Nikola Jokic Is Already A Top 5 Center All Time
A controversial statement especially for a player who is not 30 years old yet to be regarded as top five in his position.
The center position has easily been the most dominant position throughout basketball history. In the '60s, there was Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. In the '70s, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton were there (when they were healthy). In the '80s, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Moses Malone were there. In the '90s, there was Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, and Shaquille O'Neal. In the 2000s, there were Shaquille O'Neal, Dwight Howard, and Yao Ming when healthy). In the 2010s, Dwight Howard and Demarcus Cousins were present.
In the 2020s, the NBA is experiencing a shift in the center position, with the best centers being Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. Nikola Jokic is currently 29 years old and has already accomplished many feats in the NBA. One can argue that he is a top-five center of all time, and even though that is an outrageous take, the reasons why he's high this early in his career are valid.
Accomplishments
Nikola Jokic, at just 29 years old, is already an NBA champion and a finals MVP (more on that run later), 6x All-Star, 6x All-NBA, 2023 Western Conference Finals MVP, and 3x MVP. This season, Nikola Jokic became the ninth player in NBA history to win at least three MVP awards. He joins Kareem Abdul Jabbar(6), Michael Jordan (5), Lebron James (4), Wilt Chamberlain (4), Larry Bird (3), Magic Johnson (3), and Moses Malone (3). This is an elite group of players to be a part of.
Skill And Stats
Jokic is regarded as not only the best passing big man of all time, but some argue that he is the most skilled big man of all time. Jokic is already second all-time in assists for centers with 4,667, with only Kareem above him at 5,660. Regarding assists per game for a center, Nikola Jokic has six of the top ten assists per game season averages for a center, with him occupying the first spot with 9.8 assists per game that he averaged in the 2022-23 season. Jokic is also the all-time center assists per-game leader for a career with 6.9.
While his passing is his greatest strength, his scoring is just as effective. Jokic is a career 20.9 per game scorer, shooting 55% from the field. This season, he averaged 26.4 points and shot 58% from the field on 17.9 attempts and 35% from three on 2.9 attempts.
His rebounding is an underrated aspect of his game. For his career, Jokic has averaged 10.7 rebounds per game, and for the past four seasons, he has averaged double-digit rebounds. The most in that span came from the 2021-22 season when he averaged 13.8 rebounds per game.
One of his most impressive stat lines is his placement all-time in career triple-doubles. Jokic is fourth all-time with 130 triple-doubles, but this feat is more impressive because he has played fewer games than anyone in the top 25.
Playoffs
Jokic has had impressive playoff runs so far in his career. For his playoff career, Jokic has averaged 27.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists while shooting 53% from the field on 20 attempts and 39% from three on 4.4 attempts. One of his better playoff runs was in 2021 in the first round vs Portland, where he averaged 33 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, shooting 52% from the field and 42% from three. Unfortunately, Jokic has routinely been eliminated from the playoffs throughout the years.
That all changed in the 2023 NBA playoffs. This is when Nikola Jokic showed the world just how dangerous he can truly be. In the 2023 NBA playoffs, Jokic averaged 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and one block per game, shooting 54% from the field on 20.7 attempts and a ridiculous 46% from three on 3.8 attempts.
His first obstacle was against the Timberwolves in the first round. Jokic averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, and nine assists per game, shooting 48% from the field and 50% from three. The Nuggets ended up winning in five games.
Round two was a tougher opponent, the Phoenix Suns. Jokic averaged 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 10.3 assists, shooting 59% from the field and 44% from three. He also dropped his playoff career high in points this series, scoring 53 points on 66% shooting on 30 attempts and 50% from three on four attempts. The Nuggets won in six, which is the most games this playoff run.
Arguably, his best series was against the Lakers, during which he averaged 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 47% from three. Jokic also hit multiple difficult shots over Anthony Davis during this series. The Nuggets also swept the Lakers in this series.
In the NBA Finals, it was no different. Winning in five games, Jokic averaged 30.2 points, 13 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while shooting 58% from the field and 42% from three. He was easily named the finals MVP and finally helped Denver win their first championship in franchise history.
All-Time Placement
Now, where does Jokic place all-time among centers? With the accomplishments he currently has, his placement would not be that high due to the sheer dominance centers have had over NBA history. However, it is his dominance, skills, stats, and accomplishments all together that place him in the top 5 centers of all time. He has a nice spot in fourth under Kareem (1), Hakeem (2), and Shaq (3).
When his career is over, Nikola Jokic could end up a top-three center of all time. He could possibly even take the number one spot when it is all said and done.
EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS:
Order your favorite whiskey or spirit for the big game right to your doorstep and use code STADIUMRANT10 for a 10% discount at Caskers
Use code STADIUMRANT20 for a 20% discount at Bulletproof Coffee, SwingJuice and Performix.
If you love to shotgun beers, use code STADIUMRANT10 at Wild Man Drinking Company.
MORE FROM STADIUM RANT:
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!
Comments