Nikola Jokic is Wilt Chamberlain… Which means he SHOULD win MVP
At seven feet tall, Nikola Jokic, is putting up guard-like numbers at the center position with averages of 20.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 50% FG, 31% 3PT, and 1.4 steals per game; Jokic is fresh off his first NBA All-Star selection and looking to lead his team to the number one spot in the Western Conference, while continuing to make his case for NBA MVP.
The Joker’s 7.7 assists stand out when you look at his numbers. When’s the last time you saw a seven-footer put up passing numbers like he does? I bet you couldn’t recall.
WILT CHAMBERLAIN…
Chamberlain is the ONLY other center in NBA history to average more than 7 assists in a season. Chamberlain holds the NBA record for highest assist average by a center in a season at 8.6 assists in 1968 (Chamberlian averaged 7.8 in the ’67 season).
Nikola is doing something on the court we have not seen done by a player in the five spot in half a century. When there are highlights of just his passes on YouTube, you know he’s doing something special.
Take a look 👀 at this cross court whip pass:
Some of his best career assists:
Still not convinced about how special the assist numbers are? Jokic has assisted on 38.1% of his teammates’ made shots this year; that is the most in a season by any center in NBA history.
Jokic also has a player efficiency rating of 26.88 which sits at 4th in the league this season. He also sits sixth in win shares at 9.0 wins, seventh in the league in assists at 7.7 (which is the most of any of the potential MVP candidates) and third in box plus-minus at 9.7. With numbers in the top 10 of multiple advanced statistical categories, Jokic’s presence is certainly MVP worthy.
Let’s also take into consideration that Jokic is putting up these numbers while missing most of the players on the Nuggets roster due to injury: Gary Harris, Will Barton, Paul Millsap, Isaiah Thomas, and Michael Porter Jr.
The Joker also has 28 triple-doubles in 285 games in the NBA. To put that into perspective, Russell Westbrook only had five, at the same age of 24 years old. The Denver Nuggets post a record of 24–4 in games where Jokic has a triple-double; that’s a .857 winning percentage.
Nikola Jokic connects himself to Wilt Chamberlain in another way:
Jokic became the first player since Wilt himself to record a perfect triple-double. On October 20th vs the Suns, Jokic logged 35pts, 12reb, and 11 assists, while going 11/11 in his field goal attempts.
Fastest Triple Double against Giannis and the Bucks:
The Joker only needed 14:33 min to complete the quickest triple double in NBA history: 30pts, career-high 17asts, and 15 rebounds.
Outduled MVP candidate Paul George on TNT Thursday Basketball 🤷🏽♂️ :
Since the start of January: Jokic has averaged 23.5 PPG, 12.3 RPG and 8.0 APG which is overshadowed by Giannis being Giannis and James Harden’s streak of 32 straight 30+ point games.
Nikola is unlike any other of the MVP candidates. He is a point guard in a seven footer’s body. He doesn’t make SC Top 10 posterizing his defenders or by breaking ankles, but he does have a high basketball IQ. That high IQ has led his Denver Nuggets team to a 41–18 record, just 1.5 games behind the West-leading Golden State Warriors.
Jokic is doing similar things to arguably the greatest center of all time, Wilt Chamberlain. With so many great, athletic, and fun players in the league, it is easy to overshadow Nikola Jokic.
Guard Skills on Display 😮 :
Jokic is relatable; he’s creative, smart, and efficient, yet not entirely athletic. Jokic is the 40-year-old unathletic dad at the YMCA making Tim Duncan jumps shots while scoring over the 17-year-old high-school kid trying to make varsity.
Even if he does not win MVP this season, the Joker has a bright future ahead of him, and his Denver Nuggets continue to climb the rankings of the NBA’s young, exciting, and promising teams.
