The reserves for the 2017 NBA All-Star game were revealed on Thursday. Denver Nuggets Center Nikola Jokic did not make the cut.
Jokic, 21, has been one of, if not the, most dominant center in the league the past month, so when Nuggets fans discovered Jokic was not voted to the ASG there was a natural uproar.
Well, Nuggets fans, I regret to inform you that the voting committee got it right, Nikola Jokic did not deserve to be an All-Star this season.
Listen, watching Jokic play is incredible. He’s a point guard in a center’s body. He truly is the next big thing when it comes to centers in the NBA, and I think he will be an All-Star in due time.
This year, however, he has not produced at an All-Star level for the entirety of the season to date. Sure, in the last month Jokic is averaging a double-double, with 23.9 points and 11 rebounds per contest, but its about the entire body of work. Simply put, he has not been able to produce at this high of a level all season long.
Check it:
November stats: 8.6 ppg, 6.2 TRB, 3.0 AST
December stats: 17.0 ppg, 8.8 TRB, 4.9 AST
January stats: 23.9 points, 11 TRB, 4.8 AST
So, while Jokic has been getting better as the season progresses, it’s not enough to surpass the national recognizability and acclaim of centers by the likes of DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol and DeAndre Jordan.
Even Nuggets head coach Michael Malone announced that the did not vote for Jokic, saying earlier in the week that he voted for Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gobert, and Marc Gasol.
What hurt Jokic most was his slow start, and the fact that coach Malone did not start running the offense through him until the middle of December. That, mixed with the fact that barely anyone outside of the Mile High City even knows who he is, are all binding factors as to why Jokic did not get the nod.
With that said, if Jokic continues on his recent tirade he will be well on his way to being the Nuggets first All-Star since Carmelo Anthony in 2011.