​Nikola Jokic delivered another season that reinforced his place among the league’s elite, posting averages of 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists across 65 games. He shot 56% from the field and 38% from three, yielding an effective field goal percentage of 61%. This marked the second consecutive season in which he averaged a triple-double, further cementing his reputation as one of the most versatile and productive players in the NBA.
Jokic added to his accolades by earning his eighth All-Star berth and earning first-team All-NBA honors for the third straight year. He finished second in MVP voting for the second consecutive season, maintaining a run of top-two finishes in the award for six straight seasons. He also placed sixth in Clutch Player of the Year voting, underscoring his impact in late-game situations and tight moments.
Despite Jokic’s stellar regular-season performance, the playoffs told a harsher story. The Nuggets were upset in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, a collapse that underscored a notable playoff downturn for Denver. In the postseason, Jokic averaged 25.8 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 9.5 assists, but his shooting declined to 44% from the field and a mere 19% from three, both career playoff lows. His effective field goal percentage dipped to 47%, the first time in his career that he finished a playoff run under 50% from the field.
In the broader analysis of the season, The Ringer’s Top 100 players ranked Jokic third on the list, a placement that reflected the disparity between his regular-season dominance and his playoff results. The ranking placed him behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning two-time MVP, and Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs’ dominant rookie two-way force. Jokic was positioned ahead of Luka Dončić of the Lakers and Jalen Brunson of the Knicks, with Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Heat, Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers, Cade Cunningham of the Pistons, and Steph Curry of the Warriors rounding out the top ten.
The ranking’s emphasis on Wembanyama’s playoff performances over his regular-season play drew attention. By comparison, Jokic’s regular-season excellence had many observers believing he would be ranked higher than Wembanyama, had the postseason not overshadowed his overall impact. Jokic’s struggles in the playoffs contributed to the perception that his standing, while still among the league’s top tier, could be viewed as a notch below the very best when postseason results are weighed heavily.
Still, even with the playoff setback, Jokic remains a cornerstone of the league’s hierarchy. His combination of scoring, rebounding, and playmaking makes him one of the few players capable of impacting the game in multiple dimensions. The discourse around his ranking—whether he sits at number one, two, or three—reflects the ongoing debate about the relative weight of regular-season dominance versus postseason performance. Even after a challenging playoff exit, Jokic’s status as a constant presence at the top of the NBA hierarchy endures, underscoring that he is still among the elite three players in the league, even if expectations for him to be number one are tempered by the season’s playoff results.