NBA Awards Rankings: New No. 1 in MVP race

Nikola Jokic continues his effortless dominance for the Nuggets. Denver survived the Jamal Murray injury and sits 19-10, comfortably No. 3 in the West. Jokic has been less efficient than normal from the field (.539/.320/.787), with a true shooting percentage (.610) that falls almost 10 points below last season's mark (.701). And still, he's right in the thick of the MVP race. He leads most of the major advanced categories (win shares, box plus-minus, VORP) and he's averaging 26.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.3 assists. That'll do.

It will be interesting to see how Jokic's case evolves and how the MVP landscape shifts in the weeks and months to come. Last season, voter fatigue undeniably factored into the final result. Embiid's candidacy was strong, but it was difficult to mount a case against Jokic that didn't rely too heavily on points per game. Then, in the postseason, Jokic dispelled the notion that he can't win at the highest level, establishing his reputation as the consensus best player in the world.

Jokic still carries that mantle, as he should. Right now, Jokic is clearly the best player on the planet, but he's operating below his usual standard. He's not necessarily having a "down" season, but there is noticeable regression compared to 2022-23 and his previous MVP campaigns. It speaks to Jokic's talent and impact that he's still a fairly definitive No. 2 here, but it will be worth monitoring if voters sour on Jokic because he's playing below his capabilities — even if that still means he is outperforming 99.9 percent of NBA players.

The Nuggets should continue to win games and there's every reason to believe Jokic can reassert his MVP candidacy with a dominant stretch. There's a lot of basketball left to be played, and his race is far from settled.