Mannix: Nuggets Jokic a perennial all-star ‘if trend continues’

No Denver Nuggets player found himself on the list reserves, which the NBA announced Thursday, for the upcoming All-Star Game in New Orleans despite some thinking forward Nikola Jokic may have earned a spot with his hot play of recent.

Since the beginning of the year, Jokic ranks first among NBA forwards in offensive rebounds (47), second in total rebounds (125), 9th in blocks (15), and 11th in points (263).

However, the second-year Nuggets player has only played 1,069 minutes in 41 games, ranking far below Western Conference starters Kevin Durant (1,580) and Anthony Davis (1,506).

Chris Mannix, an NBA analyst and writer for Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports, told 104.3 The Fan’s Sandy Clough ahead of the all-star team announcement Thursday that for Jokic and fellow big man Joel Embiid, there may be just too many forwards in their way.

“I always say to people who say this guy Jokic should be on the all-star team or Embiid should be on the all-star team, ‘Well, who are you going to take off?’” Mannix said. “… It’s going to be tough for either one of those guys to crack the roster.”

However, Mannix said if Jokic keeps playing in the manner he has recently — he led Denver with 29 points and 14 rebounds in a 127-120 win over the Phoenix Suns Thursday night — it’ll be hard to keep the budding star off future all-star team rosters.

“I mean, if this trend continues — and I think you can make an argument that Jokic in the NBA is a top 30-35 player — you will see him in all-star games for years to come,” Mannix said.

Jokic has been tapped to play in the NBA All-Star Game’s Rising Stars Challenge, alongside Embiid, as a member of the World Team roster.

However, he left Thursday night’s game with a left hip strain. X-rays were negative, and he’ll undergo an MRI on Friday.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.