Nikola Jokic continues to rewrite history books
In the future, there will be case studies conducted on how Nikola Jokic dominated the sport of basketball despite his many limitations. The Serb can't leap like Anthony Edwards, dribble like Kyrie Irving, dunk like Zion Williamson, shoot like Stephen Curry or bulldoze his way to the paint like LeBron James. Yet, he continues to rack up numbers unlike anyone in NBA history.
As his Nuggets overcame a 21-point deficit to beat the Raptors 125-119 Monday night, Jokic had 35 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists and six steals, becoming the first player in NBA history with such a stat line since steals were tracked in 1973-74.
With his 126th career triple-double, Jokic also inched closer to Magic Johnson on the all-time leaderboard. Amazingly, all three players ahead of him — Russell Westbrook (198), Oscar Robertson (181) and Johnson (138) — were point guards who brought the ball up the floor and controlled each possession. Jokic's putting up these stats as a center with limited handles or blowby ability, not to mention no discernible athleticism. He's a wonder.
After the win over Toronto, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray delved into the nuances of Jokic's game that few onlookers grasp, and how watching him closely has helped him improve as a player.
"I think his patience, his timing, and the way he picks his spots between passing and scoring — it's beautiful," Murray said of Jokic during the post-game presser. "I just watch [in awe]. It's less about the move, and more about when and where and how that I try to pick up his [instincts]. The dude is just incredible and does things that people don't realize.
"Obviously, he had 35, 17 and 12, but it's the other stuff that makes that possible for him."
Those intangibles that don't show up on a box score only add to Jokic's greatness.
If Jokic can lead Denver to a second consecutive NBA title in June, he'd likely jump LeBron James (28) and Magic Johnson (30) in the all-time leaderboard for playoff triple-doubles. He'll also become the third player in NBA history to win multiple titles without an All-Star teammate, joining Michael Jordan (1991 and 1998) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994 and 1995) in the elusive list. Jokic would have also proved that it's possible to win multiple rings without the help of a superteam.
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