Nikola Jokic has been on a tear lately, even by his lofty standards, and sure enough, it has been another historical stretch for the three-time MVP, as he has become the first player ever to record 110+ points, 40+ rebounds, and 40+ assists in a three-game span.
It should come as no real surprise to see Jokic put up these kinds of numbers, but it’s still always jarring to hear that he has done something never seen before in the history of the league.
The performances in question have been truly special. Joker started the run in Dallas, dropping a casual 29, 7, and 14. He followed up that game with one of his all-time masterpieces on Christmas Day, blessing the Timberwolves with 56, 16, and 15. Then, on Saturday night, he went off again, putting up 34, 21, and 12 in Orlando.
It’s crazy to think, he has all but made these ridiculous stat lines look normal. Sure, those are all-time showings, yet watching each game, none of it felt like it was fluky, and everything Jokic was doing felt more or less repeatable for him on a nightly basis.
Nuggets losing Jokic’s masterpieces
The only problem with these incredible showings by the Joker is that they’re happening out of necessity because the team is hurting. Unfortunately, Denver has lost two of these three games, barely winning the other in overtime.
They’re at their best when Jokic can be more of a distributor, getting all of his teammates involved. And while he’s had his fair share of assists, the team has been far more Jokic-centric than they want to be.
But alas, in the meantime, there may not be much that can be done. The Nuggets will be without Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun for at least a few more games, and Cam Johnson may not be back for months. They’re hurting for production, and one of the only feasible options is running more through Jokic.
It hasn’t been resulting in wins, but it’s resulting in competitive basketball. Jokic is doing everything he possibly can to drag this crew to victories against good teams. Most nights, it’s likely enough to get by, as we’ve seen in past seasons, but it’s never easy.
More importantly, it’s just another reminder of how important it is for this team to be fully healthy and have their full complement of weapons available. When that’s the case, they can spread things around, keep everyone involved and fresh, and wear teams out over the course of 48 minutes. When multiple guys are missing, that equation gets an awful lot harder.