NBA: Rookies Who Appear Destined for Stardom

Feb 20, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) greets Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) prior to the game at Target Center. The Knicks defeated the Timberwolves 103-95. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jan 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Position: Center

Age: 21

Drafted: Round 2, Pick 41 (2014)

Slash Line: .521/.377/.813

Season Averages: 20.7 MPG, 10.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.2 ORPG, 2.2 APG, 1.0 SPG

The Denver Nuggets have two promising rookies, but only one of them was expected to play at the level they are. The first-year player who’s flying under the radar is the one who quietly compares to one of the best big men in the NBA today.

According to Basketball-Reference.com, Nikola Jokic is producing at a level that’s comparable to a rookie DeMarcus Cousins.

via Basketball-Reference.com /

Those are numbers, not opinions.

Jokic has a long way to go before he reaches Cousins’ level—one that should result in an All-NBA First Team nod in 2016. The statistics are heavily in his favor, however, and they accurately reflect the versatile player that Jokic is becoming.

Jokic is a skilled big man who lacks Cousins’ athletic gifts, but more than holds his own with his mobility and finishing above the rim. The 20-year-old Serbian can shoot from beyond the arc, go to the post, dive and score off of high screens, and facilitate the offense from the pinch post and in transition.

If you haven’t watched the Nuggets play this year, you’re missing out on a young man, Jokic, who plays with a relentless motor and possesses tremendous upside.

Next: The Resurgence