So far in this series, we've only hit you with the sexy stuff. You've seen Nikola Jokic make pinpoint one-handed passes for easy layups, and you've seen him lob perfect alley-oops.
This week's choice is not as flashy, but we chose it because it's a staple of the Nuggets' ridiculous offense. (We promise we'll get back to the sexy stuff soon.)
The Nuggets are killing opponents on simple dribble hand offs involving Jokic.
Watch above as he dribbles right at Patrick McCaw. Shooting guard Gary Harris, who's making a scorching 45.1 percent of catch-and-shoot 3s this season, does a little dance move, uses the Jokic screen and knocks the shot down. The threat of Jokic rolling to the rim forces JaVale McGee to hang back in the paint, which creates all that open real estate for Harris.
The Nuggets are destroying opponents on 3-point shots at the top of the key and on the wings since the Dec. 15 lineup change. The dribble hand off is one of the keys unlocking Denver's hot shooting from that range.
It's hard to overstate how much of an impact Jokic has made since he got in the driver's seat. Basketball's biggest media voices are starting to take notice.
If you're new to the party or looking to jump on the bangwagon — hurry, it's almost full — here's what you need to know about Denver's budding superstar.
- 1/13: The Nuggets offense has been special since the team handed Nikola Jokic the keys to it
- 2/3: Nikola Jokic recorded his first career triple-double then spent his postgame cracking jokes
- 2/7: The Denver Nuggets have dramatically improved as a 3-point shooting team, and it's mostly thanks to Nikola Jokic
- 2/14: Nikola Jokic had his second career triple-double as Denver beat Golden State
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