It’s practically an article of faith among NBA fans and even some media members. This all needs to be stated because, as we move firmly into NBA awards season, you will hear endless allusions to “voter fatigue”-the supposed phenomenon in which ballot-wielding media members, bored with honoring a specific star, choose a fresh name. (Full disclosure: I’ve been an awards voter for most of the last 26 years, except from 2004-13, when I worked for the New York Times, which does not permit reporters to vote.) And when I sit down to fill out my MVP ballot on Monday, I will not downgrade Jokic due to some vague sense of weariness. I am not in any way tired of viewing, discussing or writing about his basketball exploits. He's been doing this for several seasons now, collecting the last two MVP trophies along the way, but I can assure you that Jokic’s game has not become mundane or routine or boring. But it’s the aesthetics of Jokic’s game-the clever angles and timing and precision-that make the Serbian giant such a joy to behold. In athletic terms, the Denver Nuggets center was dominant, collecting 22 points, 10 assists and 17 rebounds in a breezy victory over the Nets. For two hours on a recent Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn, I watched Nikola Jokic elevate basketball into artistry, weaving feathery jump shots and pinpoint passes into a brilliant geometric tapestry.
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