Recapping Nikola Jokic's Historic 2023 Playoff Run
Nikola Jokic celebrating the Denver Nuggets’ 2023 Championship with the Team and his Daughter
(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
With the Denver Nuggets reaching the height of the basketball universe by winning the 2023 NBA championship for the first time in their franchise’s 47-year history, their star player who led them to the promised land deserves recognition for his unreal playoff performances, even if he refuses to acknowledge his excellence.
The two-time MVP and 2023 runner-up MVP proved his dominance when it mattered most by averaging 30 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists each game in 20 games played in the playoffs. He did all this with excellent efficiency by shooting 54.8 percent from the field and a whopping 46.1 percent from three-point range. This playoff run also led to a lot of “firsts” for the Serbian big man, none of which he seemed to care about one bit. He became the first player in NBA history to lead all players in the playoffs in total points, assists, and rebounds, as well as the first player ever to have a game with at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in one game. On top of all this, he silenced his doubters that criticized his defense by finishing second in the playoffs in defensive win shares with 1.3. All of this led the Denver Nuggets to an incredible 16-4 record in the playoffs, including a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, and capped the run off with his first NBA Finals MVP award.
But enough about the numbers showing that he dominated the playoffs. Let’s talk about how exactly he dominated the playoffs. Nikola Jokic might just be the most nonchalant NBA superstar of all time. When asked about how much his 30/20 performance in game one of the Finals meant after the game, he replied: “To be honest, not much.” He claims to have also lost his Finals MVP trophy less than a day after winning it. Even though some people will criticize his attitude as a lack of care for the game of basketball, his relatability and unserious nature are refreshing to many fans.
Jokic’s unique play style was as effective as ever in these playoffs and put the entire basketball world on notice of his greatness, despite his lack of flashiness or highlight-reel athletic plays. How many people who grew up watching basketball would have thought that a 6-foot-11-inch tall and 280-pound center could lead his team to a championship by being arguably the best passer in the league, showing an ability to score from anywhere on the court, and being one of the best rebounders in the league, while often running plays through him as if he were a point guard?
Overall, it is more than fair to say that Jokic has made an incredibly convincing bid for the title of “Best Basketball Player in the World,” even though it’s fair to assume that title means next to nothing to the Joker himself. Given that he is currently just 28 years old with the resume that he has, Jokic will surely be climbing his way up the list of all-time greatest centers in the history of the NBA, which will make for some entertaining debates shortly.
