Fresh off his first career NBA MVP award, Nikola Jokic seems hungry for more.
After averaging 26.4 points on 56.6 percent shooting from the field, 38.8 percent from beyond the arc and 86.8 percent from the free-throw line, Jokic established himself as one of the NBA’s more prolific and efficient scorers in 2020-21. The 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists he chipped in per outing were just icing on the cake.
It appears he hasn’t let last year’s success go to his head, however. In fact, 26-year-old seems to have put some serious work in on his body over the course of the offseason.
The visuals speak for themselves:
This aligns with some photos of Jokic that came out last month (via Twitter):
Although Jokic’s bodily changes aren’t as pronounced as the ones Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant recently showed off, they’re still incredibly impressive.
As things currently stand, the Nuggets are listed as the eighth likeliest team to win a title next year behind the Lakers, Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers.
With Jokic looking this good so early in the offseason, it’s worth wondering if perhaps Denver isn’t being a bit underrated heading into next season -- particularly considering the areas in which they’ve improved recently.
Can Jokic win a second consecutive MVP in 2021-22? Time will tell.
More must-reads: