The Passing Big Man

By Jason Jefferson

When thinking of the way traditional basketball worked, the teams guards, who primarily handled the ball, would dish out the most assist. Guards tend to have good ball control, and typically have the best floor vision on the team. They are able to see the flow of the offense as they call plays, and execute them for scoring opportunities.

The Denver Nuggets have a few good guards on their team in Jamal Murray and Garry Harris, but surprisingly neither lead the team in assists, that accolade goes to Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets star averages six assists a game, per ESPN.com. In today’s age of basketball, it is not abnormal to see a big-man have skill handling the ball, as well as have superior court vision. The offenses today are more free flowing, and allow the big men of the league to become more dimensional.

Jokic is a player whose game is multifaceted. He’s not just an elite scorer or defensive juggernaut, but he makes sure to get his teammates involved. This not only makes his stats look good, but makes the team better as a whole.

Jokic is a big reason why the Nuggets are currently fifth in the NBA in assists dishing out 25 a game, per NBA.com.

Most people know that Jokic was a hidden gem for the Nuggets, as they were able to grab him in the second round of the 2014 draft. He is noted as a great scorer and a prolific rebounder, but his ability to pass the ball is somewhat overlooked. Each year he has been in the league he’s steadily improved his assist from 2.4 assist per game his rookie year to the six assist this year.

The Nuggets are currently ninth in the Western Conference battling it out for playoff positioning. However, as is common in the ultra-competitive Western Conference everything is close. Just two games separates the Nuggets from being in the playoffs. If the Nuggets are to potentially end their five year postseason hiatus, Jokic’s passing and playmaking ability will be essential to the team’s success.