Laughing Away

By Quentin VanHoozer

The Denver Nuggets’ star center, Nikola Jokic, has been laughing his way through every defense and opponent this season. The 23 year-old Serbian is rated as one of the best young talents in the NBA. His abilities on offense and his loyalty to defense make him already one of the best big men in the league.

Along with Jamal Murray and Gary Harris, Jokic adds to the trio of stars the organization entrusts going into the future, and rightfully so as Jokic leads his team in both rebounds and assists this season, while also being Denver’s third leading scorer according to ESPN.

After a surprisingly successful season last year, Denver’s front office wanted to support their up-and-coming generation with experienced, All-Star veterans. The Nuggets’ splashed in free agency this past offseason and lured former Atlanta Hawk forward, Paul Millsap.

However, their spending spree has been insignificant courtesy of Paul Millsap’s long term absence due to injury. Even without Millsap, Jokic has led the Nuggets to a 32–26 record at the All-Star break. They currently rank sixth in the Western Conference standings.

The Nuggets will heavily rely on his production in the last few months before the NBA Playoffs. Without Jokic in the line-up, the Nuggets are 3–4 this season according to Denver Stiffs. His presence on the court gives defensive stability and extra firepower to complement Murray and Harris.

The Nuggets are slowly putting together a strong team to compete and win a series come playoff time. Paul Millsap’s return after the All-Star break will help to take the pressure off of the young guns and Jokic. However, the Nuggets will still look to their elite center to lead the charge down the stretch.