According to Brendan Vogt of Denver Stiffs, Nikola Jokic is set be named an All-Star reserve for his first All-Star selection of his career.
In his fourth NBA season, Jokic is having a career year, making it a no-brainer to name the rising super star to his first All-Star team. Jokic is no stranger to All-Star weekend though, as he has previously competed in the Rising Stars Game twice and the NBA Skills Challenge once.
Through 50 games, Jokic is averaging 20.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game, all three of which lead the Nuggets. The scoring and assist figures are both a career-high for Jokic, but the ability to distribute the basketball to his teammates is what really sets him apart from the competition. Only Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry, Ben Simmons, James Harden and Jrue Holiday average more assists per game than Jokic, and all five are guards.
Jokic is genuinely having an MVP-caliber season and his All-Star appearance is a true reflection of that. With the array of injuries that Denver has dealt with this season, nobody would have expected to the Nuggets to record the best 50-game start in franchise history.
As one of the top teams in the Western Conference, Jokic has been the driving force for Denver all season. It has not mattered who has been out for Denver because the one consistency has been Jokic.
LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are captains for the game and will select teams during a draft show that will be televised on Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. MST on TNT. The actual game will take place on Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. MT and televised on TNT.
