Nikola Jokić Is Playing At A Level Comparable To The Game’s Greats

Forbes Business SportsMoney Nikola Jokić Is Playing At A Level Comparable To The Game’s Greats Morten Stig Jensen Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I cover a wide variety of subjects within the NBA. Following Click to save this article.

You’ll be asked to sign into your Forbes account. Got it Nov 29, 2023, 08:24pm EST Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin DENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 26: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is defended by Charles Bassey . .

. [+] #28 of the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Ball Arena on November 26, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.

(Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images) Getty Images Two-time NBA MVP recipient, and last year’s NBA Finals MVP winner, Nikola Jokić, has pretty much tried it all in his basketball career, despite being still over a year away from turning 30. The Serbian center is, once again, proving himself invaluable as the face of the Denver Nuggets, to the point where his statistics are difficult to fully comprehend. The 28-year-old has played in 17 games and produced video game numbers to the tune of 28.

8 points, 13. 4 rebounds, and 8. 9 assists through November 28th.

What’s even more impressive is the fact that Jokić is doing that while having a bit of a down year shooting the basketball. Last season, he converted on 67. 5% of his two-point shots, and 38.

3% of his three-pointers. Those numbers are down to 63. 9% and 31.

1% respectively, yet his TS% sits a remarkably healthy 63. 7% overall. All those numbers are meaningless without context, so let’s get into it what exactly it is the 6’11 do-it-all superstar offers that makes him so effective.

Jokić is currently playing basketball at a level that can be rated with any player at any point in history. There is no better player in the NBA at controlling the game, nor is there a better player in the NBA period. If defenses try to send a double-team his way, he’ll identify it immediately, and will even let the helper travel a certain distance before throwing a pass, to make the defender cover additional ground.

If teams convince themselves that the solution to stop Jokić is through single coverage, he’ll comfortably step into a scoring role, and pick apart his defender slowly and in an almost surgical manner. MORE FOR YOU The Best Post-Travel Tuesday Deals You Can Still Shop Today: Save On Airfare, Hotels And More The Real Reason Mark Cuban Is Exiting Shark Tank And Maybe The Mavericks Take A Surplus Anti-Sub Rocket-Launcher, Bolt It To A Truck And Brace It With Lumber—Voila, The Latest Russian Panic-Weapon If his man dropping back just a smidge too quick, he’ll launch a soft floater or push shot, and time it just so it’s out of reach for anyone to challenge. If a defender guards him up high, and tightly, Jokić will use his 265-pound frame to back him down while twisting, and turning, to get him off balance – usually with a great deal of success.

Even the most disciplined defenders, who stay down on Jokić, and has the athletic advantage over him, will find themselves biting on a shoulder fake, only to end up being an inch away from properly contesting the shot Jokić takes as he pivots in the opposite direction. Jokić’s skill of precision is up there with the best of them, but while many like to make the Larry Bird comparison – due to footwork, touch, and similar athletic traits – Jokić could just as easily be compared to an older Michael Jordan, especially the version of Jordan who would utilize the post as his primary weapon. With Jordan, precision was a key element as well.

The ball had to hit the glass just right on his 15-foot turnarounds for it to have a chance. If he was challenged on a drive by a 7-footer, he’d have to put just the right spin on the ball, to get it to bounce and wiggle its way into the hoop. Jokić, while larger, is keenly aware of how and where to place the ball, be that on off-angle shots, or passes.

Whether he just pulled down a rebound, and is in full sprint up the court, or he’s jogging along looking to set up in the half-court, his approach remains entirely the same. Every pass has to be calculated correctly, and it has to be timed at just the right moment. Where he’s placed also doesn’t seem to matter much.

Whether he’s deep in the post looking for kickouts, or he’s outside the long line, looking for high-low opportunities, opponents treat him all the same, as most have experienced getting torn apart by his relentless unselfishness. So why is all of this important? It’s important as we potentially stand on a threshold of seeing a player dominate the decade of the 2020’s. With the league having no repeat champions since 2018, the Nuggets stands as possibly the strongest challengers to end that statistic, primarily due to the utter dominance of Jokić.

He’s knocking on the door of becoming this generation’s Tim Duncan, one of the most influential big men of all time, and one with the hardware to back up the claim. Jokić himself is almost hilariously disinterested in any acclaim, coincidentally just like Duncan back in the day, which allows him to sharp his focus like a dagger before going off to war. Obviously, no one knows if he ever wins another championship, but his story doesn’t feel even remotely close to the end.

His dominance, and his continous sense of detail, seem to only grow finer, and more sophisticated. If so, it may very well be that the best has yet to come. Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.

com , PBPStats , Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference . All salary information via Spotrac . All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook .

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