It’s been said before but it needs to be said again and again: there aren’t many players like Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The back-to-back MVP was ridiculous last season, averaging 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists.
Those are astronomical numbers, especially when put together in one 6-foot-11 package.
But Jokic’s greatness goes beyond those numbers.
Most passes made in 2022:
5,432 — Jokic
5,400
5,350
5,300
5,250
5,200
5,150
5,100
5,050
5,000
4,950
4,900
4,850
4,817 — Haliburton4th consecutive season leading the league in passes and is still putting up 25+ PPG. pic.twitter.com/GXgde61GNy
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 31, 2022
Jokic had the most passes in 2022, with 5,432.
The second-best passer in the league was Tyrese Haliburton who had 4,817.
This means that Jokic is the best passer in the NBA and it’s not even close.
Oh, and he’s been doing this for a while now: this was his fourth consecutive season leading the league in passes while still putting up more than 25 points in a game.
See, there really aren’t many players like him.
Not Joking Around
Jokic has easily earned his MVP trophies although there are some people who thought that Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers or Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks deserved it more.
But watching Jokic on the court really shows his unparalleled talent, might, speed, and skill.
He’s a big, thick, intimidating player and you would think he’d be a classic center.
But instead, he scores and defends but also reads the floor, finds teammates, and passes to them with smooth ease.
He’s built like a center but at times plays like a guard.
It’s wild to see someone with Jokic’s build perform the way he does.
The question now is if Jokic can somehow claim a third MVP trophy.
The chances of him going back-to-back-to-back are slim but that doesn’t mean he won’t continue to be excellent in the 2022-23 season.
He will also get more help now that Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are coming back to the Nuggets.
The league’s MVP is about to get a lot of help.