The Arizona Republic will keep track of who has reached the 65 games necessary to receive NBA postseason awards daily.

It was a brushstroke of brilliance on a painting crafted hundreds of times before. Nikola Jokic pump-faked from the top of the key, coaxing Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma’s right foot a step too high. Two dribbles came to get past Kuzma, and a left-to-right spin to shed him, setting up the threat of a hook.

The Nuggets star is third in the league in points, second in assists, and third in rebounds per game to lift a flawed Denver team to the No. 3 seed in the West. Gilgeous-Alexander’s case is just as convincing,

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Chandler Parsons breaks down Nikola Jokic's incredible pass from the Nuggets' victory over the Bucks, calls it Magic Johnson-esque.

If you go back and look at some of Jokic’s draft profiles, he is praised for his IQ, work ethic, passing ability and feel for the game but slammed for a number of reasons. He is described as slow, unathletic, and a defensive liability who is weak around the basket and overall not strong enough.

The NBA MVP award seems to be a two-man race with the regular season winding down quickly. Both Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the current front-runners. Both players have put together seasons more than worthy of the prestigious award.

Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic is a once-in-a-generation basketball player. At only 30 years old, Jokic is a one-time NBA champion, one-time NBA Finals MVP, three-time NBA MVP, seven-time NBA All-Star,