The short answer: no.
For the first time in his career, Nikola Jokić delivered a disappointing playoff performance, and it immediately sparked a debate that largely misses the point.
Jokić is a three-time MVP and arguably should have at least one more MVP trophy on his résumé. He led the Denver Nuggets to a championship in 2023 and has been one of the NBA’s most dominant players for six consecutive seasons. He has made eight All-Star appearances and earned six All-NBA First Team selections.
Beyond the accolades, he has fundamentally changed the way basketball is played. As a point-center, he is perhaps the clearest example of the positionless basketball that the modern game strives for.
His résumé is already Hall of Fame worthy, and at 31 years old, with the discipline he displays on a daily basis, Jokić still has several elite seasons ahead of him.
Ridiculous Numbers, Year After Year
When Russell Westbrook won MVP in 2016-17, the defining argument in his favor was simple: he averaged a triple-double. He finished the season with 42 triple-doubles, but with all due respect to Westbrook, we know how much emphasis was placed on those numbers and how much the entire team leaned into helping him reach those milestones.
At the time, many believed such a feat would be difficult to repeat.
Jokić now puts up those numbers almost casually. He has averaged a triple-double in each of the last two seasons, and if he were interested in chasing individual statistics, he would probably have even more impressive numbers and perhaps another triple-double season or two on his résumé.
We’ve started taking it for granted, as if it’s normal. Maybe it’s become common, but that doesn’t make it normal.
Playoff Performances
When an NBA star is labeled overrated, the criticism usually comes down to one thing: failing to carry regular-season production into the playoffs.
In this year’s first-round loss to the Timberwolves, Jokić looked nothing like himself and struggled along with the rest of a Denver team that underperformed. However, if we look at his previous seven playoff runs, we find very little evidence of a significant decline. Quite the opposite.
Across those seven postseasons, Jokić averaged 27.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists while shooting 52.7 percent from the field. In other words, his playoff résumé is not that of a player who shrinks under pressure – it’s the résumé of one of the greatest postseason performers of his generation.
Teammates and Team Success
The era of superteams may be over, but it remains remarkable that until this season, Nikola Jokić had never played alongside an All-Star teammate in Denver. Jamal Murray finally broke that streak this year.
Despite that, with Jokić leading the way – a player who makes life easier for every teammate on the floor and has helped many teammates earn significantly larger contracts – the Nuggets have failed to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs only once since the 2018-19 season.
Along with the 2023 championship, Denver has reached one additional Western Conference Final and four Conference Semifinals.
Jokić arrived at a franchise without a rich tradition or a major market and turned it into a team nobody wants to face every spring.
“He’s been a leader since he’s been here. At first he was really quiet, but just watching his work ethic every day – it bled into the team. And then as he’s gotten more comfortable with his voice in the locker room and become this overall all-encompassing leader and, in my opinion, the best player in the world…” Nuggets head coach David Adelman said on the X&O’s Chat podcast.
His unwavering loyalty to the Nuggets may even have worked against him at times.
Had he been more vocal about roster decisions, trades and organizational moves – like some other superstars have been – perhaps he would have increased his chances of achieving even more team success.
Instead, he chose a different path. In Denver, he will forever be an icon.
“Being the best is one thing. Dealing with being the best is something completely different. Carrying the weight of an entire team… A lot of people don’t understand that,” Adelman added.
The Complete Package
Millions of words have already been written about Jokić’s extraordinary offensive talent, instincts and feel for the game.
The defensive end has never matched the brilliance of his offense, but at his best, Jokić is a solid defender.
Last season, he had one of the roughest defensive stretches of his career. However, it’s important to remember that he missed a month with a hyperextended knee – the first truly significant injury of his career.
“He’s a complete package as a player. And beyond that – just seeing him every day, the preparation, the professionalism: everything that’s happened to him is deserved. Nikola is very talented, but the work has warranted all the success,” Adelman said.
Jokić may no longer stand alone as the undisputed best player in the world the way he once did. Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have entered that conversation in a major way.
But Jokić remains one of the very best players on the planet.
Overrated?
Not even close.
And don’t be surprised if Jokić enters next season with a chip on his shoulder. History suggests that’s usually bad news for the rest of the league.