The 75 greatest NBA players of the 2010s, ranked

47) Nikola Jokic

Then-future 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic got his start with the Denver Nuggets in the 2015-16 season after being selected 41st overall. It took time for Jokic to emerge as the Nuggets' best player, however. He mostly came off the bench during his first two seasons but still put up big numbers, averaging 13.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. 

When he became a full-time starter during the 2017-18 season, he hinted at his future greatness by posting 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. That strong play resulted in the Nuggets changing course and building around him and that proved to be a wise decision, with him making his first all-star team in the 2018-19 season. All told, he posted 16.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in four seasons during the decade. 

Jokic also racked up a terrific 28 triple-doubles. He later went on to have one of the best stretches in NBA history, making five all-star teams in the 2020s while winning three MVPs in four seasons and coming in second during the one year that he didn't win. To top it off, he won a championship and a Finals MVP in 2023. That didn't happen until the 2020s, though, and his resume during this era was still worthy of inclusion.