The 2024/25 NBA season saw a clear decline for the Denver Nuggets, but for Nikola Jokic, he still showed his top class. Even the decline of the 2023 NBA champion highlighted the class of the Serbian center.
Here are the stats that prove why Nikola Jokic is the No. 1 candidate for the MVP title this season.
Statistics prove Nikola Jokic deserves to be the 2024/25 NBA MVP
Let’s start with Jokic’s historic week. He became the 26th NBA player to score 100+ points in two consecutive games, joining Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.
Not only scoring, Jokic also participates a lot in rebounds and assists for teammates.
- 12/08 vs Washington: 56 points (22-38 FG), 16 rebounds, 8 assists
- 09/12 vs. Atlanta: 48 points (17-29 FG), 14 rebounds, 8 assists
In those two games, Jokic averaged 52 points (58.2% FG), 15 rebounds and 8 assists. Before Jokic, only Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor had 2 consecutive games with 45+ points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
In addition to the two games above, Jokic’s performance this season is also really impressive. In 19 games, Jokic’s stats averaged a triple-double with 32.3 points, 13.6 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game.
And if you need more perspective on Jokic’s numbers…
- Jokic’s 32.3 points per game is a career high and rank second in the NBA behind Giannis Antetokoumpo (32.5).
- His 13.6 rebounds per game led the league.
- Jokic’s 10.2 assists per game is also a career high and tied with Trae Young (10.2).
As of December 10, the Nuggets are 12-10, and a pretty poor 6-6 at home. But Jokic’s stats suggest that without him, the 2023 NBA champions could be in a much worse position than they are now. That’s MVP status. According to Basketball-Reference’s projection tool, Jokic has a 68.2% chance of winning MVP this season.
The Serbian center is just under 30 years old, the age when he will reach his peak as a basketball player, and he is expected to continue to create more extraordinary things in his career.
Jokic is one of nine NBA players to win three MVP awards, and if he wins in 2025, he will become one of six players to have the honor of winning the MVP four times.
The MVP race won’t be over in December, and Jokic has a lot to work on for the rest of the season, but he’s creating a pretty big gap between himself and his competitors. Whether or not he wins the title, what Jokic is doing deserves recognition and praise.
