Translator's Note: The original article was published on CBS Sports. The data in the article are as of the time of publication of the original article (November 14, local time). The dates and times involved are all local time.
Before the start of the 2015 NBA Finals, LeBron James was asked how to defend Stephen Curry, who was about to win the first of his two consecutive MVPs.
James's answer is famous: "Just guard him the same way you guard me. You can't guard him."
Indeed, for many years, NBA teams have been trying to solve the problem of how to restrict the opponent's superstars, but they have all ended in failure. James is right: When the best players are on fire, you can't stop them or even really slow them down. Nikola Jokic was in such hot form on Wednesday night. He scored 55 points on 78% shooting, becoming the fourth player in history and the first player this century to achieve this feat.
However, the data cannot fully reflect Jokic's incredible performance in this game. Of the 18 shots he made, only four hit the rim. Excluding 4 rebounds and 1 dunk, Jokic made 9 shots outside the penalty area, including 8 jump shots and 1 hook. Eight of those shots hit the net, including four of his five three-pointers.
Jokic's most impressive shot of the night was not actually included in that highlight reel. It was a 7-foot-tall, nearly 300-pound giant decelerating from a full sprint to slowly and feather-lightly toss the ball over the outstretched fingertips of one of the league's most agile athletes. The best players on the planet would try a shot like that a hundred times and probably miss it less than 10 percent of the time. This is not uncommon with Jokic.
Indeed, the question now is no longer even whether Jokic can hit the shot, but how he hits the shot. There was a widespread story about Curry before the draft that he wouldn't leave the court until he missed five consecutive free throws. This is seen as an impossible standard that only the greatest shooters of all time can hold themselves to.
But this may be the standard we set for Jokic now. His shooting touch from any position on the court may have surpassed his passing and become the top single skill of the strongest basketball player on the planet.
These statistics are simply ridiculous:
Two-point shooting percentage: 78.3%
True shooting percentage: 77.3%
Field shooting percentage: 68.4%
Three-point shooting percentage: 41.7%
You must understand that this is only the data of 11 games, but throughout the entire season, no one has ever come close to such data among players who have similar shooting options to Jokic. Historically, these numbers have typically only been attributed to players who only attempted dunks and layups.
According to the shooting tracking data from the NBA official website, let's take a look at Jokic's shooting distance. The shooting percentages in each area are as follows: 87.0% in the penalty area, 70.3% in the paint area, and 81.8% in the mid-range.
These hit rates are incredible. He shot 86-of-110 from short range of 0-9 feet. From the perspective of data analysis, shots within the range of 15-19 feet (approximately 4.57-5.79 meters) are the worst shot choices on the basketball court, and Jokic has not missed a shot from this distance so far: he made 7 of 7 shots, without misses.
The "50-40-90 Club" - that is, 50% shooting from the field, 40% from the three-point range and 90% from the free throw line - is reserved for the top shooters in history, but Jokic is moving towards a new club with a higher threshold: the "60-40-80 Club." No player in history who qualifies (i.e. takes a certain number of 3-point attempts) has come close to those numbers. At the current rate, it would be surprising if Jokic ultimately didn't make it.
Of course, the sample size is still small. But this efficiency is too exaggerated. This season, Jokic averaged 28.8 points on only 16.1 shots per game. The only player in history to achieve these standards is Charles Barkley, who did it in the 1987-88 season. The difference: Barkley averaged nearly 12 free throws per game that year. Jokic has averaged less than 6 free throws per game so far this season. This level of pure scoring efficiency has never been seen before in league history.
At the same time, Jokic averaged 13.1 rebounds and 10.9 assists per game, leading the league in both statistics. And when he is on the court, the Nuggets outscore their opponents by an average of 15.3 points per game, which is also the best in the league. To say that Jokic is the favorite for MVP at the beginning of the season is an understatement.
Moreover, this is not enough. In fact, if not for voters and their preference for new faces, Jokic would have won the MVP of the last five years. Just like Michael Jordan should have had more than five MVPs and LeBron should have had more than four, Jokic should have been chasing his sixth MVP trophy this season. If that were the case, it would be easier to discuss him, not just as the greatest player of this day or era, but possibly the best player of all time.
To many people, this may sound exaggerated. Jokic may never reach those heights in terms of numbers or career length (although he may, he's only 30 years old), but the argument that he's the most versatile basketball player I've ever seen becomes increasingly difficult to argue against.
Jokic is already one of the top offensive players in history. There is no doubt about this. The truth is, there has never been a player in history who has been able to beat his opponents in as many ways while dominating the game at the same time as Jokic.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said after Jokic scored 55 points on Wednesday night: "Our game plan is to let him score but limit his passing." Typically, if opponents try to limit Jokic's scoring through double teams, he will send out 20 assists. On those rare nights when opponents can limit his passing and his shooting touch isn't great, he controls the game through rebounding.
More specifically, Jokic's dominance lies in his ability to score and pass in different ways. Use an inside player to guard him, just like the Clippers used Ivica Zubac, who was selected to the All-Defensive Team to guard him, and he will pull out to complete the catch and jump shot, or even use the screen to run like a shooting guard. Guard him with a smaller player and he's the best low post player in the world. He can attack with his face in the frame, he can shoot fadeaways, he can cut through the air, and he can run all over the court.
As a passer, Jokic is the axis of hand-off tactics, the organizing center in transition offense, and the high-position commander. The best athletes in the world, in almost every sport, are usually the best at just one or two areas. But that’s the case with Jokic. He is "Shaq" O'Neal when he is in the low post, "Magic" Johnson when he is organizing the offense, and Kevin Durant when he is completing the shot.
Jokic is the best scorer, passer and rebounder in the world at the same time, and he has been at this level for more than five years. What's even more incredible is that with his amazing shooting data this season, he has raised his performance to new heights.
Author: Brad Botkin
Translator: GWayNe
source:7m com