Where the Jamal Murray-Nikola Jokic duo ranks among NBA’s best
Tier 3
- Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis (Dallas Mavericks
- Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Trae Young and John Collins (Atlanta Hawks)
- D’Angelo Russell and Karl Anthony-Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
The players in this tier are young and have upper echelon potential. Whether or not they reach their ceiling, there’s nearly no doubt that they are the future for their respective franchises.
– Luka Doncic has already shown the world that he’s a generational talent because of his scoring and playmaking ability. He has the ability to take over games and has shown himself to have the “it” factor even before he made it to the NBA, when he dominating in the EuroLeague. When healthy, Kristaps Porzingis is can be one of the most dominant big men in the league because of his ability to score from all over the floor and his shot-blocking ability.
– Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are young and inexperienced. Still, Ingram is extremely skilled on offense and has had a breakout season. Meanwhile, Zion is the talk of the league because of his combination of elite athleticism, his strength around the basket, his unselfish playmaking and his potential on both ends of the floor.
– Trae Young and John Collins are also young and inexperienced. Yet, Trae has long been an elite 3-point shooter and otherworldly playmaker. This season, he learned that being a scrappy defender could prevent him from being targeted as he was in his rookie year. Meanwhile, Collins is able to score from all three levels and is a great partner for Young because of his pick-and-pop ability, offensive rebounding, gravity around the rim.
– Already on his fourth team in just five career seasons, D’Angelo Russell doesn’t have what you would call a great reputation. Still, his offensive prowess is elite as he’s one of the best perimeter scorers in the game and can create space for his shot with ease. The soft-spoken Karl Anthony-Towns is an ultra-talented big man who makes a high impact on both ends of the floor with his three-level scoring, passing, shot-blocking potential and rebounding.
– What makes Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic interesting is that they both have an elite offensive skill. Murray has shot 38.9% on catch-and-shoot threes this season and his 39.3% on corner threes, showing how dominant he is from long-distance. He has the craftiness, finesse and bounce to finish around the rime while being a pretty good facilitator as well. Defensively, Murray isn’t elite but he’s pesky and determined to stop his man from scoring.
Jokic, the league’s best passing center, has a preternatural sense and one of the highest IQs of any player. That basketball IQ has also allowed him to be a pretty good defender, thanks to his positioning, play in the passing lanes and his effort. He’s also a three-level scorer whose one-legged jumpers might remind many of former Dallas Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki.
Honorable mentions
While John Wall and Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) have a case to be included in one of these tiers, here are the issues with each.
In the case of Wall and Beal, who were once indisputably a premier backcourt duo due to Wall’s passing, speed and defense being combined with Beal’s scoring and playmaking, the issue is health. Wall will not have played competitively in nearly two years by the time he returns the court and it’s difficult to assume he’ll return to prime form after having multiple serious injuries. They could easily be a second-tier duo if he does though.
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Although Murray and Jokic aren’t in the top tier of NBA duos, they’re a better duo than you’ll find in half the NBA. Due to their youth, there’s plenty of opportunity for them to become better individually and as a pair.
