Wrapping up our top 25 NBA players list, it’s time to focus on Nikola Jokic. The Denver Nuggets superstar big man has a unique all-around skill set and an unprecedented impact. The three-time MVP earns the top spot on our list for the second consecutive year. Let’s dive into Jokic’s incredible game and why he’s the league’s best player.
Top 25 NBA Players 2024-25: No. 1 – Nikola Jokic
An All-Time Great Big Man
Over the past few years, Jokic’s historic offensive skill set and unmatched all-around impact have been on full display. In addition to being a consistent 25-points-per-game scorer, Jokic is a top-notch passer, regularly averaging almost 10 assists a game. With excellent vision and accuracy, Jokic is not only the best passing big man of all-time, but he’s one of the best pure passers. With this elite combination, Denver runs the majority of their offense through Jokic. As a result, Jokic generates tons of great looks for his teammates and elevates those around him notably, he has achieved an impressive amount of success while never having an All-Star teammate. Additionally, Jokic is also an elite and all-time-level rebounder. Ultimately, Jokic’s unique skill set, along with his elite combination of impact, production, and advanced stats, allow him to stand out as the league’s best player.
Nikola Jokic’s resume at age 29
– NBA Champion
– NBA Finals MVP
– 3x NBA MVP
– WCF MVP
– 6x Allstar
– 6x All-NBA
– 1st Team All-Rookie
– 14x Player of the Week
– 7x Player of the Month
– 148 Career Triple Doubles
– 2x OLYMPIC MEDALIST ()
Not many have done better than him… pic.twitter.com/Wr6zamCQlb
— Nuggets Lead (@NuggetsLead) August 10, 2024
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Season Recap
Jokic continued his dominance in the 2023-24 season. He posted averages of 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists on 58.3/35.9/81.7 shooting splits. Impressively, Jokic led the league in win shares, plus/minus, and VORP. Additionally, the Nuggets offense was a +18.3 with Jokic on the court. The advanced stats highlight Jokic’s unmatched all-around impact. Jokic led the Nuggets to a 57-25 record and the second seed in the West. This resulted in him winning his third MVP in four years. With three MVPs Jokic is in historic company, notably only five players in league history have more than three MVPs. Due to their clutch time dominance, along with Jokic’s excellence, many predicted the Nuggets would repeat as champions, and they were certainly favorites in the West.
Nikola Jokic leads the NBA in touches per game: 103.1
He is 32nd in time of posession: 4.8 minutes per game
That makes him 120th in the league in seconds per touch while averaging 29.0, 9.2, on 64.2 TS%
A true super computer… pic.twitter.com/T6AesAk0az
— NBA University (@NBA_University) December 1, 2023
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However, in the second round, Denver was upset by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in a hard-fought seven-game series. Edwards’ incredible play, combined with Minnesota’s top-ranked defense, allowed them to pull off a surprising upset over the Nuggets. Nevertheless, Jokic excelled individually, averaging 28.7 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 8.7 assists for the playoffs.
Season Outlook
This offseason, the Nuggets lost one of their most valuable contributors, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. With KCP’s loss, the Nuggets will need to find a dependable three-point shooter and perimeter defender notably, Denver ranked 29th in three-point attempts last season. Increasing this volume without KCP will be challenging. The Nuggets will be counting on young players Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, and Julian Strawther to fill his void. All of these players offer some but not all of KCP’s skill set. Regardless, Jokic will likely be able to help significantly elevate at least one of these players’ games. Additionally, during the offseason, the Nuggets extended Jamal Murray to a four-year $208 million deal. Murray is coming off a disappointing playoff run and will need to step up as a consistent co-star next to Jokic.
Regardless, with this core of Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon healthy, Jokic has proven they can win 50-plus games and are a top seed in the West. It’s very feasible the Nuggets could remain between 50 and 55 games while remaining a top-three seed in the West. However, they may take a slight dip. Nevertheless, Jokic will put up incredible stats and continue to have an unmatched impact. Jokic will likely finish in the top three in MVP. However, it would take something special for Jokic to win his fourth MVP in five years, but he might just be that good.
The Last Word
Despite the Nuggets’ disappointing playoff finish, Jokic’s excellent play and all-around impact can not be ignored. This makes it challenging to make a case for anyone else as the league’s best player. While it’s possible this changes, for now, Jokic’s status as the best player in the world feels very secure.
Check out our full top 25 list here.
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