Nikola Jokic is still probably the best basketball player in the world despite his second-place finish in the NBA MVP voting. He showed in Serbia's first game of the summer in international competition that he's still in form, and Joker actually looks a little more cut and more like the 2023 or 2024 Jokic body style. Hopefully, Jokic's three-point shot returns to that 2024-25 form, too, because Jokic still had an issue hitting threes like he did much of the second half and playoffs of last season.
Jokic, the captain of the Serbian squad, had 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists against Switzerland in the first game for Serbia of the FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers.
That's a typical Joker line, of course, but the 1-4 from beyond the arc needs to be watched closely to see if Jokic can improve the shot that helps stretch the defense so much and adds an incredible dimension to his game.
Because when that shot is not falling, and the opposing team has the right defensive stopper, like the Timberwolves did with Rudy Gobert in the Nuggets' first-round playoff loss, it limits the potential of the Nuggets' offense.
Jokic's three-point shot is concerning. He should just scoot in.
While Jokic shot 38% from three on the season in 2025-26, he was noticeably much worse from deep after the All-Star break and his return from missing 16 games due to a knee injury. Jokic shot an amazing 42% from deep prior to the All-Star break.
But when he returned from injury, he also had a nagging wrist problem that popped up, and he was seen icing it on the bench while taking a breather in the middle of games. His three-point percentage dropped to 31.6% post-All-Star break, the lowest of the rotation players on the Nuggets, and it got even worse against the Timberwolves when pressure was applied. Jokic shot just 19.4% from deep against the Timberwolves, again, the worst of any Nugget in the series.
Jokic's a basketball savant, a genius, and he just needs to realize he should scoot in and make a few more mid-range shots instead. Jokic was the top mid-range shooter at 55.9% in 2025-26, and if he can't knock down the threes consistently anymore, he can just scoot in a couple of steps and probably knock down plenty of buckets.
If Jokic can figure his wrist out and make more threes again, then this is a moot point. But until he shows the three-point shot that we all remember, he needs to adjust to keep the Nuggets' offense flowing at its best.
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