The Denver Nuggets are battling this season to remain in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference. The conference is a little watered down this NBA season, as only five teams are over the .500 mark, certainly helps teams such as the Nuggets stay afloat.
Denver is currently 16-16 on the season, holding the No. 6 seed in the conference. They are holding down the last spot outside of the NBA Play-In Tournament in large part because of how well Nikola Jokic has played this season.
It is hard to imagine where the Nuggets would be without the reigning MVP in the lineup. He is arguably having a better season than last, as he is recording better statistics in some categories.
Jokic is putting up 25.9 points on the highest effective field goal percentage of his career. He is grabbing a career-high 13.8 rebounds per game, handing out 7.2 assists to go along with 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks.
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His video game numbers are eye-popping, but his offensive, defensive and on/off ratings are trying bonkers. There is slight hyperbole, but not as much as you would think, in saying the Nuggets are the best team in the history of the NBA with Jokic on the court and the worst team in league history with him off of it.
On the season, Jokic has a net rating of 10.1, registering an offensive rating of 114 and a defensive rating of 103.9. On the season the Nuggets have a net rating of -0.6, as without him they have been brutal.
When Jokic is off the court, the Nuggets have an offensive rating of 100.1 and a defensive rating of 114.1. They are -14 without Jokic on the floor, with a massive difference of 24.1. That is truly astonishing how big of a difference that Jokic is making this season.
While his offensive numbers are gaudy and the focus for many people, and rightfully so, his defense deserves a lot of recognition. Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone believes Jokic has a strong case to make an All-NBA team.
“The thing that jumps out to me, and I’m gonna say this, and people not in Denver, but people around the NBA will scoff at it, he’s a very effective defensive player,” Malone said. “You can’t say he’s not. All the other analytics they use for other players, when you apply those same analytics to Nikola Jokic, he should be an All-Defensive player.”
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Jokic has never been lauded as a strong defender, but that is no longer the case. He has made strides, recording 2.5 deflections per game in addition to his 1.3 steals. Both numbers are second among centers.
Without Jokic, Denver would likely find itself at the bottom of the standings. They are missing a lot of pieces, but a lot of teams are missing key players. He is once again the focal point of their offensive attack, but he is providing as much of an impact defensively now, becoming as well-rounded of center as there is in the NBA.
