1. Nikola Jokic
After just missing out on the playoffs last season, the Denver Nuggets have returned with a vengeance to terrorize the rest of the league, having shot up to the top of the West standings with a 21-11 record, the best mark in the conference.
At the center of Denver’s success has been the man in the middle, Nikola Jokic, who’s continued to redefine the position as one of the most diverse offensive weapons the game has ever seen.
The seven-footer is currently averaging 17.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and an absurd 7.3 assists per game for a Nuggets squad with a top-10 offensive rating while posting the lowest defensive rating of his four-year career.
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Keep in mind, Denver has had to deal with a variety of injuries to some of its best players including Will Barton, Gary Harris and Paul Millsap, but one of its few constants has been Jokic, who’s giving new meaning to the term point-center.
The Nuggets were expected to improve, but not by this much. It’s been a terrific team effort, but the engine that makes it all go has been Jokic. He’s got the stats and he certainly has the team success. There really isn’t a question he’ll be Denver’s first All-Star since 2011.