To say that Nikola Jokic is a consistent performer would be an incredible understatement, and his ongoing efforts for the Denver Nuggets have put the popular Serbian well and truly in the hunt for a third successive NBA MVP award.
The 27-year-old's latest efforts against the Los Angeles Lakers further helped the Nuggets man to stake his claim as he produced his 11th triple-double of the season as Denver eased past the Lakers 122-109 in a game where Jokic went five for five from the field.
The Nuggets are well placed to make it to the playoffs for the fifth successive season, and fans of the Ball Arena side who reside in Colorado would do well to visit here to get the skinny on the best sportsbooks in the area, therefore improving your chances of maximizing the potential payout you might secure.
Michael Malone's side is now well placed at the top of the Western Conference with a 28-13 record, boosted by a great run of 11-2, and Jokic, unsurprisingly, is the big driving factor in Denver Nuggets' progress.
The Nuggets’ head coach, into his eighth season in charge of Denver, has been full of praise for his star performer of late;
“I’ve been around the league a long time; I know a lot of players that, if they took five shots in 35 minutes, would be pissed off right now,”
“Nikola doesn’t care whether he takes five or 25 [shots]. There are not many guys like him that I’ve been around. It just speaks to — another triple-double, but a truly selfless superstar.”
On the prospect of Jokic making it three from three, Malone added;
“If people's reason for not giving Nikola a third MVP is because he's already won two in a row, “that's lazy.”
In terms of the NFL MVP betting, Jokic sits just behind his good friend, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who has been posting similarly crazy numbers. Those two and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics are the three men vying for the prized award at present, with Giannis Antetokounmpo being just outside these three and Brooklyn Nets wizard Kevin Durant being the longshot bet in the race.
The last time any player won three successive NFL MVP awards was when the great Larry Bird did so in the mid-80s.
Jokic has had to step in and save the day for the Nuggets on a number of occasions this season, and Denver has had to make do without the likes of Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray via various injury issues, and that's a sign of a player that truly makes a difference to a franchise.
This is Jokic’s eighth season with Denver, and he’s shown steady progress year after year, playing a massive role in helping the Nuggets back into the playoff picture in 2019 (after a five-year absence) and talk of a maiden NBA title is not looking quite so fanciful as it would have a few short years ago.
