The Denver Nuggets have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season and most of the credit goes to their superstar center Nikola Jokić.
After a slow start to the season, Denver has turned things around recently. Over the past month of the season, the Nuggets have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, which has them sitting fourth in the Western Conference standings with a 28-18 record.
Of course, Jokić deserves a ton of credit for their success. The 29-year-old is arguably putting together the best season of his career and once again finds himself in the middle of the MVP race.
This season, Jokić is averaging 29.9 points, 13.1 rebounds, 10.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 56.6% from the field and 47.9% from three. The three-time MVP currently ranks top three in points, rebounds and assists per game, which has him as one of the frontrunners alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the MVP award.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic reacts in the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
With Jokić having another incredible season, he has been compared to many former NBA legends, but NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett recently made a bold statement by comparing Jokić to one of the most dominant players in NBA history.
“Joker’s Wilt (Chamberlain),” Garnett said on KG Certified. “Joker is doing Wilt-like (expletive). No athleticism really. Slow rolling going at his own pace. It’s not a miracle, but when you watch it, it’s efficient and it is prolific.”
This is a very bold comparison by Garnett, but he does have a point. Chamberlain is one of the most dominant players in NBA history, and Jokić has also become that.
Of course, Chamberlain is known for his absurd stats including his 100-point game and averaging 50.4 points per game in a season, but Jokić has also been dominant in his own way. The 29-year-old is already a three-time MVP winner and he could win many more throughout the rest of his career. He could also become just the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a season this year.
While Jokić is not on Chamberlain’s level of dominance, there is no doubt that he is arguably the most dominant player in the NBA today and he will go down as one of the best players in NBA history.