Nikola Jokić's Nuggets Teammate Is Tired of Acting Unsurprised by His Performances

Nuggets guard Peyton Watson doesn't want The Joker's latest masterpiece—a 56-point triple double—to be swept under the rug as just another day at the office.

Watson (right) implored fans to not take Jokic (left) for granted. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Nikola Jokić is so great and makes his elite-level play look so effortless that his impressive achievements might just be underappreciated, or at least, dismissed as just another day at the office for the Serbian big man. Jokić's unpretetentious demeanor may also play a factor in his nightly MVP performances sometimes flying under the radar.

But regardless of how or why this happens, one of Jokić's Nuggets teammates, guard Peyton Watson, is tired of the nonchalant reactions to Jokić's brilliance.

“Nah bro, I'm tired of not being surprised,” Watson said after Jokić's 56-point, 16-rebound, 15-assist outburst in a Christmas Day victory over the Timberwolves in overtime. “That s--- surprised me. I can't—we can't just continue to dismiss what this guy does on a night-to-night basis. Bro it's unbelievable. There's no way that we can take for granted or it should go over people's heads what Jok' did tonight. And every night honestly.

“We're watching history on a night-to-night basis. That's why I want to continue to stress to the fans just how important it is to show up here and really enjoy this and really kind of not take this for granted because this is something that doesn't happen again. We'll never see anything like this again...”

The rest of the Nuggets, including coach David Adelman, echoed Watson's sentiment. Adelman, who called Jokić the “best player in the world”, also urged fans not to get tired of watching what they're seeing. Star guard Jamal Murray, discussing Jokić's NBA-record 18 points in overtime, said he believes the Nuggets big man doesn't get enough credit for how clutch he is.

Jokić, after discussing how well the team played, offered an answer NBA fans have grown accustomed to hearing when asked what he would appreciate about a performance such as the one he displayed.

“Uh—I mean, I had a good game of course,” Jokić said. “But I don't know what I'm gonna look back and say.”

Jokić became the first player in NBA history to record a 55-15-15 statline. The three-time MVP is averaging 29.8 points, 12.1 rebounds and 11 assists per game on 60.9/44.0/85.1% shooting splits.

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