![]() ![]() “ very unique because he brings a different style of game and different type of pace to the game,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said. What he does on any given possession is extraordinarily challenging, with a frustrating sheen of effortlessness. ![]() However you need Jokic to function-in an offensive system that’s built around his ability to read plays before they unfold, and as a constant threat off the ball, too-he’ll provide an ideal outcome, moving at his own speed, never in a rush, always methodical. He’s also Chris Paul in the open floor, Hakeem Olajuwon on the block, and an amalgamation of John Stockton and Karl Malone when running the pick-and-roll. Jokic is one of the most efficient high-volume scorers ever. “Whatever the number is, like the limit, he’s up there with his basketball IQ. How do you stop the best post player alive, who’s also the best passer alive, who’s also one of the best rebounders alive, who also just made 46.1 percent of his 3s in the postseason, who held up on defense against a VIP cohort of offensive firepower, and who never needed more than a play or two to adjust whenever the other team switched up its coverage? “What’s, like, the limit on IQ?” Porter asked when he was standing at his locker after Game 4 in Miami. ![]() Now he’s being dominant from 40 feet … everywhere on the floor.” He’s breaking the mold of the center position, of not being only dominant down on the block. He’s breaking that mold, kind of like how Magic Johnson did with the point guard position. “You are going to start seeing more and more players that can just do everything, regardless of size. “Joker is redefining the game,” Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said. The center position before Jokic is Hollywood before Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler. But they’re almost a footnote when you consider his singular impact, which defies similitude across time and era. Gaudy numbers help measure his unparalleled production and total dominance in pretty much every area of the game. The triple-doubles draw headlines- he had 10 of them this postseason, which is three more than Chamberlain’s previous NBA record-and they obviously matter. Not bad! Cumulative counting stats aren’t there, but his peak over these past three seasons is pretty much as high as anyone’s peak can be. When we strictly weigh what others have done before their 29th birthday, Jokic’s postseason win shares per 48 minutes mark is tied for fourth, behind MJ, LeBron, and Wilt Chamberlain. His 29.1 PER career playoff mark is the highest ever, period. Jokic’s 31.5 PER in these playoffs is tied for the sixth-highest performance ever (only Michael Jordan and LeBron are above him). “He’s one of the all-time greats and still 28 years old. I think everybody knew that we had a chance to do something special, and he led the charge,” Booth told The Ringer. As champagne dripped down from the ceiling onto the soaked Nuggets general manager, he paused to reflect on what he just saw his franchise center do over the past couple of months. I think he’s one of the all-time best players to ever play this game.”Īn identical sentiment was echoed in Denver’s triumphal postgame locker room by a beaming Calvin Booth. “He’s one of the all-time best basketball players. I don’t know how you can say he’s not the best big man ever, really,” Michael Porter Jr. Nobody has ever gone through an entire playoffs averaging at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, with a true shooting percentage above 60.0. In the 2023 postseason, Jokic led all players in points, rebounds, and assists. Nikola Jokic During the 2023 NBA Playoffs Playoff Round ![]()
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