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Joel Embiid may have won the 2023 NBA MVP award, but Nikola Jokic is clearly having a better season. The Denver Nuggets big man has been dominant all year and has incredibly found another gear as the playoffs have progressed.
Suddenly, the NBA has a new superstar. Jokic isn't one for social media or flashy media events. Instead, he tries to live a quiet and peaceful life. However, once he's on the basketball court, it's showtime. Flash passes, big-time buckets, forceful blocks, and thunderous rebounds - Jokic is becoming the NBA's next great entertainer.
It is because of Jokic that the Denver Nuggets are currently one game away from the NBA Finals. His performance in the league has made Jokic a two-time MVP at the age of 28. However, there is more to his game than what meets the eye.
Here are three reasons why Nikola Jokic is the best player in the world right now.
1 - Size and skill
Standing at six-foot-eleven, Jokic is a towering center in the NBA. Yet, it's his ability to play across all three scoring levels that make him such a threat. If the team looks to clog the paint, he can score from the perimeter. Push up to take away the three, and he will back down to score around the rim. Short-roll actions can spring Jokic free in the mid-range, where he's as much of a threat as some of the best wings in the NBA.
Defensively, Jokic can protect the rim and dominate the glass. Sure, Jokic isn't a switch defender, which has tremendous value in the NBA, but he is among the best drop bigs in the league and regularly impacts opponents' shot releases and timing.
2 - Passing ability
A passing big man is a luxury in the NBA. Having the option to run the offense through your center in 'delay actions' is not something every team can do. Having a big man with better court vision and processing speed than most NBA guards is certainly a rare commodity. Yet, that's exactly what the Denver Nuggets have in Jokic.
This season, Jokic has averaged 9.8 assists per game while also controlling the flow of the offense and being a primary play caller. Factor in Jokic's ability to play will elite ball-handlers, slashing wings, and movement shooters, and he becomes a player that could fit with any team in the world - most likely walking through the door as the best player on the court.
3 - Scoring ability
Unlike most big men his size, Jokic is a genuine threat from everywhere on the floor. This season, the veteran big man shot 63.2% from the field and 38.3% from deep while also knocking down his free-throw attempts at an 82.2% clip. As such, guarding Jokic is almost an impossible task, as he usually has answers to any defensive coverage thrown his way.
Furthermore, Jokic is among a rare list of players that isn't reliant on athleticism to be a scoring threat when attacking downhill. With such a robust skillset, multi-faceted talent, and a knack for scoring the ball, it's hard to argue against Nikola Jokic being the best player on the planet at present.
Guess the Lakers players!
