Nikola Jokic Gets Brutally Honest About 'Inconsistent' Season

The numbers of Jokic's "inconsistent" season

Jokic was viewed as the MVP frontrunner for the first two months of the season, averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, 11.1 assists, and 1.4 steals through 31 games before his injury, while historically shooting 60.4% from the field and 44% from three-point range.

“I think before injury, I played really, really high-level basketball,” Jokic said. “And since (the) injury, it’s so-so.”

Since returning from his injury absence, his efficiency has dipped. In his first 23 games back from injury, Jokic put up impressive numbers, as he averaged 26.0 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 9.9 assists, but also averaged 4.3 turnovers per game and shot just 52.9% from the field and 32% from beyond the arc. Not to mention, the Nuggets had an 11-12 record in that span.

Worse shooting numbers, more turnovers, and a losing record certainly led to Jokic's freefall on the MVP ladder, but he is finally finding his rhythm again.

We have seen plenty of ups and downs from Jokic this season, but he is trending in the right direction again. In his last four games, Jokic has been historically dominant, averaging 25.3 points, 16.8 rebounds, and 15.5 assists per game, while shooting 58% from the field. With this, he became just the second player in league history to average 25+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 15+ assists through a four-game span, joining Russell Westbrook.

Jokic has certainly had a rollercoaster season, but finding his groove with just seven games until the playoffs is ideal. Not to mention, the Nuggets are on an active five-game winning streak, putting themselves in an improved position in the West standings.

With Jokic playing some of the best basketball of his career recently, and the Nuggets back at full strength with no current injury concerns, things are trending in the right direction for this team that has had a very up-and-down season.