Could he do it? Could Nikola Jokic actually pull off the unthinkable? He already pulled off one crazy feat last season, leading the NBA in both rebounds and assists, the first time any player has done so in the same season. But one sports writer thinks Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic could pull off the NBA's version of the triple crown for the first time ever, leading the league in rebounds, assists, AND scoring. And I tend to agree with him. Especially if Jokic decides to be more aggressive and shoot more.
Fresh from a new article on The Ringer, Michael Pina made a bold prediction that Jokic would lead the league in points, rebounds, and assists this year. It may seem bold, but it's closer to reality than some may think. Pina thinks it would be because of the Nuggets' new-look bench and because Aaron Gordon might get more rest, putting more pressure on Jokic to score more. But those aren't even the reasons why Jokic could do the unthinkable. It's almost rather simple.
Jokic just needs to shoot a couple more times per game
The reality is that Jokic just needs to shoot about 21 times per game, up from the 17.4 he averaged last season. It's not that much more than the 19.5 attempts he averaged, a career high, in 2024-25, when he also averaged 29.6 points, a career high.
And honestly, he should be encouraged to shoot more. His inside game is incredible, and he led the league in mid-range FG% last season. He's also got an elite floater that won't get blocked by anyone except perhaps Victor Wembanyama, and if his three-point shot returns to the form he had prior to the All-Star break at 42.0%, he's definitely got a chance to challenge Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic for his first scoring crown.
Rebounds may be the more difficult category to lead
Jokic is the best passer in the NBA, and even the General Managers of all 30 teams agree on that. Jokic finished the year with 10.7 assists per game, and the next closest was Cade Cunningham at 9.9, and only four players, including Jokic, had more than 8. But rebounds are a different story.
Even though Jokic had a healthy cushion there too, finishing the year with 12.9 while runner-up Karl-Anthony Towns had 11.9, they're more of a wild card. Jokic averaged 12.4 and 12.7 in the prior two seasons, and didn't lead the category. In fact, 12.9 is the second-lowest number to lead the league in rebounds over the last 10 years, and only Domantas Sabonis' 12.3 was lower. Sabonis led the league in rebounds the three seasons prior to Jokic with 12.3, 13.7, and 13.9. Sabonis happened to miss most of last season with injuries.
It's a long shot, but it's doable and closer to reality than it seems. I'd love to see the MVP voters try to figure out a way to give the MVP to someone else when Jokic pulls off the triple crown. It would be absurd, and it should make him a shoo-in for his fourth MVP. Do it, Joker, shoot more and do the unthinkable.
Add us as a preferred source on Google