“Giannis is at home, taking some notes” – Zach Lowe believes Nikola Jokic has surpassed Slim Reaper & Greek Freak as best NBA player
Over the past few years, Nikola Jokic has cemented himself as one of the top players in the NBA. He almost entered the elite club of players to win three consecutive MVP awards, and now is battling it out in his first NBA Finals.
With Nikola Jokic finally breaking through and getting the Denver Nuggets to the Finals, there has been a lot of talk about his legacy. As his dominant run goes on, one analyst put him above two of this generation's top performers.
During a recent appearance on ESPN's 'Get Up', NBA Insider Zach Lowe gave his thoughts on why Jokic should be above Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo in terms of player ranking.
"But I think Jokic is easily now the best offensive player in the NBA, and I do think he's done enough defensively to raise his floor. Right now, the results speak for themselves."
"I think now the time is right to say that he has eked past Giannis and Kevin Durant as the best player in the NBA."
Should Nikola Jokic be viewed above Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant?
There is no denying that the Denver Nuggets star is a generational talent, but putting him ahead of these two is bound to cause many debates.
If the Nuggets go on to beat the Miami Heat in the Finals and Nikola Jokic gets the Finals MVP, the argument can be made to put him above Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. With that hardware, his all-time resumé gets a huge boost.
Part of why Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo have the edge now is because they've proven they can get the job done. Both players are champions and took home a Finals MVP to boot. For Jokic to be in that company, he needs to do the same.
He is already a multi-time MVP and is on a historic run averaging a triple-double in the postseason so far. Through 17 games, he is averaging 30.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.1 assists.
Giannis has a slight edge because of his two-way dominance, but Jokic might still have to be put above him. He's an average defender at best, but the impact he has on the other end is nothing short of incredible.
KD and Giannis are likely future Hall of Famers, and Jokic isn't far off from being in their elite company.