What's left to say that hasn't already been said about Nikola Jokić during the 2021-22 season? The Denver Nuggets superstar won his first MVP award in 2020-21, then proceeded to put together an even better follow-up campaign.
Down two of his best supporting players, Jokić could have easily coasted through and preserved some energy for when his co-stars returned to the lineup. Instead, he pressed the gas pedal even harder, and made a seemingly endless amount of history in the process.
Jokić achieved an unbelievable amount in his seventh season. His third All-NBA First Team selection in four years, and fourth All-NBA selection in a row; his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance; the first season in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists by a single player; the 13th back-to-back MVP award winner in league history.
If there was any doubt heading into this season that Jokić was among the elite of the NBA, he squashed it decidedly. Any criticism regarding his defense that had been discussed revolving the Sombor, Serbia native? Jokić silenced it, putting together his best defensive season as a pro as well.
And through all of it, Jokić has remained one of the league's most humble superstars as he continues his pursuit of an NBA championship.
Jokić's Season Timeline
With seven double-doubles and two triple-doubles in his first 11 games, Jokić made it clear that his 2020-21 season was far from a fluke. Not only was his production remarkable, it was also efficient, and came with six games of at least two steals.
For years, Jokić had heard criticisms about his defensive activity. And while the message may not have been intentional, the early steals put a stamp towards his goals in 2021-22.
After playing all 72 games last season, Jokić finally missed his first stretch of contests due to a wrist injury in mid-November. In the 14 games prior to this injury, he averaged 26.4 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists on 59.3% from the field and a whopping 41.0% from three.
When he returned from his four-game hiatus, Jokić went right back to his old tricks. He accumulated double-doubles or better in 10 consecutive games -- with four triple-doubles -- including a 39-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist performance in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
On Dec. 23 and 26, Jokić emphatically announced his presence in the MVP race when he had back-to-back outings with 20-plus points and rebounds. He had 29 points, 21 rebounds, and five assists against the Charlotte Hornets, then followed it up with 26 points, 22 rebounds, and eight assists in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
By the time the calendar flipped to 2022 -- 28 games played for Jokić -- the Serbian superstar had 19 double-doubles and six triple-doubles. But of course, Jokić was more focused on the team's lackluster 17-16 record.
So how did Jokić respond? By leading the team to an 11-5 record to begin the new year. This included some truly elite performances by the Sombor great.
He had 26 points, 21 rebounds, and 11 assists vs. the Utah Jazz. Later, 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists in just 28 minutes of play against the L.A. Lakers. Then, he had perhaps his best outing of the season when he put up 49 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a big win over the Clippers.
Seven triple-doubles in a 16-game span is nothing short of legendary. But for Jokić, it almost felt run-of-the-mill, as he had grown accustomed to making the impossible look so mundane.
As the Nuggets forged through on their playoff push, Jokić continued to put up next-level stats. After a slow start to the season, the Nuggets superstar clearly had no interest in potential falling to the Play-In Tournament. A 23-10 stretch from Jan. 1 to March 9 essentially ensured that wouldn't happen.
But Jokić did not use that as a chance to slow down. Instead, he had 30-point double-doubles in seven of his last nine games of the regular season. He lifted his team to a clinched playoff berth before finally taking the last game of the 82-game schedule off.
In the postseason, Jokić simply did everything he could to keep Denver afloat against a red-hot Golden State Warriors team. In five games, Jokić averaged 31.0 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks.
While it didn't end the way Jokić planned, it did cap off a truly historic MVP season. And now, with the offseason arriving, Jokić has time to recover before returning to full strength -- alongside his star teammates -- in 2022-23.
Facts and Figures
After everything was said and done, Jokić appeared in 74 of the team's 82 regular season games, playing an average of 33.5 minutes in that time. For the season, he amassed 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game on 58.3% from the field, 33.7% from three, and 81.0% from the free throw line.
Jokić led the Nuggets in just about every category imaginable. Points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks leads all belonged to him, becoming just the sixth player in NBA history to lead a team in all five major categories for an entire season. He also led the Nuggets in field goal percentage.
As mentioned ad nauseam, he was also the first player in NBA history to accrue 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a single season. His 1,019 rebounds led the league.
Jokić's 32.8 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) serves as the greatest single-season mark in league history. His VORP, Box Plus-Minus, and win shares all led the league.
There were very few records that Jokić didn't set during a historic 2021-22 campaign. That will forever be recognized through the winning of his second consecutive MVP award.