I knew Nikola Jokic was capable of greatness but didn’t realize it would come so soon. Neither did the Denver Nuggets.
On a roster filled with a couple of sage veterans and mostly young whippersnappers, Jokic was quite literally the central figure to tie the organization together. For the last two years, every organizational decision the Nuggets have made has centered around the question of how to make Nikola Jokic better. While the Minnesota Timberwolves tethered Andrew Wiggins to Karl-Anthony Towns, the Philadelphia 76ers are forcing Ben Simmons to coexist with Joel Embiid, and the Utah Jazz continue to start Derrick Favors next to Rudy Gobert, the Nuggets have gone the other direction, fitting pieces around Jokic to magnify his skills.