Nikola Jokic named the Western Conference Player of the Month

So much for slow starts to season. Nuggets center Nikola Jokić had been known for having to work his way into playing shape. This year, however, he’s proven that he’s matured beyond that bad habit.

On Tuesday, he was rewarded for his hard work when the NBA announced that Jokić has been named the Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in December and January.

Jokić wins the award for the first time in his career and becomes the first Nugget to win since Carmelo Anthony in 2009 (Oct./Nov). Jokić joins Anthony, Fat Lever and Alex English as the only players in franchise history to be honored as Player of the Month.

Jokić averaged 27.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting .565 from the field, .381 from three-point range and .849 from the charity stripe in the month of January. In four games in December, he averaged 24.5 points, 13.5 assists, 11.5 rebounds and 1.50 steals, shooting .625 from the field and .400 from three. He helped lead the Nuggets to an 11-5 January, including a 7-2 road record, where currently they sit in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 12-8 record.

Jokić recorded five triple doubles, ranking second in the NBA, and had five games with 35-plus points and 10-plus rebounds. He also has posted a double-double in all 20 games, becoming the second player since 1976 to have a double-double in each of the first 20 games (Bill Walton). For the second time in his career, Jokić averaged at least 25.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting above 55.0 percent from the field in the month of January (min. 10 games) and is the only center since 1983 to record those numbers.

January was highlighted with a win vs. Utah on Jan. 31, where he tied a career-high 47 points (17-26 FGs), 12 rebounds, five assists and two steals in 37 minutes, becoming the first Nugget to ever post those numbers. He scored 22 points in the first quarter and 33 points in the first half. It was the most points in a first half for a Nugget since 2007 (Allen Iverson) and both were career-highs in any single quarter or half.

Jokić had another huge performance at Phoenix on Jan. 23, on the second night of a back-to-back, finishing with 29 points (11-14 FTs), a career-high 22 rebounds, six assists and one steal in 42 minutes. He started the season by recording a triple double in four of the first six games, including his performance on opening night against Sacramento, where he posted 29 points, 15 rebounds, 14 assists and two blocks in 42 minutes. Jokić became one of five players all-time to record 350 points, 125 rebounds and 125 assists in the first 15 games of a season.

The Sombor, Serbia native, was named Western Conference Player of the Week in consecutive weeks to close out January. Amongst Western Conference players, he ranks first in PER, second in steals per game, second in total assists, third in points per game, fourth in assists per game and fourth in rebounds per game. In 20 games this season, Jokić is averaging 26.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.75 steals, shooting .574 from the field and .384 from three in 35.8 minutes.