There haven’t always been believers in Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, but the Serbian superstar has now put the NBA on notice. Jokic helped punch the Nuggets’ ticket to their first NBA Finals in franchise history after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. We’ve now reached the point where you can no longer question his legacy. In fact, there’s a real case to be made that his skillet has provided the league with one of the most uniquely dominant players it has ever seen. Nikola Jokic Dominates in Unique Way
Heading into the 2023 NBA playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference, the narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets but the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors. Well, Denver went through the Suns in six games and followed that up with a competitive sweep over LeBron James and the Lakers. Multiple questions need to be asked, including why Jokic has continually gone under the radar and why the Nuggs weren’t getting respect as a one-seed.
For starters, let’s dive into the numbers. It’s hard to watch the Denver Nuggets and not be amazed at how Jokic controls the game and can do a little bit of everything at such an elite level. In their run to the NBA Finals, Jokic set a postseason record with eight triple-doubles. In the Western Conference Finals against the top defense in the NBA, Jokic averaged 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists per game. In addition, he shot 50.6% from the floor, 47.1% from beyond the arc, and was a +39. If you weren’t considering Jokic as an all-time great before this series, you certainly are now.
Denver has gone through a long journey as a franchise to get to this point. They are very well coached by Michael Malone, but having a player of Jokic’s caliber sure makes the job a whole lot easier. The Nuggets are now listed at -290 to win the NBA title, while Jokic sits at -220 to win NBA Finals MVP. Many people watching what he’s accomplishing right now might not realize it in the moment, but we’re witnessing history from what Jokic is bringing to the table in this postseason run. What’s scarier is that the Nuggets appear on a collision course with the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, and the Joker has had his way with the Heat’s big man, Bam Adebayo, in prior run-ins. It’s difficult enough to find a solution for Jokic, and we don’t believe we’ve seen the best of him yet.
Jokic is putting on a postseason run for the ages, and it’s about time he gets the respect he deserves. We’re witnessing something extremely unique during the Nuggets’ run to the NBA Finals, and Jokic can help put a bow on this storybook season in the Mile High City.
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