NBA Power Rankings Week 11: All-Star break edition

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 09: Kyrie Irving #11 and James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets while playing the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on February 09, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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Denver Nuggets. 5. team. 73. . 21-15. Previous: 11th

Last Week: Beat Chicago Bulls 118-112, Beat Milwaukee Bucks 128-97, Beat Indiana Pacers 113-103

This Week: 3/12 at Memphis Grizzlies, 3/13 vs. Dallas Mavericks

Moving on from one MVP candidate to another, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets enter the All-Star break on a four-game winning streak and are beginning to figure out the fit of their roster a little more. The turnover from just before the trade deadline a year ago is drastic.

It has taken the Nuggets time to get back to that elite level, but they are starting to do just that. Nikola Jokic may be the most widely appreciated MVP candidate in the league as for a time it seemed that he was not getting the recognition (or contributions from his teammates) he deserved. His statistical leap this season is eye-popping, averaging 27.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Those are career highs across the board and have catapulted the Nuggets big man into a new stratosphere. Jamal Murray has come on of late as well. After a slow start to the season, Murray is playing like he did against the Utah Jazz in the playoffs, averaging 29.5 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game over his last 10 outings. He is the walking embodiment of the fireball emoji, sporting shooting splits of .574/.506/.929 over that time period. The Nuggets are back.