Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokić "the best center" he's ever seen, further noting that his versatility is something that even the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar couldn't achieve.
Kerr made his remarks to reporters before his team's home game against the Nuggets on Friday:
Jokić entered Friday averaging 29.7 points, 12.8 assists and 10.2 assists per game. If his triple-double averages hold, he'll be the first center to ever average a triple-double in a season. A pair of point guards (Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook) have achieved the feat before, with the latter player doing so four times.
Jokić, a three-time NBA MVP, is also hitting 41.6 percent of his threes. He entered Friday with 127 made threes, a career-high. He also needed 46 more assists down the stretch in the regular season to get his career-high in assists as well.
In addition, Jokić is leading the league in PER (player efficiency rating) for the fifth straight season, per Basketball-Reference.
Obviously, having a person like Kerr, who won five NBA titles as a player and four more as a coach, saying Jokić is the best center he's ever seen carries a tremendous amount of weight. He also saw Jokić's brilliance in action once again, too, as he dropped 15 points, three rebounds and three assists in the first quarter alone.
We'll see someday where Jokić stands in the pantheon of the NBA's greats, but for now, his sheer dominance is remarkable as he looks to lead Denver to a second NBA title in three seasons.
Kerr made his remarks to reporters before his team's home game against the Nuggets on Friday:
Jokić entered Friday averaging 29.7 points, 12.8 assists and 10.2 assists per game. If his triple-double averages hold, he'll be the first center to ever average a triple-double in a season. A pair of point guards (Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook) have achieved the feat before, with the latter player doing so four times.
Jokić, a three-time NBA MVP, is also hitting 41.6 percent of his threes. He entered Friday with 127 made threes, a career-high. He also needed 46 more assists down the stretch in the regular season to get his career-high in assists as well.
In addition, Jokić is leading the league in PER (player efficiency rating) for the fifth straight season, per Basketball-Reference.
Obviously, having a person like Kerr, who won five NBA titles as a player and four more as a coach, saying Jokić is the best center he's ever seen carries a tremendous amount of weight. He also saw Jokić's brilliance in action once again, too, as he dropped 15 points, three rebounds and three assists in the first quarter alone.
We'll see someday where Jokić stands in the pantheon of the NBA's greats, but for now, his sheer dominance is remarkable as he looks to lead Denver to a second NBA title in three seasons.
