Jokic among elite for NBA improvement but not No. 1
Young Nugget is runner-up to Bucks star Antetokounmpo
All Nikola Jokic did in his second season in the NBA, at the age of 22, was draw a new organizational path for the Nuggets.
With his transcendent passing ability out of the center position, Jokic led the rise of one of basketball’s most explosive offenses while giving the Nuggets an identity as a team that moves and cuts and passes and shoots with great efficiency. After a rookie season that showed a wealth of promise, Jokic’s second season displayed something else entirely: major star potential.
But Jokic’s meteoric rise wasn’t enough to take home one of the NBA’s biggest prizes. Jokic missed out on the most improved player honor during the league’s inaugural awards show in New York on Monday night, finishing second. The 6-foot-10 Serbian big man was one of three players nominated, but the award went to Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Utah center Rudy Gobert also was nominated.
Jokic averaged 16.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists last season, all big jumps from his rookie season. His six triple-doubles were the fourth-most in the NBA last season, trailing only Russell Westbrook (42), James Harden (22) and LeBron James (13). Jokic’s evolution helped the Nuggets improve from 33 wins during his rookie season to 40 victories last season.
Still, it was hard to match Antetokounmpo. The 22-year-old became the first player in more than 40 years to lead his team in average points (22.9), rebounds (8.8), assists (5.4), blocks (1.9) and steals (1.6), all of which were career highs for the 6-11 “Greek Freak” in his fourth NBA season.
Jokic also was nominated for assist of the year for a behind-the-head pass he made to teammate Wilson Chandler at Indiana on March 24, which was only the latest in a handful of such passes most players wouldn’t dare to attempt. But that award, which was determined by fan vote, went to the Golden State duo of Draymond Green and Steph Curry, who teamed up off a jump-ball play for a double alley-oop that was polished off by a Kevin Durant dunk.