The Denver Nuggets are counting on another superstar season from their big man, Nikola Jokic, who previously led them to the championship. While they failed to reach the NBA Finals after their 2024-25 season, with Jokic and his supporting cast, they remain among the top contenders in the Western Conference.
The three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Award winner averaged a triple-double last season, with 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game. However, that wasn’t enough to earn him a fourth MVP, as that honor went to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Shai finished his season with averages of 32.7 points, five rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. Following that, he led his OKC team to the NBA Finals for the franchise’s first championship under the Thunder name.
With the regular season quickly approaching, two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, now a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, shared his thoughts about Jokic versus Shai for the 2025-26 award.
“My heart’s with Shai due to being my Canadian brethren and being incredibly proud, and I admire him so much, but I think it’s Joker,” Nash said for his early MVP pick.
"For him not to get it two years in a row, unless something strange happens to him or their team this year, I mean, would anyone doubt if he averages another triple-double?" Nash added.
"He's more skilled, he's more accurate, and he's got the best vision in the league, how do you not win MVP after not winning it last year?" he asked NBA journalist Zach Lowe on “The Zach Lowe Show.”
Nash also said he wouldn’t mind seeing Jokic play “with a bit of a chip on his shoulder” this coming season. Lowe said that was also his early pick for Most Valuable Player this season.
He suggested Jokic will finish his career as one of the top three or four greatest statistical players in the league’s history. Lowe also contended the Serbian superstar could become one of the top 10 all-time players if he wins another championship.
Jokic’s only championship arrived with Denver in 2023, where he also won the NBA Finals MVP. In their most recent attempt to return to the NBA Finals, they were stopped short by the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, Jokic and company took the eventual champs to the limit in a full seven-game series.
Denver retooled its roster a bit for the upcoming season, trading Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets, with the Nuggets receiving small forward Cameron Johnson. In another significant deal, they traded for big man Jonas Valanciunas to bolster their lineup and provide a solid substitute for Jokic.
Many of the team’s key players return, with starters Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon back for another run towards the playoffs.
With another solid performance in the coming season, it seems likely that Jokic could claim another MVP. He dominantly claimed three of the last five, with Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid sandwiched between two of his wins, and SGA claiming one for his mindblowing 2024-25 campaign.
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