It’s going to be nearly impossible at this rate to deny Nikola Jokic entry into a truly elite club.

Only five players in NBA history have been named Most Valuable Player four or more times: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Bill Russell (5), Michael Jordan (5), LeBron James (4) and Wilt Chamberlain (4). Through 23 games this season, a combination of voter fatigue and team success seem to be the only potential barriers to making it a six-man club.

Even after a quiet night by Jokic standards — 16 points on nine shots to go with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals — the 29-year-old is off to a one-of-one start.

The basic stats make a simple case.

Jokic is second to Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.7) in points per game with 31.5. Karl-Anthony Towns (13.6) is the only player averaging more rebounds than Jokic’s 13.3, while Trae Young (12.2) is the lone player with more assists per game than Jokic’s 9.8. After making both of his 3-pointers Friday, Jokic is up to 51.2% from 3-point range. Only Taurean Prince is hitting from deep at a higher clip at 51.6%.

“Literally, that guy is the best player in the world — in the galaxy. Let’s go even further, in the Milky Way,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.

“This year, he’s upped the ante, because he’s even playing better than he ever has.”

The advanced stats provide more context to Jokic’s otherworldly start to the season. Jokic leads the league with a Player Efficiency Rating (PER), a statistic that combines a player’s positive and negative contributions in a single number, of 32.5. That would be the second-best PER recorded in a season. The best PER was Jokic’s 2021-22 season, when he posted 32.9 and won the second of his MVP awards.

Jokic also owns the league’s best marks in four more advanced statistics: offensive win shares (3.5), win shares per 48 minutes (.296), box plus/minus (13.3) and value over replacement player (2.9).

The only hole in Jokic’s case largely comes down to team success. The Nuggets are on pace for just under 47 wins this season. The only players to win MVP when their team won fewer than 50 games since 1975-76 are Moses Malone (1979 and 1982), new teammate Russell Westbrook (2017) after he averaged a triple-double and Jokic in 2022 when he led the Nuggets to 48 wins despite Jamal Murray missing the entire season and Michael Porter Jr. playing in just nine games.

Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists per game), Boston’s Jayson Tatum (28.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists per game) and Dallas’s Luka Doncic (28.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists per game) are not only starring and leading their respective teams to better starts than the Nuggets, but each would be a first-time winner. They’ll also have to contend with what’s on pace to be the best season of Jokic’s career.

“I love to see where Nikola started, where he’s at now and the fact that he’s continuing to find ways to push the envelope and get better when he’s a guy that most guys probably think, ‘Well, he can’t get any better. What can he add to his game?’” Malone said.

“He’s continuing to find ways to be better, which is truly incredible.”

Last 10 NBA MVPs

2024: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets – 57-25 (second in Western Conference)

2023: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers – 54-28 (third in Eastern Conference)

2022: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets – 48-34 (sixth in Western Conference)

2021: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets – 47-25 (third in Western Conference)

2020: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks – 56-17 (first in Eastern Conference)

2019: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks – 60-22 (first in Eastern Conference)

2018: James Harden, Houston Rockets – 65-17 (first in Western Conference)

2017: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder – 47-35 (sixth in Western Conference)

2016: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors – 73-9 (first in Western Conference)

2015: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors – 67-15 (first in Western Conference)