Denver Nuggets: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

4. Nikola Jokic is named an All-Star

Considering the hype surrounding Jokic after his breakout year last season, this prediction isn’t quite as bold as it normally would be for a 22-year-old with just 153 games behind him.

But Jokic’s ability to transform the Nuggets’ offense once he was installed as the permanent starting center was quite remarkable. Jokic’s ability to score from all over the floor, crash the boards and act as an incredible ball distributor all defied the Serbian native’s lack of experience.

Since his insertion into the starting lineup, Jokic racked up some numbers that are the envy of many around the league. He scored 20 or more points on 23 occasions, including a career-high 40 points during a victory against the New York Knicks.

He also pulled down 12 or more rebounds on 23 occasions, including a career-high 21 boards during a win against the NBA champion Golden State Warriors. Furthermore, he dished out seven or more assists on 19 occasions (seven times in double figures), including 12 in the aforementioned Warriors game.

But possibly the most eye-popping stat was his incredible six triple-doubles. During this period, only Russell Westbrook, James Harden and LeBron James compiled more triple-doubles.

A further feather in Jokic’s cap was the recently released Top 100 player lists released by Sports Illustrated and ESPN. While Sports Illustrated had Jokic at No. 25, ESPN ranked the Serbian at No. 16 overall.

Granted, the race for an All-Star spot is bound to be even tougher in the Western Conference this season with the arrivals of Paul George, Jimmy Butler and his teammate Millsap.

However, Jokic’s rise up the ranks shows no signs of slowing down. Therefore, fully expect the 6’10” Jokic to make his All-Star debut this season.