By: Jonathan Huang
Size. Rebounding. Shooting. Passing. Nikola Jokić has it all in his basketball toolbox.
Big men are known to have a steep learning curve coming into the NBA but Jokić is proving he belongs in this league, even as a 21-year-old. In 21.2 minutes per game this season, he’s produced. Amongst all rookies, he’s 4th in rebounds (6.7), 5th in field goal percentage (50.7%), 7th in assists (2.2), and 8th in scoring (9.9). Nikola is also efficient – his PER is 21.43, good for 25th in the entire NBA and 2nd amongst rookies.
Amongst all of the league’s centers, he’s tied for 7th in assists. He’s certainly making his mark with coach Michael Malone saying, “He’s like Magic Jokić. He’s king of the no-look.” In addition to the passing, The Joker, as he’s affectionately known, can also shoot the ball from distance. He’s shooting 34.6% from three-point range which puts him 7th among first-year players.
As Jokić continues to refine his broad skill set, he will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future.