Somehow, against all odds, Nikola Jokic has returned this season and gotten even better. Ironically enough, a big part of the reason for Jokic’s stunning improvement is the Oklahoma City Thunder. When OKC knocked the Nuggets out of the playoffs last season in round two, it triggered a number of things that are contributing to the Joker’s early-season dominance.
For one, in a recent Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie of the Athletic theorized that Jokic is more athletic than ever before, and credited the extra rest stemming from losing to the Thunder. Jokic had extra time to rest in the offseason before coming back for training camp.