There are legitimate frontrunners for NBA MVP this season, but Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is making a strong case for his candidacy thus far. According to The Denver Post, the Serbian big man currently holds a Win Share tally of 9.5, which is well ahead of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo's 6.9 second-place mark.

Even though the statistic is often overlooked by many, it only proves that Jokic is playing an extremely vital role for the Nuggets this season. He is currently averaging 27.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 8.6 assists in 41 appearances. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo is also coming out with stellar performances with his averages of 29.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 6.4 assists through 40 games played.

As of late, Jokic has gained more opportunities to get ahead in the MVP race as another contender in Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid continues to miss time due to a knee injury. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James also encountered a roadblock as he rolled his ankle in their game against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night, which now puts him in an uncertain situation moving forward. 

Certainly, Jokic will have to put more effort and further push his squad to the top of the Western Conference standings in order to make a better case for himself as the season progresses.

The ongoing MVP race will definitely go down to the wire given how all the candidates are playing at such a high level. However, it won't be surprising if Nikola Jokic successfully rolls past his counterparts and sees himself grabbing the league's top individual honor by the end of the season.