5 must-see NBA players every fan can’t afford to miss in 2023–24
MIAMI, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 13: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
5. Nikola Jokic, Center, Denver Nuggets
Every year, the question the media always has of the reigning defending champions is… Can they repeat? Only 19 teams have won NBA championships with 13 of them having won consecutive and only three franchises three-peating ( George Mikan’s Lakers, Bill Russell’s Celtics, and Michael Jordan’s Bulls).
Jokic is coming off an incredible postseason run that consisted of him averaging a staggering 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in 20 games en route to the Nuggets’ first title. He almost averaged a triple-double in the playoffs! When teams have more time to gameplan and strategize to expose a player’s weaknesses, he still somehow put up these type of numbers that we haven’t seen from a big man in the playoffs, especially in the assist department.
Jokic playoff run saw him demolish the Timberwolves’ All-Star frontcourt of Karl Towns and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, embarrass the Devin Booker and Kevin Durant-led Phoenix Suns, and swept the LeBron and Anthony Davis Los Angeles Lakers before defeating the Jimmy Butler-led Miami Heat that also had another All-Star and defensive stalwart big in Bam Adebayo.
He averaged 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting an unprecedented 58.3 percent from the field, 42.1% from three, and 83.8% from the charity stripe.
Jokic with Jamal Murray is the best one-two punch in the NBA (Milwaukee might have something to say about that this year) as it’s a nightmare to have to decide to go under the screen and try to stop Jokic at the rim or go over and contest Murray who’s a career 37% three-point shooter.
Jokic will be hungry to display to the world why he should’ve won MVP last season and show why the Nuggets should be the favorites to win it again.