Nikola Jokic signed the 100th triple-double in his NBA career.
The Serbian center led the Denver Nuggets to a 112-133 victory over the Houston Rockets with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 28 minutes. Figures that earned him. the 100th triple-double of his career, ranking sixth on the all-time list with LeBron James currently at +6.
However, a performance that does not shield him from criticism. In particular. Kendrick Perkins has accused him of “stat-padding,” that is, playing primarily to pad his stats. An accusation often made in the past to Russell Westbrook, who has collected 198 triple-doubles in his career. Perkins argued his convictions thus.
When I watch Nuggets games I see that everyone shoots without hesitation when he’s the one passing the ball because they know they have to help him rack up assists. At the beginning of the season he was often close to 10 assists and he was always starting to pass it to reach that threshold, in fact he has as many as eight games with less than 10 shots attempted and he is always the player who has the ball in his hands the longest. In the past we used to say these things about Westbrook, that Steven Adams would move around to get him rebounds, I don’t understand why the same is not said for Jokic.
In the ESPN studio all the other pundits, from JJ Redick and Stephen A. Smith, lined up to defend Joker. The man himself, after yet another triple double of his career, responded with irony To criticism.
Come on it’s easy when you’re stat-padding. I have heard the things that are being said around, I confirm that it is all true.
“I mean, when you’re stat-padding it’s easy you know.”
Nikola Jokic reacts to reaching 100 triple-doubles in his career 😅
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– The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) March 1, 2023
