The Denver Nuggets appear to have all the makings of a championship contender, and it's thanks in large part to Nikola Jokic's dominance that stretches well beyond his ability to put the ball into the hoop. Jokic may not be the most athletically-gifted player, but he still impacts the game at such an MVP-level by being the quintessential team player. And the Joker's all-around contributions were in full display once more during the Nuggets' rousing 122-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
For much of the contest, Nikola Jokic took a scoring backseat to Jamal Murray, who scored a season-high 34 points. However, Jokic was almost-spotless in all facets of the game. In 35 minutes of action, Jokic dropped 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists for his league-leading 11th triple double of the season, and he did so without missing from the field. The Serbian superstar went a perfect 5-5 from the field (1-1 from deep) and 3-3 from the foul line. And in doing so, he achieved something that no one has ever done in the entire history of the NBA.
According to NBA History on Twitter, Jokic is the first player in league history to tally 10-plus points, 10-plus rebounds, and 15-plus dimes in a single game on 100 percent shooting from the field.
Again, these are the sorts of achievements that make some fans' eyes roll, given the arbitrary benchmarks. And that is true. The legendary Thaddeus Young graphic comes to mind.
However, no one can deny Nikola Jokic's unique brand of greatness that could, perhaps, put him in line for his third straight MVP especially with the Nuggets starting to play like bonafide contenders. Jokic's ability to lead his team without having to dominate the ball makes him such an incredible piece to build around, and definitely what makes the Nuggets a frightening team to face when they're firing on all cylinders.
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