Nuggets' Nikola Jokic Reportedly to Play vs. Spurs as Wemby Sits, Impact on NBA Awards Eligibility
The Denver Nuggets will clinch the No. 3 overall seed in the Western Conference with a win against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, so playing center Nikola Jokić in the regular-season finale wouldn't have come as a huge surprise.
But playing will also help him meet the NBA's 65-game threshold to be eligible for offseason awards, seemingly the primary factor in him suiting up:
The Spurs (62-19) are locked into the No. 2 seed, so there was little reason to play superstar Victor Wembanyama. The Nuggets didn't exactly seem hellbent on securing the No. 3 seed, however, sitting Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun and Tim Hardaway Jr. (along with Peyton Watson, but he's missed the past four games with a hamstring injury).
Jokić, 31, is very much an MVP candidate. The three-time winner of the award came into Sunday averaging 27.8 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.9 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, shooting 56.9 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from three.
Wembanyama, defending MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Dončić (if the NBA grants him an exemption for playing less than 65 games) are also very much in the mix for MVP. But Jokić is now officially in the running as well.
