Nikola Jokic has been a revelation in the NBA since he was picked in the 2nd round of the NBA Draft in 2014. Jokic already has an MVP to his name and is making a very solid case for another, carrying an injured Denver Nuggets team to the playoffs in a dangerous Western Conference for the second season in a row. However, what makes him truly unique and one of the greatest ever is his unreal playmaking ability.
Jokic is a ridiculously good scorer and rebounder, his numbers speak for themselves. But he sets himself apart from almost every other great center the NBA has seen with his incredible assist numbers. Jokic is a savant, his court vision and passing from the post is unmatched and it leads to a lot of easy chances and open shots for his teammates to score the basketball.
He’s so good that Jokic has consistently gotten an absurd number of triple-doubles for a big man in recent seasons. And after getting his 75th in a win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, the Joker has moved within just 3 of tying Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time triple-double record for a center.
Nikola Jokic tonight:
32 PTS
15 REB
13 AST
12-17 FG
It’s his 75th triple-double. Three away from tying Wilt for the most by a center. pic.twitter.com/611HFo7por
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 8, 2022
Jokic is now leading the league in triple-doubles this season, having notched 18 for the campaign so far and 3 in his last 5 games. The fact that he is ahead of guards like Luka Doncic, James Harden, and Dejounte Murray is an impressive feat by itself, to say nothing of potentially toppling a Wilt record before the regular season comes to an end. It’s no surprise that former Nuggets coach George Karl has already dubbed him the greatest player in franchise history.
The Nuggets are 9-1 in their last 10 games and have found form at the right time as they look to make another significant impact in the playoffs. A lot of that will depend on whether Jokic can get his co-stars in Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back, but with the way he’s been playing for the last few seasons now, it’s never wise to count Jokic out in any scenario.
