There's no disputing it. Nikola Jokic's basketball I.Q. is off the charts. And his postgame comments about hitting the "Sombor Shuffle" over Victor Wembanyama in the closing moments of the Nuggets' 136-134 thrilling victory over the Spurs show just how deep and memorable that knowledge runs.
Jokic hit his patented turnaround step-back over-the-head heave over Wemby, and it looked a little different than it maybe did in the past. And it was. Because Jokic is the Greg Maddux of basketball I.Q. He's a basketball genius.
Joker hit the shot this time because he was blocked on it before. And after the game, he said he remembered that, and this time he "put a little more arc" on the shot and nailed it to help close the door on the Spurs in overtime.
There was no bigger moment in the game to hit that shot, and he remembered how he had to do it against the possible Defensive Player of the Year in a split-second decision with the game in the balance. Wemby could only shake his head in disbelief. He played good defense. But Jokic was ready.
Jokic was also prepared when he iced the the game
It was an innocuous floater at the time. Nothing major, just Jokic icing the game for the Nuggets in overtime. But take another look at the shot in the context of his basketball I.Q.
Jokic turned around, saw Wemby, and put that ball up on a level even Wemby's reach couldn't block. He arc'd that one up and over, too. How many other players are throwing that one right to Wemby's awaiting outstretched arms? Probably more than most, if not all of them. But not the basketball genius, Jokic.
Jokic's been playing at another level
Jokic has been playing incredible basketball for the Nuggets over the last 15 games, and that's saying something for someone capable of a triple-double nightly. Jokic is averaging 25.4 points, grabbing 13.7 rebounds, and dishing an astonishing 12.3 assists, while adding 1.5 steals a game.
It's an incredible run that has seen games of 19 and 17 assists, and the Nuggets are 11-4 with a season-high eight-game winning streak over those 15 games. They're 6-3 in clutch games over that same time frame, and they'd be 9-1in those games if they didn't lose on last-second shots to MVP candidates.
Jokic has the Nuggets peaking at the right time, and they just showed why a healthy Aaron Gordon is so important to the team, too. And with Jokic's basketball I.Q. and talent, the Nuggets are never out of it.