If Nikola Jokic Isn’t the Best NBA Player Today, Who Is?

Nikola Jokic is a statistical anomaly that we’ve never seen before.

On Saturday (Manila time), Jokic had record keepers second-guessing their data with a tally never before seen in an NBA game: 31 points, 21 rebounds, 22 assists. Even 2K enthusiasts fond of cranking up their sliders had to look at him and say, “This dude’s a cheat code.”

I don’t know about GOAT—that’s still Michael Jordan saying “meeee,” in my opinion—but this unprecedented 30-20-20 triple-double has me leaning towards a conclusion I’m pretty confident in. 

Call this recency bias tempered by careful contemplation of numbers and feats. The way I see it, the Joker has built a rock-solid case as the best NBA player in the game today.

I actually think it would be fun to go about this barber shop discussion the other way—a process of logical elimination, as it were.

If Nikola Jokic isn’t the best player, then who is?

I’m willing to look at the options, and if one of them turns out to have a stronger argument, then we can proclaim him to be the best in the league. Specifically, I’m looking at whether any other player has put up better numbers, amassed a bigger haul of accomplishments, and done more for his team over the past five years than Big Honey.

Why the five-year parameter? Because Jokic arguably began his peak in 2020-2021 when he won his first MVP. I’m taking all of Jokic’s accomplishments since then into consideration, so it’s only right that I do the same for the other “candidates.”

Why Nikola Jokic Is My Pick

It’s possible, of course, that we won’t be able to find an individual who fits that lofty description.

Here’s what every other player has to measure up against when compared to the Serbian sensation: 2023 NBA title, 2023 Finals MVP, three-time NBA MVP, six All-NBA selections, seven All-Star nods.

While the 30-20-20 statline is mind-blowing, it’s really just the tip of the iceberg. To me, the depth of Jokic’s case for “best in the league today” lies in the fact that his individual brilliance has led to meaningful postseason wins for his team.

So, which NBA player can claim to have matched—or, indeed, surpassed—what Nikola Jokic has done in the past five years? I can think of four names.

Luka Doncic

Why he’s possibly the best: How many 26-year-olds in the NBA today can claim to have five All-NBA First Team selections? Think about the dizzying speed with which Doncic has ascended to the upper echelons of the league, and you’ll realize why Lakers GM Rob Pelinka moved a mountain of a man in Anthony Davis to get the Slovenian wonder on his team. (And yes, I’m perfectly fine with admitting that Tinseltown Doncic has made me eat my words.)

As far as ridiculous records go, Doncic and Jokic really do go well together. Luka Legend is the only NBA player who recorded 20 triple-doubles before he turned 22. Also, he’s one of just 10 players to score 70(!) points in an NBA game—and among these players, he had the most efficient field goal percentage and true shooting (TS) percentage. That’s…magic.

Why he’s not the best: It is at this point in the barber shop debate that I begin to dodge airborne shears. I’m sorry, but the lack of rings on the Don’s fingers means that he has not achieved the grandest accomplishment an NBA player can aspire for, year in and year out. Jokic, on the other hand, can claim to have spammed the numbers and taken his team to the mountaintop.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Why he’s possibly the best: Speaking of scaling heights, SGA has had perhaps the most impressive trek to superstardom out of all the players on this list—including Nikola Jokic himself. While Joker was infamously drafted during a Taco Bell commercial, Gilgeous-Alexander was once a 10.8 ppg, 3.3 apg rookie who was nowhere near the conversation of even the best guard in the league. Fast forward to 2025, and the Canadian ace—who leads the NBA with 32.8 points a night—has gotten several folks convinced that he’s the best player in the league, period.

Here’s what sets Gilgeous-Alexander apart from Jokic: the help he’s been afforded. In Denver, the big Serbian has been fortunate enough to play with another lethal Canadian in Jamal Murray, as well as versatile veterans like Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. Meanwhile, in OKC, the most talented teammates of 26-year-old SGA are a 25-year-old and a 24-year-old with a combined four years of pro experience. Yet the Thunder have been leading the Western Conference for months now. You have got to be kidding me.

Why he’s not the best: No rings and no conference finals trips at this point. He’s on his way, though.

Jayson Tatum

Why he’s possibly the best: If you’re looking for a guy who—like Jokic—amassed a bunch of individual awards and a championship before turning 30, look no further than Jayson Tatum. A four-time All-NBA selection and six-time All-Star, Tatum won the richest prize in the industry when he hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2024. In the words of Charles Barkley, he wasn’t just riding in the bus; rather, he was one of the driving forces in that title campaign by virtue of his 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. (Side note: The discussion of whether Tatum or Jaylen Brown should have won Finals MVP is a bloody debate in and of itself. Google Brown’s numbers, my friend.)

Why he’s not the best: Both Jokic and Tatum contributed significantly to their respective teams’ title conquest, so how do we separate these two? If basic stats are your bread and butter, Tatum edges out Jokic in terms of scoring average over the past five years (27.4 to 26.7), while the Nuggets big man has done better than the Celtics star in field goal percentage, rebounds, and assists.

There is, of course, more angas to a basketball argument when advanced numbers are involved. For four straight seasons, Nikola Jokic led all NBA players in regular season Win Shares (“an estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player,” as per BasketballReference.com). He also had the best WS during the 2023 playoffs, when the Nuggets went all the way. Tatum, meanwhile, has never topped this key category.

LeBron James

Why he’s possibly the best player: I’m resisting the urge to say “Duh,” so let’s go through the King’s treasure haul thus far in this decade.

Let’s see…2020 NBA champion, 2020 Finals MVP, 2020 assists leader, five All-NBA selections, five All-Star nods, member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, breaker of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record, the list goes on. If you take a snapshot of his nightly production from age 36 to the big 4-0, you’ll get these numbers: 27.0 ppg (compared to Jokic’s 26.7), 7.9 rpg, 7.5 apg. Father Time is undefeated, sure, but he has got to be bamboozled by Bronny’s dad.

As far as “best player in the NBA today” is concerned, James has the strongest counter-argument to Jokic’s claim. How so? Even in the supposed tail end of his career, James remains a menacing force on defense—a distinction that Jokic has never been within striking distance of. For that matter, none of the other players on this list has proven to be as formidable on both ends of the floor as James has been, whether throughout their career or over the past five years.

Why he’s not the best player: If I were in a real barber shop, I’d be thrown through the glass window for what I’m about to say. For one, the Nuggets have eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs two seasons in a row, and Jokic was a huge part of that. Also, not only has Jokic taken over the WS category that James dominated once upon a time, but he has also been no. 1 in terms of Player Efficiency Rating (PER)—a comprehensive measure of players’ per-minute productivity—for the past five years. This is splitting hairs, I know, but the numbers don’t lie.

I’m sure you feel strongly about this topic one way or another. I’ve either stepped on the toes of your favorite player—no mention of Steph Curry and Kevin Durant because, well, reasons—or I’ve convinced you that my stance makes an iota of sense.

To me, Nikola Jokic is the best player that’s competed in the National Basketball Association this decade. If he isn’t, I’d like to know who is.

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