Sports – FiveThirtyEight — Nikola Jokic RSS



We Don’t Talk Enough About Nikola Jokić’s Scoring

Here is as satisfying a highlight as this NBA season will produce: That’s reigning MVP Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets giving the business to Sacramento’s Damian Jones earlier this month. Like most of the Serbian center’s best plays, it begs for metaphor — a boulder running a slalom course, maybe — but the bare-bones […]

Continue reading



We Know About Portland’s Prolific Offense. Can Its Much-Maligned Defense Level Up?

The Portland Trail Blazers finished the regular season ranked sixth place in the Western Conference, escaping the play-in tournament for their eighth-straight playoff appearance. Much of the team’s success remains centered on its high-powered offense: The Blazers’ offensive efficiency of 117.1, per NBA.com, trailed only the Nets’ 117.3, marking their third-straight season in the top […]

Continue reading



Michael Porter Jr.’s Breakout Is Real

When star guard Jamal Murray went down with a torn ACL in mid-April, it was easy to assume that the Denver Nuggets would fall back from the pack of contenders atop the Western Conference. When both Murray’s backup, Monte Morris, and starting wing Will Barton joined Murray on the sideline with matching hamstring injuries soon […]

Continue reading




The Nuggets Look Mediocre, But Nikola Jokić Is Setting The World On Fire

The list of NBA MVPs over the past five years is a mishmash of guys with superhero-level talents. Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter on the planet and someone who’s comfortable gunning from nearby ZIP codes. Russell Westbrook, the terrifyingly athletic stat-stuffer who seems to hurt innocent rims for no apparent reason. James Harden, the efficiency […]

Continue reading