Is Nikola Jokic the Greatest 2nd Round Draft Pick in NBA History?
The 2014 NBA draft was a defining moment for Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets and the NBA. They just didn’t know it yet.
The first big move the Nuggets completed was trading their 11th pick (Doug McDermott) and Anthony Randolph to the Chicago Bulls for their 16th pick (Jusuf Nurkic) and 19th pick (Gary Harris). Although we know that Nurkic is no longer with Denver, both picks proved to be valuable to the construction of the deepest team in the NBA today. Their night was only just getting started though.
With the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, most teams are not anticipating a superstar talent to slip into their hands. Most teams at this moment in the draft would either select a young raw prospect or an NBA ready role player to fill out roster space. What the Nuggets expected to get was a strong center with a hard working attitude and excellent basketball IQ. What they ended up getting was a franchise superstar.
The rest is history. Nikola Jokic is currently averaging 20.7 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 7.7 APG, 1.4 SPG while shooting an impressive 50.3% from the field and 85% from the free throw line. The Nuggets are 2nd in the West with a 42-18 record thanks in no small part to the MVP caliber performances from Nikola Jokic.
Calling Jokic the greatest 2nd round draft pick in NBA history may be a bit premature with players like Manu Ginobili, Draymond Green and fellow front court teammate Paul Millsap all having had great careers, but Jokic is still young. He only just turned 24 years old this past Tuesday, only just scratching the surface of his prime. He will have valuable playoff experience under his belt for a team that has the talent to make it to the Western Conference Finals.
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Over the next few years we will see Jokic refine his abilities and become an even greater player then he already is. Seeing how young and talented this Denver Nuggets squad is, it is not hard to imagine a scenario where a prime Nikola Jokic leads the Nuggets to some serious success down the road. As Jokic continues to pile up more accolades and more eye popping statistics, he will move closer and closer to being the greatest 2nd round draft pick to have ever lived.