Nikola Jokic gives massive edge over Clippers beyond his star power

There are a lot of reasons why the Nuggets have been able to survive these first four games and will head back to Denver with an even 2-2 series. Despite dealing with a pathetic lack of depth, injury issues across the board, questionable defense, and a dearth of three-point shooting, they’ve done what they needed to do, and now it’s a best-of-three series with the Clippers, with two of those games in Ball Arena.

Jamal Murray deserves some credit for hitting big shots. Michael Porter Jr. deserves credit for gutting it out and playing through a brutal shoulder injury. Aaron Gordon deserves credit for his consistency on both ends, and of course, his incredible game-winning dunk.

But let’s not kid ourselves, the bulk of the credit belongs to Nikola Jokic. Without his presence, none of this other stuff matters in the slightest, and the Nuggets would be getting ready to root for ping-pong balls in the NBA draft lottery.

Jokic’s game speaks for itself. He’s the best player in the league, the best player in the world, and one of the best players of all time. Others have taken turns in the spotlight, but Jokic has been the best player in this series as well, even with legends Kawhi Leonard and James Harden on the opposite side.

Through four games, Joker is averaging 28.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 10.75 assists per game and doing enough to anchor a defense that has largely held the Clippers’ vaunted offense in check. But more than any of that, Jokic impacts these games in a way that goes far beyond the box score.

Jokic's play in the clutch is the Nuggets’ trump card

More than anything else he brings to the table, Jokic’s steadiness and reliability in crunchtime are what set him apart. His playmaking and shotmaking in the clutch are impeccable, and it feels like if the Nuggets can just get to a close game, Jokic will take them home.

It was on display in Game 1, when Jokic helped get the Nuggets back into it, then made big shots and multiple key assists to close things out, and we saw it again on Saturday in Game 4. The Nuggets blew a huge lead, but righted the ship by playing through Jokic, and the big man delivered yet again.

He made massive baskets, including one to give the Nuggets a two-point lead with under 20 seconds to play on an absurd Sombor Shuffle, one-legged turnaround fadeaway. In fact, the only play you could argue he didn’t make was the missed shot at the buzzer over Ivica Zubac and Leonard. 

But, he got some luck in the form of a perfectly placed airball right into the waiting arms of Gordon for the dunk. Time and again, when things bog down and get into these tight, late, back-and-forth affairs, Jokic is able to create a quality shot in the halfcourt.

The Clippers are certainly capable of making clutch shots as well, but it’s more predicated on Harden beating his man off the dribble or Leonard making a very difficult shot. Jokic, on the other hand, is calm, cool, and collected. He takes what the defense gives him and puts his team in position to win games. If the Nuggets can find a way to keep two of these next three games close, you’ve got to like their chances.