Nikola Jokić is quickly becoming one of the best basketball players of all time. The Denver Nuggets’ extraordinary center received his third league MVP award on Wednesday night. He is only the sixth NBA player to accomplish that milestone, which typically results in players like LeBron, Jordan, Magic, and Wilt becoming mononyms. If Jokić had finished higher in the voting in 2023, he would have become the only player to win the award four years in a row, finishing second to Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. Last season, he guided the Nuggets, a historically terrible organization, to their first NBA title.

Jokić’s talent is undeniable at this point. The 29-year-old Serb is a model of consistency, overpowering opponents almost every time he takes the court. He is an exceptional scorer, playmaker, and rebounder. He even makes more than 80% of his free throws each year, while connecting on 35% of his three-pointers. Jokić addresses the topic, “What if Shaquille O’Neal could shoot?”. The 2015 second-round pick has gotten so good that few people question whether he is the best player alive. It’s become second nature.

However, he may not be talented enough to lead the Nuggets back to the NBA Finals this season. Currently, Denver trails the high-flying Minnesota Timberwolves 2-0 in their best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final series. The first two games, played on the Nuggets’ court, were unsettling. Jokić and his colleagues felt powerless to prevent the Wolves from winning a few games, which was the source of their shock. In Tuesday’s Game 2, the final score of 106-80 did not accurately reflect how hard the Nuggets were thrashed.

During the first two games of the series, Minnesota took advantage of Jokić’s defense, which was his only weakness. Jokić, a 6ft 11in athlete, focuses on his offensive and rebounding abilities, which can be noticeable when guarding his own basket. In Game 2, the Wolves closed with eight of nine field goals, with Jokić serving as the key defense. These included pullup jumpers, driving layups, dunks, and fadeaways, with the common thread being that Minnesota’s guys were not afraid to go after the best player in the world.

In one significant scene, Wolves star Anthony Edwards sprinted toward Jokić in transition, stopping for a pull-up three-pointer but missing. Minnesota center Naz Reid crashed to the rim, slipped around Jokić, and soared for a one-handed slam while the MVP watched.

On Tuesday, Jokić had 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 assists, demonstrating his consistent productivity even on bad nights. But he was also disorganized. His shots didn’t fall, his imaginative passes bordered on the ridiculous, and the Nuggets were swept away in a stunning show of offensive failure. Jokić is known for his forthright public statements, but when questioned about the Nuggets’ response in Game 3 in Minneapolis, he answered, “I’m not sure.” “We’ll see.”

Jokić needs to think something out. The Nuggets are close on the brink, and the T-Wolves appear well-equipped to play against Jokić, who has an average of 5.5 turnovers per game this series. Furthermore, Minnesota has not one but two terrific centers in Karl-Anthony Towns, who has improved his long-mocked defense, and Rudy Gobert, a four-time NBA defensive player of the year. This team’s “Twin Towers” take turns opposing Jokić, with Edwards leading the charge. Reid’s frustration with Jokić in this sequence highlights the team’s stifling defense.