Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets will be making travel arrangements to go to Salt Lake City over All-Star break.
For the fifth season in a row and third as a starter, Nikola Jokić will be representing the Nuggets in the All-Star game. It’s an honor that has become customary for Joker, but it never gets old seeing the greatest player in franchise history honored in this way.
The two-time MVP is well on his way to challenging for the award for a third straight season, averaging 25.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game, shooting 62.9% from the field and 37.8% from three-point range in the process. Jokić is currently on a 36-game streak of shooting at least 50% from the field, prioritizing valuable shots, ball movement, and nearly averaging a triple-double all the while. Jokić is five total assists short of the 10.0 assists per game he needs for the honor, something only Russell Westbrook (four times!) and Oscar Robertson have accomplished in NBA history.
It’s one of the most efficient and effective seasons in NBA history, but for Nikola Jokić, it just seems to be another year. The most important thing for the Nuggets is that they’re winning while Jokić is putting up ridiculous numbers. The Nuggets possess a 34-15 record, just one game back from the NBA-leading Boston Celtics at 35-14. It’s the greatest start to a season in Nuggets franchise history, and Jokić is at the center of it all.
Joining Jokić in the Western Conference starting lineup will be Luka Dončić, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Zion Williamson. Williamson is a surprise inclusion, but the resurgent New Orleans Pelicans have claimed the fourth seed in the Western Conference, and there have been a number of injuries to other candidates that reduced their claims to the spot.
In the Eastern Conference, there are no surprises. Donovan Mitchell, Kyrie Irving, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Kevin Durant will start the game. Joel Embiid was of course a worthy inclusion, but so were , Giannis, Tatum, and Durant.
The All-Star reserves will be picked by coaches shortly, and the rosters for each team will be drafted by team captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Hopefully, either Aaron Gordon or Jamal Murray will be among the players selected by the coaches to be a Western Conference reserve.