(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic is currently one of the best players in the NBA.
Jokic was drafted as the 41st overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Being a second-round pick, there weren’t many expectations for Jokic, especially to be a multi-time MVP and an NBA champion.
Many didn’t realize how good Jokic would be, but the Los Angeles Lakers’ Jarred Vanderbilt knew Jokic’s potential from the very first day, as he revealed via Swipa on Twitter.
“Oh yeah, for sure. I seen it day one. He was just different,” Vanderbilt said.
Jarrett Vanderbilt on whether or not he saw Nikola Jokic becoming THIS good while he was a Denver Nugget:
(Run Your Race, @TidalLeague) pic.twitter.com/EoIH9Y8qnb
— Swipa (@SwipaCam) September 19, 2023
Jokic averaged 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game during his rookie season.
Considering he started 55 out of the total 80 games played that year, the Nuggets realized Jokic’s potential earlier in his career.
However, it took some time before Jokic truly started to dominate the game of basketball with his insane IQ.
While Jokic earned his first NBA All-Star appearance during the 2018-19 season, he started to flaunt his all-around game in the 2020-21 season, also winning the first MVP award of his career.
In the 2022-23 season, Jokic averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game.
He was just 0.2 assists per game away from averaging a triple-double throughout the season.
As for his greatness, Jokic has set the bar for how a modern-day center should player.
An ideal star center should be able to score, grab rebounds, and distribute the ball with great perfection.
Many players in the NBA are trying to play with this approach after seeing the result of Jokic’s performance last season.
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