Just about everyone considers the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic to be the best player in the NBA these days, and it’s no wonder why.
He’s averaging 26.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.2 assists a game, and he has a unique skill set that has never been seen before in a center that is part Larry Bird, part Moses Malone.
Analyst Jason Timpf not only said that no one can handle Jokic, but that Jokic is having, in his mind, the most dominant stretch of play since LeBron James about a decade ago, per The Volume.
“Nobody on the planet can do anything with Nikola Jokić”
—@_JasonLT heaps praise on the best basketball player in the world pic.twitter.com/sIRMJzld4F
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) March 8, 2024
Jokic is a big load in the paint who cannot be rooted out of position due to his 6-foot-11, 284-pound frame, but he can also face the basket and hit perimeter shots with his behind-the-head release that is very Bird-like.
Like Malone was, he is a relentless beast on the boards, but he can also grab defensive rebounds and run the fast break himself, something very few centers have ever been adept at, even in this current era of position-less up-tempo basketball.
His Nuggets, who are the defending NBA champions, have been climbing the standings, and they’re now in third place in the Western Conference and just one game behind the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
On Thursday, they reminded everyone they haven’t regressed by defeating the Boston Celtics, who have the league’s best record, 115-109.
Jokic had a triple-double with 32 points, 12 rebounds ,and 11 assists, and it seemed like just another night at the office for him.
It was also a reminder of why he’s the favorite to win this season’s MVP award, which would be his third in a four-season span.
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