The Denver Nuggets have had an incredible start to the 2018-19 season, but now there is yet another cherry on top of the Nuggets undefeated start. Their franchise cornerstone, Nikola Jokic, has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week.
This is Jokic’s third time winning the award which makes him just the sixth player in Nuggets’ history to win the award three times joining the likes of Alex English, Dikembe Mutombo, Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, and Chauncey Billups.
Over the first three games of the year, Jokic is putting up video game like numbers. He is averaging 26.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and one block per game while shooting 63.2 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point distance, and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line. Jokic has also played extremely strong on defense as well which has been the biggest surprise of the 2018-19 season so far. The Nuggets are the only team in the NBA to hold all three of their opponents under 100 points to begin the year.
Jokic’s best game of the past week is also likely the best game of his career. He had 35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals, and a block without committing a turnover against the Phoenix Suns. He shot 11-11 from the field, 3-3 from three-point distance, and went 10-11 from the free-throw line for a nearly perfect game. Jokic became the only player in NBA history to record a 35-point triple-double without a turnover and is now the second player to ever have a 30-point triple-double without missing a singe shot with the other player being none other than Wilt Chamberlain.