You will have to be very strong to prevent Nikola Jokic from achieving the double as MVP! Even if the Nuggets, because of injuries, do not play the leading roles this season, the Serb manages to keep them in the Top 6 of the Western Conference by chaining big performances, while showing great leadership.
The proof again on Sunday night with another exceptional triple-double: 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Nuggets’ victory over the Nets. A rare performance since he finished the game 12 out of 15 on shots, or 80%! This is not the first time, and he is the only one, with Wilt Chamberlain, to have made several triple-doubles at 25 points and more with such shooting skill.
This is his 14th triple-double of the season, the 71st in his career, and he is getting closer to Chamberlain, whose counter has stopped at 78. We also note that this is the 8th time he has achieved a triple-double in less than 30 minutes.
The most impressive thing this time is that he scored 23 points in the 2nd and 3rd quarters to turn the tide of the match. Exemplary in intimidation when he does not have the physical qualities to play Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic allowed the Nuggets to limit the Nets to 29 points in the second half!
” In the second half, we were better on the rebound, and we forced them to take difficult shots. The defense was much, much better underlines the Serb. It must be said that at the break, Denver had conceded 75 points! ” Incredible isn’t it? Did we break a record? Laughs Nikola Jokic, who adds that he himself started defending after Blake Griffin planted five 3-point shots on him in the first half!
“It’s not about constantly moving, without thinking, and making circles”
Beyond an extra effort on defense, it was when the 2021 MVP decided to take shots and attack the circle that Denver woke up and above all that the Nets exploded.
Sometimes too passive in attack, Nikola Jokic prefers to involve his teammates first, and then take his shots. That night, Mike Malone criticized him several times for not shooting. And when the pivot of Denver finally decided to take care of the brand, we had the impression of seeing an adult in the middle of kids.
” I do not know why ” he repeats several times when asked why we saw two faces of the Nuggets. “We made 39 passes tonight, the ball moved well, and when the guys cut, it becomes easier. Why haven’t we done it all the time? Because the opponent is defending and because we don’t always have the same energy. I don’t think it’s a question of being constantly on the move. I think above all that you have to be in the right place, and that you first have to look at how they defend. If we put up a screen, how do they defend… do they follow the guy or do they change? It’s not about constantly moving, without thinking, and going in circles”.
| Nikola Jokic | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2015-16 | DEN | 80 | 22 | 51.2 | 33.3 | 81.1 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 7.0 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 10.0 |
| 2016-17 | DEN | 73 | 28 | 57.8 | 32.4 | 82.5 | 2.9 | 6.9 | 9.8 | 4.9 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 16.7 |
| 2017-18 | DEN | 75 | 33 | 49.9 | 39.6 | 85.0 | 2.6 | 8.1 | 10.7 | 6.1 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 18.5 |
| 2018-19 | DEN | 80 | 31 | 51.1 | 30.7 | 82.1 | 2.9 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 7.3 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 20.1 |
| 2019-20 | DEN | 73 | 32 | 52.8 | 31.4 | 81.7 | 2.3 | 7.5 | 9.7 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2020-21 ★ | DEN | 72 | 35 | 56.6 | 38.8 | 86.8 | 2.9 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 8.3 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 26.4 |
| 2021-22 | DEN | 46 | 33 | 57.4 | 38.5 | 82.0 | 2.7 | 11.0 | 13.7 | 7.9 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 25.9 |
| Total | 499 | 30 | 53.8 | 35.2 | 83.3 | 2.6 | 7.5 | 10.2 | 6.1 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 19.1 | |
