The Second Round of the NBA Playoffs is in full swing this week. The Brooklyn Nets are now two games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks while the Atlanta Hawks won Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Another matchup that’s generating a lot of hype in the West is one between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. In this post, we're going to do a Devin Booker-Nikola Jokic card investment investigation of sorts. 

On one hand, you’ve got Mile High City led by this year’s MVP-favorite. Nikola Jokic. Thanks to his impressive array of offensive skills, which is unheard of from a big man in today’s NBA era, the Nuggets have a strong chance to make a deep playoff push.

Meanwhile, there’s the Suns with their All-Star tandem of Chris Paul and Devin Booker. The latter, in particular, has been playing magnificently during his matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. With Booker acting as Phoenix’s focal point on offense, they managed to eliminate LeBron James this early in the postseason for the first time in 14 years.

With their two squads facing off for a Best of Seven series, the spotlight is shining on these two stars. We take a look below at which of these two franchise players is the better investment option for card collectors.

Devin Booker-Nikola Jokic Card Investment Investigation

The Case For Devin Booker

Believe it or not, this is the first time Booker has been to the playoffs. Although with the he has played lately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

In the six games Booker played in the first round, the All-Star averaged 29.7 points 6.2 rebounds, and five assists. He was also shooting 48% from two, 43% from beyond the arc, and 93% from the free throw line.

 

Booker’s outstanding talent was on full display in Game 6. In 45 minutes on the floor, the shooting guard notched 47 points on an efficient 62% shooting from the field and an insane 80% from three. He also grabbed 11 boards and knocked down all of his nine free throw attempts.

Thanks to his First Round-heroics, Booker’s card value enjoyed a slight boost. At the start of June, his PSA 10 base Prizm rookie card was priced at $633. That figure is now at $814 on eBay. This increase signifies that the All-Star’s performance in round one has caught the attention of the card market, boosting demand for Devin Booker cards.

The Case For Nikola Jokic

Without a doubt, Jokic has been playing like an MVP all season long. He boasts a league-leading 9.2 offensive box score and 11.7 box plus/minus rating during the regular season. This means that the Joker is the most effective player in the entire NBA when it comes to generating offense on the court.

During the Denver Nuggets’ first-round matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, Jokic went off and showed everyone why he’s the favorite to win the MVP award. In those six games, the All-Star averaged 33 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. He also hit 42% from the field, 43% from three, and 91% from the free throw line.

The Joker’s dominance was highlighted in Game 6 against Portland. In that contest, Jokic went off by getting 36 points, eight rebounds, and 6 assists. He also shot an efficient 59% from two, 50% from deep, and 100% from the charity stripe.

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Jokic’s buzz-worthy MVP campaign, plus his magnificent performance against the Trail Blazers, has made a positive mark on his cards. From $915 last May, his PSA 10 base Prizm rookie card is now at $1,025.

The Verdict

Both Booker and Jokic present a strong case on which player is the better card investment. On one hand, the Suns’ All-Star has momentum on his side after Phoenix won the first game against Denver. Meanwhile, the Joker’s stock can still go up, especially if he is named as the MVP in the coming days.

Ultimately, the better player to invest in is Jokic by a small margin. The big man has taken a leap this year, solidifying his status as one of the NBA’s best active players. When compared to Booker, the Joker is on an upward trajectory in his career, which bodes well for his value in the card market. 

Of course, all bets are off if Phoenix manages to advance to the Western Conference Finals. But since it’s too early to tell who has the clear lead in their matchup as of now, the better card option between the two is Jokic.