- Denver Nuggets' center Nikola Jokic has kicked the ball away from the Suns three times in the conference semifinals, showcasing a skill that distinguishes him from any other defender in the league.
- Jokic kicked the ball during an opponent's possession 47 times during the regular season, nearly twice the previous record since 2002-03.
- Jokic's foot-on-ball rates are not as widely admired as his playmaking, but Denver coaches consider the technique an offshoot of the same creative impulses that drive Jokic's offensive game.
- Kicking the ball mid-pass turns the play back into an average possession, in which the Nuggets give up 1.14 points per possession.
- Stopping the pick-and-roll is both the hardest and most important task in modern defense, one that falls to the centers at the back line.
Nikola Jokic Gets More Kicks—Literally—Than Anyone in Basketball History
Denver’s star center doesn’t lead the NBA in any traditional defensive statistic. But he’s way ahead in an odd one: Nobody has ever booted the basketball more.
Robert O’Connell
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