Nikola Jokic is having quite the encore to his 2020-21 MVP season.
The Serbian big man is averaging 25.9 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 7.9 assists across 33 minutes per game for the Denver Nuggets.
He is also chipping in 1.4 blocks and 0.7 steals per contest.
Jokic is doing all of this while missing his two co-stars.
Jamal Murray has yet to play this year due to a torn ACL and Michael Porter Jr. has only appeared in nine games.
Regardless, Jokic has kept the Nuggets in the playoff conversation.
Denver is 29-24, currently sixth in the Western Conference.
With Jokic in the conversation for another MVP trophy to add to his collection, it is time to think about his future.
Jokic is arguably a top-five player in the NBA right now.
Pretty soon the debate will begin to center on if Jokic is a sure-fire Hall of Famer.
Jokic Is No Joke(r)
His nickname may be “The Joker”, but Jokic is anything but.
At 6-foot-11, 284 pounds, Nikola is one of the biggest centers in the NBA.
But his play is not limited to banging down low in the paint.
Jokic is one of the most skilled players in the league.
His passing skill and ability to run an offense equates more to a guard than a behemoth of a center.
He resides in the top 10 in the league in three major stat categories – points (7th), rebounds (2nd), and assists (8th) per game.
Looking at just the Nuggets, Jokic is the leader in every stat category – points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
Turning to advanced stats, his 10.1 win shares and +9.5 estimated plus/minus comfortably leads all players.
NBA Leaders in RAPTOR
Jokic
FVV
Steph
Tatum
GiannisNBA Leaders in EPM (Jimmy 6th)
Jokic
Steph
Bron
Giannis
EmbiidNBA Leaders in LEBRON
Jokic
Embiid
Rudy
Steph
JimmyThe best advanced metrics seem to have some consensus on who are the best guys this season
— Kyle Lowry Lifer (@gnavas103) February 7, 2022
Jokic’s importance to the Nuggets cannot be overstated.
He’s a key reason they have finished in the top three in the West three years running and could make another push this year once Murray and Porter return.
Removing his first two years that saw him start part-time, Jokic is averaging 21.8 points, 11 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game for his career.
While not always a figure of physical fitness, he has paired those stats with incredible durability.
He can score from all three levels (38 percent from three on 3.6 attempts per game the past two years) and do so efficiently (65 percent true shooting the past two years).
Jokic is truly a one-man-band for Denver who is changing the narrative on the center position in basketball.
Looking Ahead
Jokic is entering his seventh year in the association and will turn 27 on February 19.
So far, Nikola has earned three All-Star appearances, made three All-NBA Teams (First-Team twice, Second-Team once), and won one MVP.
As mentioned earlier, he is a front-runner for the award once again this year and should be in the conversation yearly for the near future.
Jokic has dominated the league for two years now and is just starting to enter his prime.
Nikola Jokić played in career game No. 500 today. His career stats so far:
◻️9,579 PTS
◻️5,081 REB
◻️3,068 ASTHe’s the first player in NBA history to record 9,000+ points, 5,000+ rebounds and 3,000+ assists in their first 500 games. pic.twitter.com/HvuXxU9ZOk
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) February 7, 2022
Assuming his good health continues and his play either stays steady or improves, he should continue to stuff the stat sheet while winning basketball games.
And if Murray and Porter can stay healthy, Denver should be a title contender for years to come.
John Hollinger of The Athletic and other analysts already say Jokic should have been included on the NBA 75 list this year.
Continuing his transcendent play on the court and bringing in more hardware should make Jokic a lock for the Hall of Fame whenever he retires.
NEXT: Nikola Jokic Is Approaching Impressive NBA History
Anonymous says
Is this a serious question? The man is a MVP and we have never seen such a talented big man. He’s a point center.
Ilija says
Jokic currently has a PER higher than 33 in the season and with a PER career of 26.74 he is fourth of all time.