up ground. He’s a three-time MVP for a reason, and a 10-game sample is hardly enough to bury a player who has been one of the league’s most consistent forces over the past six years.
Even in this slower start, Jokic has flashed MVP-level production. Through 10 games, he ranks 16th in the NBA in points per game, seventh in rebounds, and first in assists. He also just recorded his 201st career triple-double.
The real question is whether the Nuggets can stabilize as a team. If Denver starts climbing the Western Conference standings and Jokic returns to the level everyone expects from him, he can still work his way back into the center of the award chase. For now, though, the early edge belongs to the players ahead of him.
In Other News...
Nuggets Already Face An Early Concern Beyond Their 5-4 Start
The early-season bumps have not been limited to the standings for Denver, which has already had to navigate a 5-4 start along with the kind of logistical headache that can throw off a road trip. After the team dealt with travel difficulties in Mexico City, assistant coach David Adelman reached out to the Nuggets core players as the group prepared to head into Houston, a reminder that the grind of an NBA season can test more than just execution on the floor.
What followed showed how much the Nuggets were trying to balance caution with competitiveness, even before the game tipped. The team ultimately decided to play in Houston, but the situation underscored an early concern for Denver: staying physically and mentally sharp enough to handle the demands of a season that is already asking plenty from a roster still trying to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Showed Something Important In Memphis That Fans Needed To See
The Nuggets left Memphis with a win that felt bigger than a routine road result, because it came with the kind of poise and shot-making they have been searching for. Denver controlled the game for long stretches and held off a Grizzlies push in the third quarter, then leaned on Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic to steady things when the pressure tightened.
Murray kept the offense moving even while dealing with foul trouble, and Jokic once again filled every part of the box score as the Nuggets closed out a 123-118 victory. For a team trying to show it can still impose its will away from home, this was the sort of response that matters, even if the larger question is whether they can keep bringing that edge game after game. [Read more 🡒]
Jokics Slump Is Raising A Bigger Nuggets Concern
Nikola Jokic has still been doing plenty of the little things that help Denver win, especially on the defensive end, where his activity has stood out this season. The Nuggets have benefited from his presence in a stronger team defensive setup, and his willingness to get involved more often on that side of the floor has been one of the quieter positives in an otherwise uneven stretch.
The bigger concern is what has happened when the ball is in his hands at the other end. Jokics shooting has dipped from his usual standard, and Denvers offense has not looked as sharp with him on the floor as it has in past seasons. Whether it is a conditioning issue or something physical lingering in the background, the Nuggets are left watching a version of their centerpiece that is still impacting games, just not in the same dominant way they are used to seeing. [Read more 🡒]