The NBA's Player Efficiency Rating only gives a small glimpse of how great Nikola Jokic is.
Nikola Jokic is no stranger when it comes to winning NBA MVP trophies, and if he remains on the current trajectory for the remainder of the regular season, it's a very real possibility that he could capture a fourth one. If he is able to sway voters and once again prove that he is the best player in the league, it would put him in elite company with the likes of LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Michael Jordan as the only players in history with at least four NBA MVP's.
Jokic is 30 years old, and if he can avoid injury, keep the Nuggets in contention, and continue to put up historical stats consistently, he could play at this level for at least another 6-8 seasons. Over the past few years, the Serbian big man's level of efficiency has been out of this world. Just to compare how big of an impact Jokic has when he's on the floor, let's evaluate the Player Efficiency Rating (PER).
A Player's Efficiency Rating measures a player's performance per minute and summarizes a player's overall contributions into a single number. When looking at the players with the highest PER of all-time, LeBron James is third at 26.96. No surprise at who's in second place as Michael Jordan posted a career 27.91 PER.
For Jokic to have a PER of 28.47 and already having surpassed two of the greatest to ever play speaks volumes about his impact. The real question to ask is just how long Jokic will be able to sustain this level of consistency. It appears that he is only getting better with each season, and due to the fact that he doesn't have to rely on athleticism, his prime could last into his late 30s.
MVP/Year | All-Time PER Ranking |
|---|---|
Nikola Jokic:2021,2022,2024 | 1st |
Michael Jordan: 1988,1991,1992, 1996,1998 | 2nd |
LeBron James: 2009,2010,2012,2013 | 3rd |
Shaquille O'Neal: 2000 | 5th |
David Robinson: 1995 | 6th |
Wilt Chamberlain: 1960,1966,1967,1968 | 7th |
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 2019,2020 | 8th |
Bob Petit: 1956,1959 | 10th |
Kevin Durant: 2014 | 12th |
Charles Barkley: 1993 | 13th |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 1971,1972,1974,1976,1977,1980 | 14th |
Tim Duncan: 2002,2003 | 15th |
Magic Johnson: 1987,1989,1990 | 16th |
As history shows, PER has had a major impact on determining the winner of the NBA's regular-season MVP award. Out of the top 20 NBA players ranked all-time in PER, 15 of them have won at least one regular season MVP award, and with Jokic being No. 1 all-time in that category, could he possibly have a shot at catching Abdul-Jabbar or even surpassing him?
More than anything, Jokic's uniqueness is what defines his greatness, especially considering the fact that he is dominating with a style of play that is being replicated by other players like Alperen Sengun and Domantas Sabonis. Jokic is a very cerebral player, and despite his limited athleticism and physical limitations, he excels at using his body, especially in how he is able to create space by bumping a defender or how he can position himself to effectively rebound the ball.
Averaging a triple-double while literally carrying his team and still maintaining an elite level of efficiency is the kind of stuff only seen in video games. But somehow, Jokic has been able to put up astounding numbers and does it each and every game.