National Basketball Association

Nikola Jokic is on another MVP tear, but the Nuggets aren't helping his case

Published Dec. 14, 2021 4:34 p.m. ET

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By Martin Rogers
FOX Sports Columnist

The most valuable player in the NBA didn’t feel very valuable Monday night, not even after a stat-stacking performance of 31 points, 19 rebounds and nine assists in only 30 minutes of action.

"Watching the game in the locker room," Nikola Jokic mused after he was ejected during the fourth quarter of the Denver Nuggets’ clash with the Washington Wizards. "It’s … a little bit different."

Yet even in his absence — perhaps especially in his absence — the extent to which the Serbian center and reigning MVP is relied upon by his team came starkly into focus. Leading by 18 when he was tossed for arguing with the refs, the Nuggets had to withstand a late rally from Washington, holding on to win 113-107.

With about a third of the season gone, Denver (14-13) and Jokic are in a slightly strange spot. Jokic is performing at an extraordinary level that is perhaps even better than his efforts over the course of the 2020-21 campaign. It has not, however, translated into the Nuggets as a force in the Western Conference.

Ahead of Tuesday’s games, even with the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers and Dallas Mavericks having struggled all season, Denver was in eighth place, way behind the rampant Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors and also far back of the in-form Utah Jazz.

"How about the Joker?" FS1’s Nick Wright said on "First Things First." "Team’s not very good — he is very good. I said he was the worst MVP since Dave Cowens (in 1973), and I stand by that. But that was last year, and this is this year."

It’s not difficult to imagine how, without Jokic, the team’s record would be considerably worse. The Nuggets have had to contend with the absences of Michael Porter Jr., Jamal Murray and P.J. Dozier, meaning they've leaned even more on Jokic.

"Nikola is our best player," head coach Michael Malone said. "He’s the best player in the league. We’re a much better team when he’s on the floor and available."

Jokic’s averages are outstanding — 26.5 points per game land him fifth on the scoring charts, 13.8 rebounds put him in the second spot on the boards, 7.3 assists are good for 11th in the league, and he has a player efficiency rating (the NBA loves its advanced metrics, doesn’t it?) better than anyone else's.

If his team were higher positioned in the standings, it is likely Jokic would be talked about alongside Steph Curry at the forefront of the MVP race. Currently, he is fourth-favorite to retain the award, at +1200 with FOX Bet, with Curry at +130, Kevin Durant at +450 and Giannis Antetokounmpo at +600.

Jokic's defense has been called into question over the course of his career, but those complaints have been answered this year, too, and have gotten him as much notice among devoted Denver followers as any other part of his game.

"Nikola Jokic plays Volkswagen Golf defense in a Lamborghini league," the Denver Post’s Sean Keeler wrote. "It’s efficient. It’s effective. But it’s not in your face. It’s not showy. It doesn’t easily translate to a poster. … It just … works."

What does it all mean? This is close to being the kind of situation teams crave: an elite, genuine superstar playing at his peak with some enterprising pieces acquired through the draft around him. Such things raise hope of a title run, and Denver’s surge to the Western Conference finals in 2020 and the semifinal stage earlier this year did nothing to dispel big ambitions.

However, if this is as good as the Nuggets can be, even with Jokic playing at such a lofty level, the team effectively finds itself in limbo for the remainder of the campaign.

Porter is out indefinitely, and Murray, despite some positive signs in his ACL recovery, has no guarantees of a swift return. Aaron Gordon has added something since being acquired in trade, but his impact hasn’t been transcendent. Do they cruise along until the end of the campaign, making sure of getting at least a play-in spot, then unleash a revitalized Murray for the postseason?

Or would the seemingly unthinkable even be considered, with Jokic periodically rested and Denver slipping into lottery position? It would seem weird for a team with a surging MVP champ to engage in even a mini-tank, and that option probably isn’t really an option.

For now, Jokic is left with little choice but to carry on, which is to say dominate every night, put up glossy numbers and carry the Nuggets on his back. There are worse situations to be in, but it’s not what he, or the front office, would have expected.

"I like how we are helping each other," Jokic said. "We fly for each other."

They do, but with Jokic at the top of his powers, he surely can’t help but think that the flying could be happening at a higher altitude.

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider Newsletter. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

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