Nikola Jokic - 23-24 NBA Thread - '24 NBA MVP & 23 Finals NBA MVP

[antonac]

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=NBA

One of the craziest passes of all time. Only Jokic can do that

It's ironic that the tagline for the NBA's youtube channel is "never miss a moment" when they missed this moment.

[Special_Puppy]

This Nuggets team is so fun to watch with Jokic at the helm.

Nuggets Warriors tonight! Murray already hurt is a bummer. No update on a timetable yet.

I'll be honest, I don't see the Warriors offense being able to keep up with the Nuggets. But let's see, I'd be glad to be proven wrong.

Warriors are a great team this year (in the regular season at least). I think they pull off the win tonight

[parsnips33]

No Draymond tonight unfortunately, was looking forward to this one

[ty 4191]

Still, if forced to make a ranked list, I'd be hard pressed not to put Jokic at #1 at this point.

As you should!

I challenge anyone to find any another player in NBA history that was close to 26.6/12.5/8.5 (in only~34 MPG) for 258 games (2020-2021 to present, including playoffs) on 54/38/82 splits.....

Oh, also, 61.9% eFG% and 66.1% TS% (+8.8 rTS%).

Greatest offensive player in NBA history, quite arguably. Certainly, the greatest peak/prime.

[Special_Puppy]

Still, if forced to make a ranked list, I'd be hard pressed not to put Jokic at #1 at this point.

As you should!

I challenge anyone to find any another player in NBA history that was close to 26.6/12.5/8.5 (in only~34 MPG) for 258 games (2020-2021 to present, including playoffs) on 54/38/82 splits.....

Oh, also, 61.9% eFG% and 66.1% TS% (+8.8 rTS%).

Greatest offensive player in NBA history, quite arguably. Certainly, the greatest peak/prime.

Curry from 2015 to 2017 was probably better offensively

[Whiffyemperor]

Still, if forced to make a ranked list, I'd be hard pressed not to put Jokic at #1 at this point.

As you should!

I challenge anyone to find any another player in NBA history that was close to 26.6/12.5/8.5 (in only~34 MPG) for 258 games (2020-2021 to present, including playoffs) on 54/38/82 splits.....

Oh, also, 61.9% eFG% and 66.1% TS% (+8.8 rTS%).

Greatest offensive player in NBA history, quite arguably. Certainly, the greatest peak/prime.

He's a defensive liability tho,the nuggets were the 5th best offense his far from the best offensive player ever

[Special_Puppy]

Still, if forced to make a ranked list, I'd be hard pressed not to put Jokic at #1 at this point.

As you should!

I challenge anyone to find any another player in NBA history that was close to 26.6/12.5/8.5 (in only~34 MPG) for 258 games (2020-2021 to present, including playoffs) on 54/38/82 splits.....

Oh, also, 61.9% eFG% and 66.1% TS% (+8.8 rTS%).

Greatest offensive player in NBA history, quite arguably. Certainly, the greatest peak/prime.

He's a defensive liability tho,the nuggets were the 5th best offense his far from the best offensive player ever

1.Nuggets have the second best offensive so far according to DunksAndThrees.

2.IDK why people keep saying that Jokic is a defensive liability. He's not. He provides quite a bit of defensive value according to a composite of advanced stats

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p7OdQxN74sBrzkIf0nwt8ftlORXZ7Jz3/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=116385967284427557696&rtpof=true&sd=true

[ty 4191]

Still, if forced to make a ranked list, I'd be hard pressed not to put Jokic at #1 at this point.

As you should!

I challenge anyone to find any another player in NBA history that was close to 26.6/12.5/8.5 (in only~34 MPG) for 258 games (2020-2021 to present, including playoffs) on 54/38/82 splits.....

Oh, also, 61.9% eFG% and 66.1% TS% (+8.8 rTS%).

Greatest offensive player in NBA history, quite arguably. Certainly, the greatest peak/prime.

Curry from 2015 to 2017 was probably better offensively

Please provide evidence that Curry was better for 3+ years, including the playoffs, than Jokic, since the beginning of 2020-2021.

[parsnips33]

Hard to make a definitive case for anybody over Jokic on offense tbh - he's in the highest stratum I've seen at least.

I've been lucky to watch a few of the great offensive players live (KD, Steph of course, Jokic, Clippers CP3) and watching Joker was unlike anything I'd seen before

And I do think he's generally a decent defender, but it shouldn't be controversial to say that he's especially vulnerable to certain kinds of offense

[Whiffyemperor]

Hard to make a definitive case for anybody over Jokic on offense tbh - he's in the highest stratum I've seen at least.

And I do think he's generally a decent defender, but it shouldn't be controversial to say that he's especially vulnerable to certain kinds of offense

Kobe is the greatest offensive player in nba history, 81 points in the slowest paced era,multiple 40ppg in different months,outscored an nba team in one half by himself 62 points to 61,Kobe bean Bryant

[Mickey8]

Hard to make a definitive case for anybody over Jokic on offense tbh - he's in the highest stratum I've seen at least.

I've been lucky to watch a few of the great offensive players live (KD, Steph of course, Jokic, Clippers CP3) and watching Joker was unlike anything I'd seen before

And I do think he's generally a decent defender, but it shouldn't be controversial to say that he's especially vulnerable to certain kinds of offense

He's playing it good enough to win the championship, that's what matters the most. We have so called a "great defender" in Embiid. Come to play off he's the liability on the both ends of the floor.

[parsnips33]

Hard to make a definitive case for anybody over Jokic on offense tbh - he's in the highest stratum I've seen at least.

And I do think he's generally a decent defender, but it shouldn't be controversial to say that he's especially vulnerable to certain kinds of offense

Kobe is the greatest offensive player in nba history, 81 points in the slowest paced era,multiple 40ppg in different months,outscored an nba team in one half by himself 62 points to 61,Kobe bean Bryant

Would have loved to see Kobe live - went to a Lakers Warriors game in '05 but he didn't suit up

[Mickey8]

Hard to make a definitive case for anybody over Jokic on offense tbh - he's in the highest stratum I've seen at least.

And I do think he's generally a decent defender, but it shouldn't be controversial to say that he's especially vulnerable to certain kinds of offense

Kobe is the greatest offensive player in nba history, 81 points in the slowest paced era,multiple 40ppg in different months,outscored an nba team in one half by himself 62 points to 61,Kobe bean Bryant

Kobe was a chucker, especially that season, where they were going nowhere. He was taking as many shots he wanted to and team record was the crap. Then Stern got him Pau and the rest of is the history.

[parsnips33]

Hard to make a definitive case for anybody over Jokic on offense tbh - he's in the highest stratum I've seen at least.

I've been lucky to watch a few of the great offensive players live (KD, Steph of course, Jokic, Clippers CP3) and watching Joker was unlike anything I'd seen before

And I do think he's generally a decent defender, but it shouldn't be controversial to say that he's especially vulnerable to certain kinds of offense

He's playing it good enough to win the championship, that's what matters the most. We have so called a "great defender" in Embiid. Come to play off he's the liability on the both ends of the floor.

They both kinda have that same weakness against deep pull up shooters - Embiid a far more effective rim deterrent I think but Jokic has great hands/feet/instincts that make him maybe a bit less vulnerable when pulled out of the paint.

[Mickey8]

Jokic has good defensive instincts , he's just not explosive and has slow feet , that's the nature, he can't do much about it. But if you surround him with the capable defenders he can be helpful there too.

[Whiffyemperor]

Hard to make a definitive case for anybody over Jokic on offense tbh - he's in the highest stratum I've seen at least.

And I do think he's generally a decent defender, but it shouldn't be controversial to say that he's especially vulnerable to certain kinds of offense

Kobe is the greatest offensive player in nba history, 81 points in the slowest paced era,multiple 40ppg in different months,outscored an nba team in one half by himself 62 points to 61,Kobe bean Bryant

Kobe was a chucker, especially that season, where they were going nowhere. He was taking as many shots he wanted to and team record was the crap. Then Stern got him Pau and the rest of is the history.

The lakers record was 35-20 before paul trade,good for a .636 winning percentage sounds good to me

[Peregrine01]

Hard to make a definitive case for anybody over Jokic on offense tbh - he's in the highest stratum I've seen at least.

I've been lucky to watch a few of the great offensive players live (KD, Steph of course, Jokic, Clippers CP3) and watching Joker was unlike anything I'd seen before

And I do think he's generally a decent defender, but it shouldn't be controversial to say that he's especially vulnerable to certain kinds of offense

He's playing it good enough to win the championship, that's what matters the most. We have so called a "great defender" in Embiid. Come to play off he's the liability on the both ends of the floor.

They both kinda have that same weakness against deep pull up shooters - Embiid a far more effective rim deterrent I think but Jokic has great hands/feet/instincts that make him maybe a bit less vulnerable when pulled out of the paint.

One huge advantage that Jokic has over Embiid that’s generally unsaid is his motor. I’ve seen Embiid worn out in second halves his entire career. Jokic often looked like the freshest guy on the floor during the end of playoff games last year.

[B-easy]

23' Jokic was GOAT offensive peak but somehow he is even better this year. He is shooting 71% from 2, which is equivalent to shooting 47.5% from 3. lol.

[Mickey8]

The motor is not the difference between Jokic and Embiid. Its the skill set and playing under the pressure when it matters. Come to play off's Jokic will rise his game while Embiid will miss the same shots he takes in the regular season and he wont be able to post up even against the guards like Smart . When will people learn, we had years of the examples. Embiid can average 100 points per game in the regular season, until he shows that production in the play off's he will l be remembered as the player who melts in the play off's.

[O_6]

He plays the game with more confidence than anyone I’ve ever seen besides possibly MJ. He just knows who he is, what he wants to do, when he wants to do it, and that no one can really do a thing about it. I know with him it’s mainly about his passing, but the way he has mastered that little 7ft type of shot is what I will always remember about him. It’s just so different, he just flips it up with ease. Just a level of touch that is hard to believe.

In the Paint Scoring (Non-Restricted Area)
2023: Jokic (3.3 FGM — 62.7 FG%)

Only Bam (3.7 FGM — 48.9 FG%), Luka (3.3 FGM — 57.0 FG%), and SGA (3.3 FGM — 48.0 FG%) matched Jokic in terms of volume from this area. But out of the 115 players who made more than 1 FG per game, Jokic’s 62.7 FG% ranked first. Durant (2.6 FGM — 62.0 FG%) and Luka were really the only ones comparable to Jokic last year.

2024: Jokic (5.1 FGM — 74.2 FG%)

Leading the league in FGs made in this area by a ton (46 made, AD is 2nd with 21!). Out of the 130 players who have made 5+ shots in this location, he has the best FG%!

It’s just different. Such a special player. His combination of impact and consistency really does put him at or very near the top of best offensive players ever. And with his strength and skill-set, I just don’t see him being “solved” anytime soon. He’s the man right now.