Denver Nuggets holiday wish list: 3 gifts fans want for Christmas

More aggression from Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic is currently averaging just 15.0 field goal attempts per game, his lowest amount in three seasons. However, he has begun to ramp up his shot attempts in recent weeks.

Over his last ten games, the reigning MVP is taking 18.6 shots per contest on 59.7 percent shooting with per-game averages of 28.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. Jokic’s last two campaigns saw him average 17.7 field goal attempts and 18.0 field goal attempts, respectively. So, clearly, Jokic can provide as much value as anyone without shooting.

While displaying MVP-level basketball with the best record in his conference, Jokic sits outside of the league’s top fifty players in field goal attempts per game. After all, the gifted big man does more with his touches than just about anybody else in the league.

Even so, Denver thrives when Jokic is aggressive with the basketball. Since drafting Jokic, the Nuggets have won 61.1 percent of the games in which the Joker takes 15 or more shots, although, the team has won a slightly worse 55.3 percent of games when Jokic attempts less than 15 shots.

When Nikola Jokic initiates the offense with an added level of aggression, the floor opens up even more for himself and his teammates. Whether he is doubled in the post or challenged in an isolation situation down low, Jokic typically finds a way to produce a bucket for his team.

The two-man game between Jokic and Jamal Murray has remained effective during the Blue Arrow’s comeback campaign. This proven one-two punch highlights the impact an aggressive version of Jokic can have on Murray and other guards beside him.

After all, it is no coincidence that Bruce Brown is putting together a career year in scoring while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is posting career-highs in field goal and three-point percentage.

Nikola Jokic brings out the very best in the Denver Nuggets when he plays with an aggressive mindset. While Jokic’s version of high aggression doesn’t always come in the form of isolating and shooting in high volume, the two-time MVP certainly gets the job done.