The Nuggets extended their winning streak to five games on Tuesday night with a road win over the Kings, 122-108, behind another ridiculous Nikola Jokic performance, as he put up 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. Perhaps most impressively, he did it while shooting 16-19 from the field.
It’s nothing to see the Joker put up stat lines like this one; in fact, this game will detract from his assists season average, and it’s now a rarity that he doesn’t post a triple-double. But scoring 35 points on 19 shots is just outrageous efficiency.
Now, during the Nuggets’ five-game winning streak, Jokic has averaged 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists per game, while shooting 72.7% from the field. To put things in perspective, the only other player to average a 30+ point triple-double with 70%+ field goal percentage over a five-game stretch in NBA history is Wilt Chamberlain, back in 1968.
Jokic shooting efficiency has been better than ever
Overall, Jokic’s scoring numbers are down, and he is taking fewer shots, but his efficiency numbers are way up. He’s shooting a career-high 67% from the field and a preposterous 78% on two-point attempts. His three-point shooting is slightly down, but he’s still at over 35%.
On top of the scoring, Jokic is averaging a career-high and league-leading 11.4 assists per game as well. He’s getting his teammates involved at a higher rate than ever and shooting the ball at a better rate than ever.
As he mentioned in his postgame interview on Peacock, Jokic is thriving with the new weapons around him. Even though some players are still struggling to find a rhythm, the addition of these veteran bench players has had a massive impact.
The Nuggets are able to survive the minutes when Jokic sits now, and when he has to keep bench units afloat, he’s playing with competent teammates. He has players who can space the floor around him and finish plays better than ever in Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., Julian Stawther, and Peyton Watson.
That’s a stark contrast from the weak units he has been forced to carry in recent years, and he is clearly enjoying the new experience and making the most of it. It’s going to be a tall order for him to actually keep up this level of efficiency for an entire season, but there’s no reason to expect major dips given the roster around him.