Is Nikola Jokic playing tonight against OKC Thunder? Exploring 3xMVP's status for preseason game (Oct. 15)

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets host the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Ball Arena on Tuesday, seeking to recover from their slow start to preseason. The three-time regular season MVP is expected to start. leading the team with 18.3 points and 9.7 rebounds in preseason.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone attributed the team's struggles to improper conditioning, expressing frustration in post-game press conferences. Malone even labeled his players "soft" after their latest outing.

“The league has gotten so soft. Everybody’s afraid to condition and run. Well, we have to.” - Michael Malone

The Nuggets are looking to shake off last season's disappointing playoff exit, where they blew a 20-point Game 7 lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Despite the team's slow start, Jokic remains his dominant self, cementing his status as one of the best players in the NBA. The Denver Nuggets' opponents, the Oklahoma City Thunder, boast a 3-1 preseason record, coming off a four-day break. Oklahoma City, though, is likely to prevail due to its better depth.

The Nuggets could struggle without star guard Jamal Murray, who's expected to miss out after suffering a tweak in the preseason loss to the Suns. However, Denver finds encouragement in Michael Porter Jr.'s performance in their latest outing, where he tallied 21 points, matching Nikola Jokić for the team lead.

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Nikola Jokic receives high praise from FC Bayern head coach

Nikola Jokic is no stranger to compliments from the best basketball minds as he received an endorsement from FC Bayern head coach Gordon Herbert.

Herbert proclaimed Jokić the "best player on the planet," praising his incredible impact on the game. He also commended Jokić for being an approachable and fantastic person, recalling their conversation during the Olympics.

"In my opinion, he (Jokic) is the best player in the world. I talked with him a little bit once, and from what I heard from the other people, he's an outstanding individual.

"He's a rare breed, so to speak. He's kinda like Dirk Nowitzki was in Germany. Unbelievable player but an even better person"

Nikola Jokic led team Serbia to a bronze medal in the Paris 2024 Olympics, where they went toe-to-toe with USA. coming up agonizingly short in the semifinals.