Reigning Champion and MVP of the Finals, the offensive talent of Nikola Jokic no longer needs to be proven, and who better to talk about it than Bam Adebayo ?
Responsible for defending – as best he can – on the pivot of Nuggets during five matches last June, the pivot of the Heat didn't take long to respond when asked to name the hardest NBA player to defend…
“ It must be the Serbian giant… It's surreal » he said in a podcast. What his now ex-teammate did not fail to confirm, Udonis Haslemone of the two hosts of the show with Mike Miller: “ He doesn't jump, he doesn't run fast, you can't outrun him, you can't move him…”
Not looking for whistles
A real headache for Bam Adebayo on defense, who was only able to “limit” Nikola Jokic to… 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 58% shooting, 42% 3-pointers and 84% shooting during the last Finals…
Beyond that, there is above all an aspect of the game of “Joker” that the interior of Miami appreciates compared to others.
“ But the thing I like most about him is that he doesn't flop » he continues in this sense. “ I'm not saying guys are trying to go for the whistle, but he's not trying to get 16, 17 free throws. No, he's just trying to score baskets. »
Words that resonate differently, the day after Steve Kerr's criticism of the way Golden State was refereed in Denver, including Nikola Jokic's 18/18 free throws…
| Nikola Jokic | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2015-16 | DEN | 80 | 22 | 51.2 | 33.3 | 81.1 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 7.0 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 10.0 |
| 2016-17 | DEN | 73 | 28 | 57.8 | 32.4 | 82.5 | 2.9 | 6.9 | 9.8 | 4.9 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 16.7 |
| 2017-18 | DEN | 75 | 33 | 49.9 | 39.6 | 85.0 | 2.6 | 8.1 | 10.7 | 6.1 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 18.5 |
| 2018-19 | DEN | 80 | 31 | 51.1 | 30.7 | 82.1 | 2.9 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 7.3 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 20.1 |
| 2019-20 | DEN | 73 | 32 | 52.8 | 31.4 | 81.7 | 2.3 | 7.5 | 9.7 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2020-21 ★ | DEN | 72 | 35 | 56.6 | 38.8 | 86.8 | 2.9 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 8.3 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 26.4 |
| 2021-22 ★ | DEN | 74 | 34 | 58.3 | 33.7 | 81.0 | 2.8 | 11.0 | 13.8 | 7.9 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 27.1 |
| 2022-23 | DEN | 69 | 34 | 63.2 | 38.3 | 82.2 | 2.4 | 9.4 | 11.8 | 9.8 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 24.5 |
| 2023-24 | DEN | 31 | 34 | 54.1 | 32.1 | 81.4 | 3.3 | 9.1 | 12.3 | 9.2 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 26.4 |
| Total | 627 | 31 | 55.2 | 34.7 | 82.8 | 2.7 | 8.0 | 10.6 | 6.8 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 20.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
