At this point, what is there to even say about Nikola Jokic that hasn’t been said? He’s a god amongst men, playing basketball at a level that nobody alive can match at the moment. The Joker has won three of the last four NBA MVP awards (with a second-place finish mixed in) and has somehow raised his game to another level this season.
Jokic leads the league in rebounds per game and assists per game, he’s fourth in the NBA in scoring, and he’s also 10th in steals per game. He has also increased his 3-point volume and is second in the entire league in 3-point percentage, shooting over 56% from long range.
It has truly been amazing to watch Jokic drag this shorthanded Nuggets team to a 7-3 record, with impressive wins over the Thunder and Mavericks in recent days. You don’t have to be a basketball savant or a statistician to be able to watch the Nuggets and realize that Jokic is a one-man wrecking crew, doing everything possible to help his team win games.
But it’s still impressive to see just how much the stats back up the eye test. Of course, Jokic’s counting stats are impressive enough on their own merit, but some of the advanced stats may be even more ridiculous.
Jokic’s point differential accounts for 67 win differential
One stat that was pointed out by Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report accentuates the impact of Jokic about as well as anything. That would be the expected wins for the Nuggets in the minutes that Jokic is on the court vs. off the court.
In the minutes that Jokic plays, the Nuggets’ point differential translates to a team that would be expected to win 68 games. For reference, only four teams in NBA history have won more games than that in a regular season.
Conversely, in the minutes that Jokic sits, the Nuggets’ point differential grades out to that of a team that would be expected to win - get this - ONE game. That’s right, the Nuggets without Jokic grade out to be a team that would go 1-81 over the course of an NBA regular season. That’s the equivalent of a 67-win difference in the times that Jokic is on and off the court.
The Nuggets have a point differential around that of a 68-win team when Nikola Jokić is on the floor, and they have one around that of a one-win team when he's off.
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) November 16, 2024
One. pic.twitter.com/n8kTuuut8Z
Obviously, the team is built around Jokic. They are naturally going to struggle without him, as any team would without their best player. That difference is even more pronounced with a player as incredible as Jokic. But still, this kind of drop-off when he sits is inexcusable. The Nuggets have other good and proud players; they should be able to offer their leader more help.