"How Magic Johnson did with the point guard position"- Aaron Gordon says Nikola Jokic is redefining the center position
Aaron Gordon has been so impressed with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic that he’s running out of things to say. He hasn’t stopped signing Jokic’s praises since he was acquired by the Denver Nuggets in March 2021.
Heading into Game 4 of this year's NBA Finals, Gordon had this to say to the media about the “Joker:”
“Players that can just do anything, regardless of size. He’s kind of like breaking that mold, kind of like how Magic Johnson did with the point guard position. He’s breaking the mold of the center position that’s only been dominated down on the block.
“Now, he’s being dominant from 40 feet and everywhere on the floor.
"Breaking that mold, kind of like how Magic Johnson did with the point guard position."
Aaron Gordon on Nikola Jokic redefining the center position 🔊
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Nikola Jokic has been one of the most unstoppable forces in the post over the past several years. He does it with footwork, a soft touch and bulk to outmaneuver opponents. Jokic doesn’t do it in the mold of a prototype center that is overwhelmingly powerful but with no outside game to boast.
His numbers are impressive almost anywhere on the floor. Here’s his FG% by distance in the regular season, per Basketball Reference:
With defenses keying in on him in the playoffs, his shooting percentages have taken a hit. He remains dominant, though:
But the stat that has allowed the Serbian to break the center mold in the NBA has been his mind-boggling all-around skills. He now has 10 triple-doubles in this year’s postseason, the most in league playoff history. Jokic broke the record held by Wilt Chamberlain since the 1966-67 season when he had seven.
The most triple-doubles Magic Johnson had in a single postseason was during the 1982 playoffs when he had six. LA’s Showtime Lakers point guard also had five in 1984 and 1980.
Nikola Jokic has a big chance of finishing this postseason to lead the entire NBA in points, rebounds and assists, a record that’s waiting to happen.
In Game 3 of the ongoing finals against the Miami Heat, Jokic put up 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists, which has the first 30-20-10 stat line in NBA Finals history. In league postseason history, 30-20-10 has only been achieved five times. Jokic has three of them, including two in this year’s playoffs.
Most 30-point, 20-rebound triple-doubles in NBA playoff history:
Nikola Jokic (3)
📊 Most 30-point, 20-rebound triple-doubles in NBA playoff history:
🃏 Nikola Jokic (3)
• Wilt Chamberlain (1)
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1)
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Whether it’s scoring the basket or setting up teammates, the five-time All-Star has been utterly dominant, just not in the way typical centers do.
Nikola Jokic just wants to win
Despite the outpouring of superlatives, particularly since the start of the NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic has not strayed from his goal. He remains grounded and succinctly made it known during a courtside interview after Game 3.
When told that he was the first player to record a 30-20-10 in the finals, Jokic’s response couldn’t have been more straightforward:
“I mean, to be honest, not much. I’m just glad that we won the game. It was a big win for us just because they won in our arena. We didn’t want to go down 2-1.
“You are the first person in NBA History to have a 30-20-10 NBA Finals game. What does that mean to you?”
Nikola Jokic: “I mean to be honest, not much…I’m just glad we won the game .”
https://t.co/7tNXrwqykh
Losing in Game 3 would have meant the Nuggets would have trailed in any series for the first time in this year’s playoffs. They didn’t want to go that route and immediately wanted to regain homecourt advantage.
Whether he puts ups mind-boggling numbers or not, Nikola Jokic just wants to keep winning.
Also read: "Their greatest performance as a duo" - Michael Malone salutes Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray for creating history in Game 3 of NBA Finals