Denver Nuggets takeaway No. 1: Nikola Jokic is the best center in the NBA
Without a doubt, Nikola Jokic is the best center in the NBA after this run. It’s not Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns, but the 25-year-old 7-foot Serbian basketball wizard. The Jazz and Clippers had no answer for him in the playoffs and the longer into the postseason we got, the better Jokic performed. Jokic averaged 24.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and had a PER (Player Efficiency Rating) of 24.9.
The most shocking thing everyone could agree on with Jokic was the weight he lost when he showed up in Orlando. He almost looked like a whole new player. Reports said he had already lost 20-25 pounds during the season before the hiatus. This was a near transformation for the big man. You could easily tell how it affected his game in a good way during the playoffs. He had more stamina and looked way more fluid and quick in his actions all while not giving up any strength down low.
Jokic has also developed his own unique shot that’s unguardable, his version of the Dirk fade-away. The off-balance jump shot he shoots off his dominant right foot is virtually unguardable. Usually, a right-handed player will go off their left foot since you can get up higher and it’s a more natural movement.
Jokic throws all that out of the window and goes off his right leg. This allows him to use his left leg as a shield against the defender and because of his height he gets a clean look at the basket. This shot will be this generation’s Dirk fade-away, an iconic shot for all time that’s virtually unguardable.