Game Rewind: Denver Nuggets rookie Nikola Jokic has arrived

We might look back at opening night against the Houston Rockets when No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay said hello to the NBA with 17 points and 9 assists, and later remark: That was the night we knew. Or, we might reference the early November game against the Portland Trail Blazers when he blocked Damian Lillard twice at the rim in the last two minutes and commanded the offense down the stretch to seal an emotional home victory.

It’s those moments, those bursts, that make you realize a rookie could be special and last night against the San Antonio Spurs, it happened again, but this time for another Nuggets player.

Nikola Jokic‘s 23 points and 12 rebounds in 32 minutes won’t be remembered by many. Instead, national gamers will lead with reigning defensive player of the year Kawhi Leonard limiting Danilo Gallinari to 2-9 shooting, or Tony Parker and Patty Mills combining for 42 points – and rightfully so. The Spurs, which have been a kryptonite of sorts to the Nuggets over the years, again found a way to systematically liquidate any substance the Nuggets built off their recent three-game winning streak.

However, what we should be taking home from this random Wednesday night is the fact that Jokic has officially arrived.

The 23 points, which mostly came off high screen an rolls where Jokic was able to slither by LaMarcus Aldridge or Tim Duncan and show off his soft touch at the rim, was a career high for the 20-year-old Serbian.

The 12 rebounds (6 offensive) that he secured showed his nose for the ball and his ability as a “positional rebounder,” a label Summer League head coach Micah Nori assigned to the rookie this past July.

Head coach Michael Malone and Tim Connelly have routinely gone out of their way, countless times, to discuss and banter about Jokic’s potential. They see a franchise building block, a foundational, long-term piece to the puzzle and an absolute steal in the second round where he was drafted No. 41 overall.

After last night, it’s hard not too agree with their line of thinking.

Granted, Jokic still has a ways to go. He showed his ability on defense, going after Aldridge on the block, sending away his shot on back-to-back point black attempts from the All-Star, but needs to add muscle and sheer mass to his rail thin frame.

His foot speed also needs to get quicker and while teams haven’t targeted him in pick and roll actions, they will.

The scary part about Jokic is we’ve haven’t seen the extent of his abilities, particularly on the offensive end of the floor. In Summer League, we saw a 6-foot-10-inch point center initiating the offense from the elbow and hitting basket cutters with pinpoint passes. We haven’t seen much of that this season.

In Summer League we witnessed Jokic reign threes from the Las Vegas strip, shooting the ball with confidence off of precise pick-and-pop action from the top of the key. Jokic did convert on his one 3-point attempt against the Spurs and is now 1-2 from distance on the year. We haven’t seen much of his long-range game this season, Malone recently said they will bring Jokic along slowly from the outside, and compared his ability to stretch the floor to that of his former big man in Cleveland Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

More from Nuggets' Nikola Jokic on his chats with Tim Duncan: "He asked me if I shot a three-pointer and I said, 'So-so." #Spurs

— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) November 19, 2015

As Jokic gets more games under his belt, Malone and the rest of the Nuggets coaching staff will look to loosen the reigns on the rookie. You get the feeling Jokic is playing within a box to start the year. Gradually the hinges on that box are loosening and sooner rather than later, the Serbian will bust out for good.

With the uncertainty surrounding Jusuf Nurkic and Joffrey Lauvergne, coupled with J.J. Hickson‘s minutes on the decline, extended playing time and perhaps a starting spot is Jokic’s for the taking.

Tonight was the perfect opportunity for the rookie. He got to battle against an upper-tier team in the Spurs and go toe-to-toe with a future Hall-of-Famer in Tim Duncan. We have yet to see Jokic’s best, but we most likely have yet to see his worst either and just like with all rookies, growing pains are part of the process of NBA maturity.

Jokic, being the tireless worker and student of the game that he is, will surely take this process in stride and not simply take one game for granted.

Nikola Jokic on facing Tim Duncan: "I spoke with Tim Duncan and he gave me some tips. He's a good guy, I was enjoying the game."

— Paul Garcia (@PaulGarciaNBA) November 19, 2015