December Checkin: Nikola Jokić's Historic Season, The NBA Cup and The Case for Dylan Harper
- Brennan Valladares
- Dec 17, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 29, 2025
Nearly two months into hoops season, I, like most fans, need time to pause and recap what has happened.
From college basketball upsets to NBA trade machinists already firing up their engines, it can seem like the gun just fired off, and yet the race is almost over.
So, in a simple three-point checklist we'll cover some major happenings in the basketball world, starting with the big fella from Serbia.
Nikola Jokić is By Far The Best Player in The League
Two weekends ago, Nikola Jokić tallied 104 points, 16 assists and 30 rebounds. Unfortunately, even with those heroics the Nuggets only came away with one win. In a demoralizing loss to Washington Wizards - a three-win team - the Joker dropped a career-high 56 points on the same value from the field, grabbed 16 rebounds, and dished out eight assists. For the game, Denver lost by one point during Jokić's minutes, but this season has shown that it could've been much worse had he not played at all.
Per Cleaning the Glass, Jokić ranks in the 100th percentile in on/off differential. The Nuggets outscore their opponents by 12.9 points per 100 with him on the floor, but that number plummets to an abysmal -18.3 when he's on the bench. He is quite literally the sole reason for any success Denver has, which is why head coach Michael Malone has him playing the second most minutes per game in the entire NBA.
While there is reason to worry about how Jokić's load this season will impact him come playoff time, those matchups aren't for another four months. In the meantime, we are being treated to one of the best seasons in NBA history. Jokić has not only followed up his third MVP honor with the best start of his career but he could be etched into history books forever if he wasn't already.
His stat line of 30.3 points, 9.9 assists and 13.3 rebounds would be the first in NBA history. Through 21 games, it is already the best start to a season in the league's 78 years. His career highs across all major categories, especially in the scoring department, would surely lead to a drop-off in efficiency, right? No. Regardless of the standard - field goal percentage, effective field goal percentage, or true shooting - Jokić is well above league average. His 48.9 percent 3-point shooting is third among all qualified players and has made him practically unguardable.
For one of the best offensive players ever, this type of leveling-up is unprecedented and makes Nikole Jokić the top dog in the NBA.
The NBA Cup Finals Are Set
Four teams headed to Vegas with a chance to win the second annual NBA Cup. After Saturday's games, only two remain.
With the Bucks and Thunder scheduled to play Tuesday night, how have both teams looked so far this season?
Milwaukee Bucks, 14-11
After starting 2-8, Milwaukee has found a spark. His name is Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Since that horrid start, the Bucks have gone 12-3 riding the coattails of Antetokounmpo, the league's leading scorer. In year 12, the "Greek Freak" is averaging 32.7 points, 6.1 assists, 11.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. In the NBA Cup semifinals against Atlanta, Antetokounmpo put together a stat line of 32/9/14/4, including this clutch block:
Giannis continues to be one of the most impactful two-way forces in the game, and his play has vaulted Milwaukee into the top ten in net rating over the last month. What makes that more impressive is that Antetokounmpo has been tasked with driving the offense and cleaning up any mistakes on the other end. And he's leaving no doubt he can do both.
OFFRTG last 15 games: 115.7 (11th)
DEFRTG last 15 games: 110.0 (10th)
Oklahoma City Thunder, 20-5
After Chet Holmgren went out with a fractured hip in November, the Thunder had no active center on its roster with backups Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams sidelined with injuries.
Immediately following Holmgren's injury though, OKC went 3-2 with Jalen "J-Dub" Williams anchoring the paint, which just about sums up this Thunder team.
Injuries normally hurt a team's performance, but the Thunder have arguably the most depth and talent in the league. With two-way players up and down this roster - headlined by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and all-star-worthy J-Dub - Oklahoma City has gone 12-3 since Holgrem went out. Now with Hartenstein back in the fold, OKC seemingly has unlimited lineup flexibility, and that's without its 7-foot unicorn.
Any advantage a team may think it has over OKC, the Thunder can just swap players in and out of the lineup to cover. Think size is your team's advantage? Here's 30 minutes of Hartenstein. You want to play up and down? Jalen Williams can play center and run with you. Mark Daigneault's squad has the defense to nullify one of the best backcourt duos in the league and the offensive firepower to surge past the No. 2 defense in the NBA. There aren't many problems Oklahoma City won't be able to figure out, courtesy of Sam Presti.
OFFRTG last 15 games: 116.9 (6th)
DEFRTG last 15 games: 105.1 (3rd)
Dylan Harper is Already a Top 3 Prospect, but Should He be No. 1?
368 miles from Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey, I was sitting on my couch taking notes on Penn State's (PSU) matchup with Rutgers.
As a home-based beat reporter for Nittany Sports Now, I was eager to connect my love for the NBA with my current job. This was a great opportunity to do so, with two projected lottery picks taking on a rising Penn State team.
Per ESPN's most recent draft big board, Rutgers' two star freshmen - Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey - are ranked No.'s 2 and 3, respectively. With so much hype and legitimacy to Duke's Cooper Flagg being the No. 1 overall pick in June, it seems that picks 2-60 are the only ones up for debate. But should that be so?
After the Scarlet Knights fended off a late second-half rally against the Nittany Lions, I walked away thinking I just saw the best freshman in the nation. Not only did Harper, the third-leading scorer in the nation, have a 24-5-12 game, but he did so against the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Ace Baldwin Jr, and an imposing Penn State defense.
His size and pace were almost the perfect counter to the harassing defense he was playing against. He could see over the top when Penn State would hard hedge ball screens, finding rolling teammates with decent accuracy:
In the backcourt, Baldwin tried to speed him up or make him uncomfortable, but Harper just used his frame and kept his path. That physical build practically allowed him to get downhill at will. In the play below, he takes the Bailey screen and is undeterred by the second defender as he coasts to the rim for a tough finish:
While he has shown he can challenge shot blockers and convert at a high rate, he has also displayed patience on paint touches, playing off two feet and creating advantages when ground-based.
Harper's on-ball production makes him the prototypical lead guard NBA front offices fawn over. He still has room to improve as a shooter - although he is shooting 50 percent on nearly seven attempts over his last three games - but even then he is arguably the most well-rounded offensive player out of the top three projected picks. Harper's case for the No. 1 pick will rest on whether or not general managers think his upside is higher than that of Flagg and Bailey. But right now, he's been nothing short of remarkable.
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