The 10 greatest Nuggets in history, ranked by Player Efficiency Rating (PER)
By Ben Handler
1. Nikola Jokic - 28.0 PER
And of course, the top player by PER in the history of Denver basketball is the one and only Nikola Jokic. If that 28.03 number looks staggering, that’s because it is, as he has the highest record PER in the history of both the NBA and ABA.
Michael Jordan has the second-highest career PER of 27.91 and LeBron James has the third-highest at 27.06. The Joker is right above the two greatest players in the history of the game, and he’s lapping the field when it comes to Denver basketball players.
Joel Embiid of the 76ers does actually have a higher PER at 28.4, but he has yet to meet the minimum requirement of 15,000 minutes played in the league. If he can keep up his torrid play for another year or two, the Philly big man will enter this conversation as well.
Jokic is about to win his third NBA MVP Award in the last four years. He also has a second-place finish, a fourth-place finish, and a ninth-place finish. He made his sixth straight All-Star Game this season and he’s a lock to make his sixth straight All-NBA team - and his fourth first-team nod.
His absurd career stats of 20.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists through nine years in the league don’t even begin to tell the full story. In fact, over his past four seasons, he’s at 26 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game.
Jokic is also the reigning Finals MVP after bringing the first championship to Denver and he’s got the team primed for another run at it this year and beyond.
Ultimately, Jokic may not finish with the highest career PER of any player, as he’s still in his prime currently. There is a chance his play could fall off - even slightly - for a few years as he ages. Even if he ages gracefully and continues to be one of the best players in the league, even a small dip could drop him below the likes of Jordan and LeBron.
But there’s obviously no shame in that, and barring some type of disaster, Jokic will retire with the highest PER in the history of Denver professional basketball.