The NBA has no shortage of talent, but all agree that Nikola Jokic is currently the best player in the league.
Entering the 2023/24 season, the Denver Nuggets star topped Sporting News’ updated player rankings. Jokic also ranked No. 1 on The Ringer, CBS Sports and HoopsHype. ESPN ranks him second behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the gap between the two stars is “only a few percentage points”.
Jokic won the MVP title twice and became an All-Star 5 times, entering the All-NBA 5 times. He won the NBA championship and won the Finals MVP title last season, a tournament where Jokic and his teammates completely outperformed their opponents.
Why is Nikola Jokic considered the best player in the NBA?
Short version
Nikola Jokic is one of the best and most complete offensive players the NBA has ever produced. He can easily make a Triple-double with 30 points per game. Jokic is an excellent center forward, has a comprehensive set of scoring skills at all ranges, and is also a top passer.
Jokic is not too good on defense, but has proven that he can be effective in the right system.
Jokic is already one of the most decorated players of all time. After leading the Nuggets to a championship in 2023, Sporting News ranked him the 19th best player in NBA history, ahead of Jerry West and Dirk Nowitzki but behind Moses Malone and Oscar Robertson.
Longer version
Since becoming an All-Star in 2018/19, Jokic has averaged 23.7 points and 8.1 assists per game while shooting 56.3%. Jokic’s 3-point shooting rate fluctuates up and down, but he is still a threat that opponents cannot ignore.
With a height of 2m13 and a weight of 129kg, Jokic has a physical advantage over most opponents to play post up. Combined with great ball feel and footwork, the Serbian striker is almost unstoppable. The only player in the current NBA who can do the same things as Jokic over the past two seasons is Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid.
Jokic is also an excellent pick-and-roll player. Although not good at alley oop, Jokic can hit pick and pop or average throws effectively. In addition, Jokic also competes alongside the top pitchers in the league.
Scoring shots like this have become Jokic’s trademark:
In the current NBA, no one can go one-on-one with Jokic anymore. Defenders will be defeated by him with his height, while big men are not skillful enough to keep up with the Serbian player’s agile movements. Even Anthony Davis or Bam Adebayo, two of the best defensive big men in the NBA, cannot slow down Jokic in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
With such excellent offensive stars, teams often have to send 2-3 people to accompany them to stop them. But this is useless for Jokic, and even counterproductive. Because Jokic is one of the best passers in NBA history. Having many players mark Jokic means leaving his teammates empty, and Jokic always finds a way to pass the ball and put his teammates in favorable situations to score points.
He often moves 1-2 steps to attract opponents before passing the ball to an open teammate. Even his teammates sometimes cannot keep up with Jokic’s processing speed. He makes very accurate diagonal passes, in addition to making streaks of opponents, full of surprises.
Here’s what Jokic does game after game:
Nikola Jokic also doesn’t need too much shadow to shine like other stars. He makes quick decisions and brings out the best in everyone around him.
In terms of defense, Jokic has certain limitations. He is not much of a blocker and cannot support on the outside like other top strikers. The Golden State Warriors defeated Jokic and Denver in the 2022 NBA Playoffs by attacking from distance, in positions where Jokic could not support his teammates.
However, that strategy is no longer effective at present. Jokic is currently surrounded by flexible defensive players, thereby helping Jokic maximize his strengths. The Serbian striker reads the game very quickly, has long arms and just choosing the right position is enough to make it difficult for opponents to score points. Besides, he also always appears in the right place to defend.
In addition, Jokic is also an excellent counter-attack organizer. He is the main reason why the Nuggets are among the best teams at limiting their opponents’ scoring opportunities.
Parameter version
Nikola Jokic has an Efficiency Rating (PER) of 27.9, second only to Michael Jordan. In 2021/22, Jokic posted the highest single-season PER (32.9) in NBA history, although Embiid is on pace to break that record this season.
Over the past six seasons, only the Bucks have had more regular-season wins than the Nuggets. Denver has scored a rate of 119.9 points per 100 possessions with Jokic on the court. When he was on the bench, the team’s offensive rating plummeted to 108.4.
Jokic is also a player with good records in history in the playoffs. He has the ninth highest scoring average (27.5), 17th highest average rebounds (12.1) and 19th highest average assists (7.3). No other player in NBA history can match those numbers.
Jokic led the Nuggets to their first Western Conference Finals in 2020. He then continued to be the center of the Nuggets’ first NBA championship in 2023 averaging 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game.
Statistics and indicators of Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic’s title statistics
5x NBA All-Star
3x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
2x Most Valuable Players
1x NBA Champion
1x Finals MVP
1x Finals MVP in the West
All-Rookie First Team
