Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has made it clear that personal statistics and shooting percentages are far from his top priority during the postseason.
As ESPN’s Tim MacMahon notes, Jokic is willingly launching low-percentage shots, including deep heaves as the shot clock winds down – shots many elite shooters typically avoid to protect their efficiency numbers.
“Most great shooters care about their stats. Bottom line,” said interim coach David Adelman, pointing out how rare Jokic’s approach is.
“We’ve seen a lot of examples of guys taking shots just as the clock goes off or making that late pass to not take a bad shot. For Nikola to shoot the percentage he shoots and still shoot those shots – because, hey, there’s a chance it goes in and a chance it wins you the game – just shows how unselfish he is in all ways.”
Jokic himself echoed that sentiment bluntly: “Nobody should care about that at this time of the year,” he said, emphasizing that in the playoffs, helping the team win trumps any concern over personal numbers.
His willingness to take tough, sometimes stat-damaging shots, purely in service of his team’s success, continues to highlight the MVP candidate’s unselfishness and commitment to doing whatever it takes to win.
Nuggets Notes: Fourth Quarter, Strawther, Murray, Gordon, Jokic https://t.co/Nt9b0NQz1Q pic.twitter.com/XOtTyJD5gN
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) May 16, 2025
