{"id":902,"date":"2025-10-21T18:33:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T18:33:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T18:33:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T18:33:51","slug":"why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Nikola Joki\u0107 will win MVP, plus other predictions ahead of the NBA season"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-e2c179\" class=\"body-graf\">Cue &#8222;Roundball Rock&#8221; \u2014 the NBA is back.  <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-dc2694\" class=\"body-graf\">The 2025-26 season opens Tuesday with a doubleheader on NBC and Peacock \u2014 backed by the percussive theme song last heard in 2002, when NBC last had broadcast rights \u2014 from Oklahoma City, where the Thunder will receive their championship rings, and Los Angeles, before opening league-wide in the coming days.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-6bb88a\" class=\"body-graf\">This season will be a collision between youth and experience. In June, the Thunder became the youngest team to win a title since the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers. To do it again, however, they will have to go through opponents led by veteran superstars including Denver&#8217;s Nikola Jokic, Houston&#8217;s Kevin Durant, Golden State&#8217;s Steph Curry, LeBron James of the Lakers and Kawhi Leonard and James Harden of the Clippers. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-678264\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cEverybody is saying \u2018defending,\u2019 but we\u2019re trying to be on the offensive as well,&#8221; Oklahoma City star Jalen Williams said during preseason. &#8222;So we\u2019re coming in with more motivation to do that every year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-3c283d\" class=\"body-graf\">NBC News reporters Rohan Nadkarni and Andrew Greif and three-time NBA champion Danny Green discuss what they are watching for as the season begins.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Turinys:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#Who_is_your_MVP_pick_and_why\" >Who is your MVP pick and why?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#Who_is_your_championship_pick\" >Who is your championship pick?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#What_is_one_offseason_acquisition_youre_most_excited_to_see\" >What is one offseason acquisition you\u2019re most excited to see?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#What_player_should_fans_keep_an_eye_on\" >What player should fans keep an eye on?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#Most_likely_to_exceed_expectations\" >Most likely to exceed expectations?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-ccd0a7\" class=\"body-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_is_your_MVP_pick_and_why\"><\/span>Who is your MVP pick and why?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-6d6dfd\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Green: <\/strong>I\u2019m going to go with Nikola Joki\u0107. He had an unbelievable year last year but they didn\u2019t want to give him his fourth one. This year he comes back on a tear and makes the league give him his fourth MVP. Denver has a really good squad this year, and I feel like they\u2019re going to be one of those teams at the top. The only thing that kind of hurt him last year was not being one of the top-seeded teams. They\u2019re going to be a top-three seed this year. They have really good squad, if they stay healthy. But I\u2019m seeing Joki\u0107 coming back with a vengeance, because people didn\u2019t want to give him his fourth.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-731f51\" class=\"body-graf\">I remember playing him in San Antonio, even when I was in Toronto, he wasn\u2019t MVP Joki\u0107 just yet. But I remember those times when we didn\u2019t guard him with the double team like we should have. We had certain guys on him that probably shouldn\u2019t have guarded him. We had Kawhi (Leonard) guard him at one point. That\u2019s definitely a mismatch. Myself, I\u2019ve tried to guard him enough times. He was very good at drawing fouls, but his passing ability has been unbelievable since then. He was obviously a good passer, but he\u2019s become one of the best passers the game has seen. And then, of course, how he can score the ball.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-580db7\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Nadkarni: <\/strong>Give me the player who has finished first or second in MVP voting in each of the last five seasons: Nikola Joki\u0107. The Joker arguably should have won the award in 2025, when he averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game while shooting 57.6% from the field. Voter fatigue, whether voters want to admit it or not, is certainly a factor here. But Joki\u0107\u2019s brilliance is undeniable, and after the Nuggets beefed up their rotation with a series of smart moves in the summer, Denver should have the team success to give a boost to Joki\u0107\u2019s case. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-c6fd78\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1200\" data-original-width=\"1800\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2025-10\/251020-luka-doncic-lakers-mn-2020-85a390.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-10\/251020-luka-doncic-lakers-mn-2020-85a390.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2025-10\/251020-luka-doncic-lakers-mn-2020-85a390.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-10\/251020-luka-doncic-lakers-mn-2020-85a390.jpg 1x\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers during a preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 14.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Kelsey Grant \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-7f6d40\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Greif:<\/strong> Is there any player seemingly more intent on seeking revenge than the Lakers\u2019 Luka Doncic? After last season\u2019s stunning trade from Dallas, the Mavericks seemed intent on telling anyone who asked that his body wasn\u2019t right. Luka has since acknowledged that the out-of-nowhere nature of the trade left his head not in quite the right place, either. Now, he\u2019s entering his first full season with Los Angeles in much better shape and with the security of both a contract extension and the knowledge that the franchise is effectively building around him. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-aafd8d\" class=\"body-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_is_your_championship_pick\"><\/span>Who is your championship pick?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-5726eb\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Green: <\/strong>OKC. You have to give them that respect. Getting everybody back and being the best team last year. What impressed me last year was how mature they were or how fast they grew up. Usually you got to take a year of getting your lumps. I still thought they were very green, and they needed some more maturity or another year of taking lumps before they could do it. But to see them grow up in real time and actually bounce back. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-00e424\" class=\"body-graf\">And Shai being the leader that he is for them, showing mental toughness through fatigue. I thought he ran out of gas in that Finals. There was a very pivotal game in Indiana where they needed to win to even the series. He had some big buckets toward the end of the game, but you can tell him from the start of the game \u2014 like he was off the ball. He was jogging, he was trying to conserve his energy. And he did, rightfully so. But that was that was a key, mature moment for him and for that group to get through that game four and even out the series.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-48c716\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Nadkarni: <\/strong>Well, if I\u2019m picking Joki\u0107 to win MVP, I\u2019m going to double down and pick the Nuggets to win the Finals. Is this partly wishful thinking? Perhaps. But it feels harder than ever to repeat in the NBA. And as much of a juggernaut the Thunder were last season, they were still pushed to seven games twice in the playoffs. (Oklahoma City also benefitted from one of the most unfortunate injuries in recent league history when Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the Finals.) <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-214d0f\" class=\"body-graf\">This isn\u2019t an anti-OKC case, though. It\u2019s more about what the Nuggets did in the offseason. Cam Johnson is a better fit than Michael Porter Jr. Jonas Valanciunas is an actual, honest-to-god backup center. Bruce Brown is more steady than Russell Westbrook. In most playoff series, Denver should not only have the best player, but actual playable depth the team didn\u2019t have last year. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-85ee36\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2025-10\/251021-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-ch-1356-ef94c9.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-10\/251021-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-ch-1356-ef94c9.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2025-10\/251021-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-ch-1356-ef94c9.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-10\/251021-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-ch-1356-ef94c9.jpg 1x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-10\/251021-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-ch-1356-ef94c9.jpg\" alt=\"Shai-Gilgeous Alexander.\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker on May 26 in Minneapolis.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Matt Krohn \/ AP file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-395d6b\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Greif: <\/strong>The NBA hasn\u2019t had a repeat champion since 2018, a run of seven consecutive seasons with seven different winners. Given every major contributor returns from last season\u2019s title team, Oklahoma City appears as heavy a favorite as we have seen in some time. They\u2019re an incredible team that will be fortified by the confidence of knowing what it takes to win. But so does Denver, from 2023. The Nuggets gave the Thunder their hardest matchup of the postseason of any West team, then spent the offseason getting deeper. For as difficult a time as I had splitting hairs between these two teams, I had an even more difficult time arguing against Nikola Jokic, and Denver\u2019s home-court advantage. Denver over New York for the title.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-2cf043\" class=\"body-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_one_offseason_acquisition_youre_most_excited_to_see\"><\/span>What is one offseason acquisition you\u2019re most excited to see?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-4872bf\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Green: <\/strong>There\u2019s a couple guys I\u2019m biased to see I was teammates of. I\u2019m a Desmond Bane fan and his situation in Orlando. I\u2019m excited to see what some of my old teams can do this year. The San Antonio Spurs. I want to see Wemby and De\u2019Aaron Fox together, and then of course Dylan Harper, the new draftee. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-b6bd71\" class=\"body-graf\">And even though Dallas is not a former team of mine, I want to see when Kyrie comes back, what the Mavericks look like and with him and Anthony Davis. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-4872bf\" class=\"body-graf\">I\u2019m interested to see what Houston does with Kevin Durant, but I think Fred VanVleet was a big key to that. With him going down, that&#8217;s tough for them. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-105a03\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Nadkarni: <\/strong>Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets are a match made in NBA nerd heaven. Giving the rough-and-tumble, defensively charged Rockets one of the greatest scorers of all time is going to be incredibly fun to watch. Coach Ime Udoka will get to play mad scientist during the regular season, figuring out the best lineup combinations to unleash his roster\u2019s unique blend of athleticism and size. Houston so clearly needed a halfcourt bucket getter in the playoffs last season, and it added someone who is going to the Hall of Fame because of that very trait. As a bonus, we may also get a chance to see Durant try to take down some of his old teammates and longtime rivals in a loaded West? I can\u2019t wait to see him give the Rockets an extra dose of swagger.  <\/p>\n<section id=\"anchor-eca7b7\" class=\"embed-widget embedWidget embed-widget--scroll-table embed-widget--medium\" data-testid=\"embed-widget\">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/video\/embed\/nbcsports\/rUIJRCM2AUfN?autoPlay=true&amp;mute=true&amp;embedType=nbcnews\" class=\"nbcSports\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p id=\"anchor-34a8f5\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Greif: <\/strong>Golden State is in the waning years of viable championship contention with Steph Curry now 37 and Draymond Green 35. Every season counts. How they attempt to maximize this one is particularly fascinating. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-4114f6\" class=\"body-graf\">Notable offseason signings include Al Horford, a 39-year-old forward who remains durable and effective. On this team of elders, one of the few young potential bright spots is Jonathan Kuminga, but the relationship has been strained between the 23-year-old who views himself as an All-Star-caliber piece and an organization and its coach who have been reluctant to give him big minutes in the past or money this offseason. A free-agency negotiation that dragged on for months and whose details became unusually public was only resolved before training camp, when Kuminga agreed to a deal that could be flipped into a trade. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-27d617\" class=\"body-graf\">There is talent here but the length of the dug-in negotiations hinted at tension. Getting another team to offer something significant in return for Kuminga will require him playing well. But if he gets such opportunities, how will he take advantage of them? <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-ba91bb\" class=\"body-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_player_should_fans_keep_an_eye_on\"><\/span>What player should fans keep an eye on?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-d5e16e\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Green: <\/strong>Cade Cunningham may be a household name now, but I feel like he\u2019s going to be one of those guys that could be in the All-NBA First Team or MVP conversation. He\u2019s another mature kid. He\u2019s beyond his years. He\u2019s obviously an unbelievable talent, but the way that he\u2019s progressed in his first three or four years has been unbelievable. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-56e7c0\" class=\"body-graf\">In the playoffs last season, he showed some maturity, but he also showed some signs of, &#8216;I need to learn.&#8217; And I think he\u2019s going to take those things back to the drawing board and come back with a chip on his shoulder. That was a series that I felt like Detroit had a chance. Obviously, there was a missed call or so, but even with that, I feel like they had a chance. They\u2019ll come back different. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-96851d\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Nadkarni: <\/strong>Once one of the most-hyped players entering the NBA, Lonzo Ball\u2019s career has been beset by injuries. After missing two straight regular seasons, Ball returned in 2024-25 to play in 35 games for the Chicago Bulls. In July, Ball was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he could be a perfect fit on a team with title aspirations. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-522569\" class=\"body-graf\">Before the injuries, Ball had blossomed into such a good player, hitting a good percentage of his outside shots on high volume, making plays for his teammates and defending multiple positions. With Darius Garland recovering from toe surgery, Ball could get a great opportunity to make an impact for the Cavs. If he can regain his previous form, I wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see him closing big games. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-f550f3\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Greif: <\/strong>When it comes to promising young NBA talents worth tracking, there are almost too many. But may we interest you in Toumani? <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-8ae821\" class=\"body-graf\">Obsessive basketball fans have been noticing Toumani Camara\u2019s potential for two seasons, since he was a throw-in by Phoenix to a larger trade and sent to Portland, where he blossomed into a 6-foot-7 terror on the defensive end. He\u2019s one of the league\u2019s best and most versatile wings on that end, but there is still time to join the Trail Blazer wing&#8217;s bandwagon, however. At only 25, Camara could make an offensive leap forward this season. <\/p>\n<section id=\"anchor-1c6639\" class=\"embed-widget embedWidget embed-widget--scroll-table embed-widget--medium\" data-testid=\"embed-widget\"\/>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-6d9d4d\" class=\"body-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Most_likely_to_exceed_expectations\"><\/span>Most likely to exceed expectations?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-cbe941\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Green: <\/strong>Indiana. Even with Haliburton being out, they\u2019re still going to be pretty solid. They still have some great point guards, with Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell. I\u2019m very impressed with what Rick Carlisle has done throughout the years, to adapt and adjust, that\u2019s what makes him a basketball genius. He has a beautiful mind even outside the game. He\u2019s very much well respected throughout the league. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-7f342f\" class=\"body-graf\">Indiana has a really good team. They have some great guys who can hoop \u2014 Pascal Siakam is unbelievable \u2014 and a team camaraderie. There\u2019s a reason why Carlisle has been successful over so many years in different organizations and able to bring multiple groups to the Finals. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-3b6a17\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>Nadkarni: <\/strong>Caw-caw! The Atlanta Hawks had a great offseason, and I believe they have a great chance to play spoiler in the Eastern Conference. After acquiring Dyson Daniels before last season, the Hawks added Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kristaps Porzingis this summer, bringing in players with playoff experience who can play on both ends of the floor. Combine those guys with young forward Jalen Johnson (who was breaking out last year before an injury) and rising second-year player Zaccharie Risacher (the 2024 first overall pick who improved significantly after the All-Star break), Atlanta seems to have found the right talent to complement star guard Trae Young. If this team gels quickly, they could be as good as anyone in the East. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-26f000\" class=\"endmark body-graf\"><strong>Greif:<\/strong> Some oddsmakers have pegged Orlando with the third-best chance of making the Finals out of the East, a number that implies a certain amount of confidence in the Magic; the expectations are not low, in other words. But to fully turn the corner after two seasons of respectability into a full-blown contender ready to challenge Cleveland and New York, the Magic will have to stop being routinely limited by their offensive shortcomings. I think this is the season it happens, with Desmond Bane adding a threat for defenses that could create space for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/sports\/nba\/nba-season-nbc-nikola-jokic-mvp-rcna238785\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Nuoroda \u012f informacijos \u0161altin\u012f <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cue &#8222;Roundball Rock&#8221; \u2014 the NBA is back. The 2025-26 season opens Tuesday with a doubleheader on NBC and Peacock&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pasaulio-naujienos"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why Nikola Joki\u0107 will win MVP, plus other predictions ahead of the NBA season - NORDICCAB.LT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"lt_LT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Nikola Joki\u0107 will win MVP, plus other predictions ahead of the NBA season - NORDICCAB.LT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cue &#8222;Roundball Rock&#8221; \u2014 the NBA is back. The 2025-26 season opens Tuesday with a doubleheader on NBC and Peacock&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NORDICCAB.LT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-21T18:33:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-10\/251020-luka-doncic-lakers-mn-2020-85a390.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minu\u010di\u0173\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1e06879215dcf15255113d53ae73289b\"},\"headline\":\"Why Nikola Joki\u0107 will win MVP, plus other predictions ahead of the NBA season\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-21T18:33:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2350,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Why-Nikola-Jokic-will-win-MVP-plus-other-predictions-ahead.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"PASAULIO NAUJIENOS\"],\"inLanguage\":\"lt-LT\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why Nikola Joki\u0107 will win MVP, plus other predictions ahead of the NBA season - NORDICCAB.LT\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Why-Nikola-Jokic-will-win-MVP-plus-other-predictions-ahead.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-21T18:33:51+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1e06879215dcf15255113d53ae73289b\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"lt-LT\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"lt-LT\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Why-Nikola-Jokic-will-win-MVP-plus-other-predictions-ahead.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Why-Nikola-Jokic-will-win-MVP-plus-other-predictions-ahead.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/index.php\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/21\\\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why Nikola Joki\u0107 will win MVP, plus other predictions ahead of the NBA season\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/\",\"name\":\"NORDICCAB.LT\",\"description\":\"Pasaulio naujienos, technologijos, automobiliai\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"lt-LT\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1e06879215dcf15255113d53ae73289b\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"lt-LT\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f37349f777250847d2fca2ada474f5a6aadffa79d5284e8ad354a5c410a691ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f37349f777250847d2fca2ada474f5a6aadffa79d5284e8ad354a5c410a691ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f37349f777250847d2fca2ada474f5a6aadffa79d5284e8ad354a5c410a691ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nordiccab.lt\\\/author\\\/admin\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Nikola Joki\u0107 will win MVP, plus other predictions ahead of the NBA season - NORDICCAB.LT","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/","og_locale":"lt_LT","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why Nikola Joki\u0107 will win MVP, plus other predictions ahead of the NBA season - NORDICCAB.LT","og_description":"Cue &#8222;Roundball Rock&#8221; \u2014 the NBA is back. The 2025-26 season opens Tuesday with a doubleheader on NBC and Peacock&hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/","og_site_name":"NORDICCAB.LT","article_published_time":"2025-10-21T18:33:51+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-10\/251020-luka-doncic-lakers-mn-2020-85a390.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"12 minu\u010di\u0173"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/#\/schema\/person\/1e06879215dcf15255113d53ae73289b"},"headline":"Why Nikola Joki\u0107 will win MVP, plus other predictions ahead of the NBA season","datePublished":"2025-10-21T18:33:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/"},"wordCount":2350,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Why-Nikola-Jokic-will-win-MVP-plus-other-predictions-ahead.jpg","articleSection":["PASAULIO NAUJIENOS"],"inLanguage":"lt-LT","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/","url":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/","name":"Why Nikola Joki\u0107 will win MVP, plus other predictions ahead of the NBA season - NORDICCAB.LT","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Why-Nikola-Jokic-will-win-MVP-plus-other-predictions-ahead.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-21T18:33:51+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/#\/schema\/person\/1e06879215dcf15255113d53ae73289b"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"lt-LT","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"lt-LT","@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Why-Nikola-Jokic-will-win-MVP-plus-other-predictions-ahead.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Why-Nikola-Jokic-will-win-MVP-plus-other-predictions-ahead.jpg","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/why-nikola-jokic-will-win-mvp-plus-other-predictions-ahead-of-the-nba-season\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why Nikola Joki\u0107 will win MVP, plus other predictions ahead of the NBA season"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/#website","url":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/","name":"NORDICCAB.LT","description":"Pasaulio naujienos, technologijos, automobiliai","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"lt-LT"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/#\/schema\/person\/1e06879215dcf15255113d53ae73289b","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"lt-LT","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f37349f777250847d2fca2ada474f5a6aadffa79d5284e8ad354a5c410a691ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f37349f777250847d2fca2ada474f5a6aadffa79d5284e8ad354a5c410a691ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f37349f777250847d2fca2ada474f5a6aadffa79d5284e8ad354a5c410a691ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/nordiccab.lt"],"url":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=902"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nordiccab.lt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}