A national media outlet ranks Nikola Jokic a top-10 player in the NBA
Sep 26, 2019, 9:42 AM
The days of complaining about East Coast bias are over. The Nuggets are no longer being ignored because they play their homes games in a flyover state.
Suddenly, Denver is the trendy team in the NBA. They’re a savvy pick to emerge from a restructured Western Conference, appearing atop various preseason power rankings put out by national media outlets. They’ll appear 17 times on national television this season, with nine games on ESPN and eight more on TNT. And they’re part of the league’s Christmas Day lineup, facing off against No. 1 pick Zion Williamson and the Pelicans to cap off the holiday.
In addition, their players are starting to garner attention outside of the Rocky Mountain region. And no one is a bigger media darling at the moment than center Nikola Jokic.
His quirky personality makes him a natural for networks, magazines and other outlets looking for new personalities. But his game is what ultimately makes him a star in the making.
Last season, Jokic was named first-team All-NBA. This year, he’s projected to be an MVP candidate.
The latest sign that the center is trending in that direction comes from ESPN. In their annual ranking of the best players in the NBA, Jokic checked in at No. 7.
That’s ahead of Paul George and Damian Lillard. He’s in front of fellow center Joel Embiid. And he’s nipping at the heels of Steph Curry, a two-time Most Valuable Player and three-time NBA champion.
Here’s what ESPN has to say about the Nuggets star:
Can Jokic make the leap from the superstar to MVP tier? Jokic has finished in the top 10 in real plus-minus (RPM) in every season of his career. He makes his teammates better, utilizing excellent court vision and touch to run the Nuggets’ offense from the high post. But for the Nuggets to contend this season, Jokic has to take a more aggressive mindset and raise his game that final level. His ability to do so will determine whether the Nuggets have a legitimate shot at the crown.
Denver is no longer going to surprise anyone. They aren’t flying under the radar anymore. They’re clearly in the mix of teams that figure to be in the mix come playoff time, with a superstar player that the league wants to market and hype.
Now, the pressure is on. Nikola Jokic has expectations to live up to in 2019-20.
