Watch - Nikola Jokic shows why he has the best IQ with this genius play
Nikola Jokic is the 2023 NBA Champion and Finals MVP. He's arguably one of the best if not the best player in the league. There's no doubt that Jokic has a very high basketball IQ and skill set.
Jokic's play-making ability was a primary reason why the Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals to win their first championship. On one play, Jokic's basketball IQ was on full display. It's fair to say that Jokic got an assist on the play without even passing the ball.
Here's the video:
During the sequence, which was stopped due to a defensive 3-second violation, Jokic made an impressive read on the Heat's defense.
He explained the play to his teammates and effectively set up Aaron Gordon for an open dunk on the following play. Jokic's stellar IQ is a core reason for the success the Nuggets have enjoyed, and the game is likely to further slow down for Jokic.
During the 2022-23 season, Nikola Jokic averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists and made 63.2% of his shots. These numbers are extremely impressive, especially Jokic's passing and playmaking ability as a center that almost got him to average a triple-double.
Jokic made 38.3% of his shots from beyond the arc, which made it almost impossible to guard him. With Jokic's skill set and IQ likely to further improve, there's no telling what his stat line could look like next season.
Should Nikola Jokic have been 2022-23 NBA Regular season MVP?
The 2022-23 NBA regular season MVP award went to Joel Embiid in a very close race. Embiid finished runner-up the previous two seasons, while Nikola Jokic won the award in back-to-back seasons.
Embiid averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game on 54.8% shooting compared to Nikola Jokic who averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game on 63.2% shooting. The 76ers, behind Embiid's leadership, won one more game in the regular season than the Nuggets.
While both players were impressive, Embiid got favored in the voting due to leading the NBA in points per game and the 76ers' better team record. It can be argued that Embiid also won, as Jokic had already won the award in back-to-back seasons. Giving the award to Jokic for a third straight season did not make sense for voters, as he was yet to win the NBA championship.
Despite all the speculation about the award and who should've won it, Nikola Jokic was happy for Embiid to win it. Here's Jokic's reaction to Embiid winning the MVP:
“I don’t think about MVPs anymore. I mean, I think it’s—people are just mean in saying Embiid shouldn’t have won it. I think he should have won it.
"I think he was playing, if you watch it, extremely, extremely tough basketball through the whole season. … He was really amazing in 82 games or how many games he played.”
There's no doubt that Nikola Jokic's humility makes him even more likable to fans. Jokic did go on to win the Championship and the Finals MVP, so there are no regrets for the former MVP. If he had won the MVP, too, it would have made one of the best NBA single-season success stories.