Nikola Jokic is one of the best players in the league, and he routinely does some fantastic things on the court. His production speaks to his ability, and he is currently averaging 26.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, and 8.0 APG.
Out of all of his skills, playmaking is probably Nikola Jokic’s best ability. But he is a capable scorer as well, capable of scoring at all three levels. In particular, Nikola Jokic is extremely effective near the rim and in the midrange, and a recent stat shows just how great he is in that department.
Shane Young has recently pointed out that Nikola Jokic is currently shooting 65.1% on 2PT shots this season, and has dunked less than 30 times. Jokic’s feat is particularly notable since a dunk is generally considered a high percentage 2PT shot, and centers that dunk frequently are often efficient. Young also pointed out that legend Shaquille O’Neal never shot above 61% on 2PT shots for a whole season.
Nikola Jokić is now shooting 65.1% from two this season with fewer than 30 dunks.
For context: Shaq never shot above 61.0% on twos for a full season, despite averaging over 220 dunks per year in his prime.
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) April 2, 2022
Nikola Jokic is now shooting 65.1% from two this season with fewer than 30 dunks. For context: Shaq never shot above 61.0% on twos for a full season, despite averaging over 220 dunks per year in his prime.
Nikola Jokic has had to score a lot for the Denver Nuggets this season out of necessity, as Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. have both been out with injuries for a majority of the season. It is astounding that he has been this efficient from the 2PT range given the defensive attention he faces nightly. He is definitely deserving of the MVP consideration that he has received this season.
Hopefully, we see Nikola Jokic’s scoring brilliance continue for the short remainder of the regular season. He is on another level offensively right now, and the Denver Nuggets will need every bit of it if they are to secure a playoff spot and not fall to the play-in tournament.
