Nikola Jokic Shooting 45.5 Percent From Deep Through First Three Games

Nikola Jokic has not missed a beat since last season when he led the Denver Nuggets to their first ever NBA title. The Serbian big man won the Finals MVP nearly averaging a triple-double. This year, he is once again looking like an MVP candidate and is playing a well-rounded game. While the season did just start, there is one deadly facet of his game that is seemingly being overlooked.  That would be his ability to shoot from beyond the arc. Nikola Jokic has already been doing his best Steph Curry impression to start the NBA season and the numbers show it for the two-time MVP.

Nikola Jokic Proving to be Lethal From Long Range to Start Season 

Nuggets First Team to 3-0 to Begin the New NBA Season

Thanks to Nikola Jokic’s stellar play, the Denver Nuggets are the first 3-0 team this regular season. What is more impressive is the rate that Jokic is shooting from three-point land. Through the first three games of the year, the Joker is already shooting 45.5 percent from three-point range. This is one underrated facet of Jokic’s game. While opponents are usually puzzled by him in the post, Nikola Jokic can punish defenses with his shooting as well. For his career, he is a 34.9 percent three-point shooter, but really showcased his shooting during the playoffs last season. Last year, the Joker had an insane three-point shooting percentage of 46.1 percent from deep.

In today’s deep-range oriented league, nearly every position has to be able to shoot the ball. Thankfully, the Denver Nuggets do not have this issue. Jokic is as good of an offensively-rounded player as anyone in today’s NBA. He can shoot it, finish at the rim, and even has a deadly mid-range game. While it has only been three games, do not be surprised if Nikola Jokic has a career year shooting from beyond the arc and leads the Nuggets to another first place finish in the Western Conference.

Nikola Jokic Already an MVP Favorite for This Year 

The odds are already in Nikola Jokic’s favor for adding a third league MVP to his impressive NBA resume. Per FanDuel, the Joker currently has +430 odds to take home the award this year. One look at his current numbers can tell you why he is already building up a solid case for MVP this season. Thus far, he is averaging 26.3 points, 13.0 total rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game. On top of this, Jokic is also tallying an effective field goal percentage of 66.3 percent, a true shooting percentage of 68.4 percent, and a player efficiency rating of 29.9.

As if that was not impressive enough, the Finals MVP also possesses an offensive box plus/minus rating of +6.3 to couple with an offensive rating of 121. He is also showing flashes on defense. Jokic currently holds a defensive rating of 101 to go along with a defensive rebounding percentage of 32.0 percent. All in all, it is easy to see why Nikola Jokic is considered by some as the best in the world right now and is being picked as many people’s MVP winner for this season.