To be able to be included in the conversation of who is the best player in the NBA, one has to do everything better than the rest of the pack.
Since entering the league as the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, not only did Nikola Jokic rise to become the best player on the Denver Nuggets, but he also became one of the best players in the league. A feat made more remarkable by the fact that he did so at a time when centers weren’t used in the same manner since the days of Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard.
And yet, many continue to underestimate how great Nikola Jokic truly is.
A Center With Point Guard Tools
Not every player is blessed to have the skills needed for his position. But in the case of the 28-year-old Jokic, he’s a six-foot-11 center with the skills of a point guard.
After starting his career with averages of ten points, seven rebounds, and 2.4 assists, Jokic’s numbers have been steadily on the rise. In the 2021-2022 season, Jokic averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists and won his second straight MVP award.
During the 2022-2023 regular season, the Joker finished with averages of 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 63.2% field goal shooting- leading the Nuggets to a Western Conference-leading 53-29 record.
In the 2023 playoffs, Jokic has taken his performance to the next level. He’s also making voters second guess their ballots as he probably should have won his third consecutive MVP award rather than losing it to Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Serbian big man has averaged 29.8 points, 13.1 rebounds, 10.5 assists, and shot 54.2% from the field, including 47.5% from the three-point line- leading the Nuggets to a franchise-first trip to the NBA Finals.
He didn’t disappoint in his first taste of an NBA Finals game either, ending his night with 27 points, ten rebounds, 14 assists, one steal, one block, while shooting 66.7% from the field- leading Denver to a 104-93 victory at home.
It’s almost to the point where he’s either breaking or setting some sort of record on a nightly basis. But as great as his performance has been, Jokic is quick to highlight his teammates efforts in his post game interviews rather than bask in the glory himself.
Jokic’s Multifaceted Game
Playing in a league that has big men such as Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Karl Anthony-Towns, and Rudy Gobert, Jokic’s game isn’t just about scoring and grabbing rebounds. He does literally everything and anything that’s asked of him on the court. His vision and basketball IQ are off the charts, and he genuinely makes those around him better.
While no one will mistake him for the strongest, most athletic, or fastest player at his position, one can make the argument that he’s perhaps the most unguardable at the moment. In a game of 1 on 1, Jokic likely doesn’t rank very high on many hoops fans lists, and that’s probably accurate. But in a full court game of 5 on 5, there’s few who bring more to the table than the Joker.
In the first half of Game One of the 2023 NBA Finals, Jokic already had ten points and ten assists. He only took and made three shots, and yet, the Nuggets were up by 17 points. With a team that has Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr., all Jokic needed to do was get the rebounds and throw his patented outlet passes to open teammates for easy baskets. That’s just one problem that makes him harder to defend for the big men of the Miami Heat.
Nikola Jokic’s multifaceted game makes him one of the most talented centres the league has seen. He may have missed out on his third straight MVP but he’s currently on the cusp of winning his first NBA championship and his first Finals MVP award. And if you ask him, he’d happily trade any personal accolades to be able to hoist his first championship.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.