If you've been following the NBA, you've probably heard of Nikola Jokic. He's a Serbian basketball player who plays for the Denver Nuggets. Not only is he the leader of the team, but he also leads the league in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
It's no surprise that the Serbian player would make the leap from international competition to the NBA. He represented his country in both the Olympics and in the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and won silver medals in both events. However, it wasn't until he was selected in the second round of the 2014 draft that Jokic had the opportunity to really establish himself as an NBA star.
In his first season with the Nuggets, Jokic had a solid year. His averages were 18.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. In addition to those numbers, Jokic was able to earn All-Rookie First Team honors.
In his second season, Jokic continued to climb up the ladder. His performance helped the Nuggets reach the playoffs, and he led the team to its best record in years, 48-34. However, Nikola's lack of defensive production was a major setback. The Nuggets were tied with the Phoenix Suns for third in the Western Conference.
This past season, Jokic led the league in scoring, averaging 24.6 points per game, and helped the team to a playoff spot. Despite a disappointing loss to the Lakers, Nikola continued to have his best season of his career. He tallied four triple-doubles in the first seven games of the season. During that stretch, he shot 57.5 percent from the field. On top of his incredible statistics, he also earned his first All-Star selections.
After a tough first half of the season, Jokic started to put up more points during the second half. He had 30 points in a 123-111 win over Boston. During the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Jokic had 14 points, 11 rebounds, and one block. He added one steal and one dimes in 32 minutes of play.
Jokic was also voted to the All-Rookie First Team in 2016 and was a member of the Serbian national team that won silver medals in the Summer Olympics. He's now been named to the NBA All-Star First Team.
A big man, Jokic is a ferocious athlete. Though he hasn't been considered athletic by many scouts, he's still a powerful player who can do a lot of things. Besides his amazing three-point shooting ability, he also has great passing skills. Those are two of the only conventional elements of his game.
One of the things that made Jokic a standout in Europe is his ability to switch on the fly. While teams in the NBA tend to look to drive their guards to the rim, Jokic's unique style of play forces the opponent to take awkward turns on pick and roll. As a result, his passes are almost impossible to intercept.
Jokic has the potential to be the highest paid player in the NBA. He signed a five-year, $264 million contract with the Nuggets, a number that could be increased to $60 million.
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