Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić, who has gained three of the NBA’s previous 4 MVP awards, is having fun with one of the best statistical season of his profession. He’s on tempo to develop into the first center to average a triple-double and the first player ever to rank top 10 in factors, rebounds, assists and steals per recreation in the identical season.
“Clearly,” Jokić stated final month, “I think I’m playing the best basketball of my life.”
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It’s the type of season that can drive the MVP voting panel to reckon with doable fatigue. Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the most important menace to Jokić becoming a member of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Invoice Russell, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James because the sixth participant to win a fourth MVP. (BetMGM has Gilgeous-Alexander as a massive -3000 favorite over Jokić for the dignity.)
There may be little statistical argument for Gilgeous-Alexander, whose 32.7 factors per recreation lead the league. SGA is scoring far much less effectively than Jokić whereas averaging considerably fewer assists and rebounds.
It’s wild that Gilgeous-Alexander’s statistics, which mark the Twenty fourth-best Participant Effectivity Ranking in NBA historical past (30.7), per Basketball Reference, pale compared. However Jokić’s PER (32.2) is the second-highest ever, trailing solely his personal 2021-22 marketing campaign (32.9), when he gained his second consecutive MVP award.
Which begs the query: Is Nikola Jokić having fun with the best statistical common season in historical past?
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We searched far and huge — sorting by essentially the most spectacular superior statistical campaigns of one of the best gamers in NBA historical past — to seek out the different best statistical common seasons ever and narrowed the checklist to 6: Chamberlain’s 1961-62 season, Jordan’s 1987-88 season, James’ 2008-09 season, Stephen Curry’s 2015-16 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 2021-22 season and Joel Embiid’s 2022-23 season.
That checklist covers loads of floor. It crosses each positional group (guards, swings and bigs) twice. It’s, maybe, overrepresented by the fashionable period, although the present type of play within the 3-point period — excessive utilization, excessive effectivity and quick tempo — is a breeding floor for extremely productive statistical seasons.
To wit, Jokić, Chamberlain, Antetokounmpo, Jordan, James, Curry and Embiid have mixed to provide 22 of the 24 highest single-season PERs in historical past. Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Davis are the one different gamers to crack that checklist. And people aforementioned seasons signify every participant’s highest PER.
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We perceive that superior statistics aren’t a precise science. We also needs to not discredit a statistic that yielded the 2 seasons that instantly soar to thoughts after we are discussing historical past’s best — the campaigns through which Chamberlain averaged 50 factors per recreation and Jordan gained each MVP and DPOY.
We needed to trim the checklist by some means. Apologies to Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Every gained MVPs. Every produced unbelievable statistical seasons. None of them deserved to crack this checklist of six.
Let Jokić tackle the remainder, one after the other.
(Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports activities Illustration)
Joel Embiid, 2022-23 vs. Nikola Jokić, 2024-25
Looking back — and in real time — Jokić deserved the MVP award in 2023. He scored extra effectively, averaged extra rebounds, assists and steals, and edged Embiid in most superior statistical classes.
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And Jokić is best this season in each regard than he was two years in the past.
Along with a slight benefit in effectivity, Jokić’s 29.8 factors and 10.2 assists have yielded 53.7 factors per recreation for the Nuggets this season. Two years in the past, when Embiid secured his MVP, his 33.1 factors and 4.2 assists produced 43.7 factors per recreation. If my math is true that could be a distinction of 10 factors an evening.
Benefit: Jokić
Giannis Antetokounmpo, 2021-22 vs. Nikola Jokić, 2024-25
Here’s a wild statistic: Jokić had nearly amassed as many win shares on the All-Star break this season than Antetokounmpo did in his 2021-22 marketing campaign. Antetokounmpo didn’t even lead the league in PER that season. You recognize who did? Jokić, in a preview of the dominance he has displayed for 5 years.
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Superior stats not your bag? Antetokounmpo in 2022 and Jokić this season are all however a wash in scoring, rebounds and mixed steals and blocks. Take a look at these assists, although. In 68 video games up to now, Jokić has logged almost twice as many assists (696) as Antetokounmpo did (388) in 67 video games three years in the past.
Benefit: Jokić
Stephen Curry, 2015-16 vs. Nikola Jokić, 2024-25
What a season that was for Curry — the best long-distance capturing season in NBA historical past. Jokić is actually scoring on the similar fee and similar effectivity as Curry did in 2016. That in itself is unbelievable.
Theirs are the most efficient high-volume scoring seasons ever.
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What’s extra: Jokić may have registered zero assists and rebounds after the All-Star break and nonetheless averaged extra in each statistical classes than Curry did in his unanimous MVP marketing campaign. What’s most stunning is how simple this argument is, as a result of, man, that Curry season was one thing to behold.
Benefit: Jokić
LeBron James, 2008-09 vs. Nikola Jokić, 2024-25
Check out James’ finest statistical season. (Not his finest season. 2012-13 was his apex.) Now take one other have a look at Jokić’s 2024-25 marketing campaign. He’s higher in each regard however blocks. And I don’t contemplate James’ edge in blocks sufficient to negate Jokić’s benefit in factors, rebounds, assists and steals.
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If something this ought to be your reminder that, sure, Jokić deserves to be talked about alongside the best to ever play the sport, and, sure, he deserves to affix anybody who has gained 4 MVPs.
Benefit: Jokić
Michael Jordan, 1987-88 vs. Nikola Jokić, 2024-25
The arguments are beginning to get a bit bit tougher. Jordan’s 1987-88 season was the gold normal for guards, as he captured each MVP and Defensive Participant of the Yr honors. However this is the factor: As Tom Haberstroh discovered for Yahoo Sports this previous summer season, Jordan’s steals and blocks that season have been overinflated at house, and maybe he didn’t deserve that DPOY. However that’s not germane to this debate.
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We’re speaking about stats, and Jokić has nearly doubled Jordan’s rebounds and assists in 1988. That’s extra spectacular than Jordan’s (overinflated) edge in steals and blocks. Take into account Jokić’s common end throughout these 4 statistical classes (even given his low placement in blocks): 18th. And Jordan’s: thirtieth.
As for the scoring, effectively, Jordan tried 24.4 area targets per recreation. Jokić takes 19.6. If he took as many pictures as Jordan did then, statistically, Jokić would common 35.8 factors per recreation. His edge in effectivity is that important. As it’s, and as we have now talked about earlier than, Jokić’s 29.8 factors and 10.2 assists yield 53.7 factors per recreation. Jordan’s 35 factors and 5.9 assists in 1988 generated 47 factors a recreation.
Benefit: Jokić
Wilt Chamberlain, 1961-62 vs. Nikola Jokić, 2024-25
Oh, boy. How are we going to argue our means out of this one? I imply, 50 factors and 26 rebounds a recreation. Good Lord. Chamberlain was a beast. Take into account this, no less than: Chamberlain was 7-foot-1, competing in a league that featured a single different common who was inside three inches of him (rookie Walt Bellamy).
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If that doesn’t clarify the distinction in rebounds, perhaps this can: The league-average field-goal share in 1962 was 42.6%; it’s now 46.7%. There was a mean of 123.6 missed pictures per recreation in 1962, versus 95 at present. If Jokić had as many obtainable rebounds to seize, based mostly on his rebounding share (19.1), he could be averaging 23.6 rebounds per recreation. Now think about he’s the one 7-footer.
Granted Chamberlain’s 50.4 factors and a pair of.4 assists produced 55.2 factors per recreation for the Philadelphia Warriors, barely greater than the 53.7 determine for Jokić. Chamberlain’s 55.2 factors produced 46.5% of a crew’s per-game common that season. Jokić’s 53.7 are 47.4% of the league common for a crew this season. Not convincing sufficient? Effectively, Chamberlain tried 39.5 area targets and 17 free throws per recreation in 1962 — greater than twice as many as Jokić. If Jokić took that many pictures, he would, statistically, be averaging 63.4 factors per recreation.
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Effectivity is actual. Wilt’s true-shooting share in a season through which he scored 50.4 factors a recreation would rank 173rd this season — equal to LaMelo Ball.
Benefit: Jokić
So there you will have it: Nikola Jokić is having fun with the best statistical common season ever.
