It’s rare for an all-time great to step onto the NBA court. Since 2003, the league has seen 5 surefire top 20 players enter the league. So, watching them in real-time is sometimes incomprehensible. However, for the latest inductee into the all-time discussions, the ceiling is still unknown. That includes reaching the highs of the likes of Michael Jordan. Despite arguments evident for his GOAT potential, one claim by J. J. Redick about Nikola Jokic brought with it a ton of backlash. But, is the argument without merit?

LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo have all made compelling cases for their place in the GOAT debate. But a certain feat achieved by the Nikola Jokic has spurred him into a certain category of greatness. At least according to JJ Redick, the?Joker?might be the “efficiency GOAT”.

Making the GOAT case for Nikola Jokic vs. Michael Jordan by the numbers

From a numerical standpoint, there are 3 arguments for the case of Nikola Jokic. During his proclamation, JJ Redick chose to call him the “efficiency GOAT”. While seemingly hyperbolic, the statement isn’t completely obscure. To judge the efficiency of the Joker and the case it presents, we look at 3 major statistics.

Firstly, is the case made by Box Plux Minus or BPM. In layman’s terms, it is the point differential for a player between the time spent on the court versus off it. In all of NBA history, Nikola Jokic sits atop the rankings.

While his 9.54 is unbelievable, the next 2 names are rather familiar faces. At 2, a Chicago Bulls legend with 9.21, followed by a time and age-defying Los Angeles Laker with 8.76.

But, BPM isn’t the only place where the reigning NBA Champion is in touching distance of the 2 major candidates for the title of GOAT.

The micro for Jokic

The next argument comes from Player Efficiency Rating. A catch-all metric, it aims to encapsulate a player’s entire performance into a singular number. The league average PER is 15. Just like with Box Plus-Minus, a similar story unfolds when dissecting the all-time PER rankings.

Once again, the same 3 numbers stand atop the list, albeit in a different order. While Michael Jordan leads the pack, Jokic is sandwiched in the middle, ahead of LeBron James. Last but not least, is the case for Win Shares Per 48.

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These take into account your impact, statistical and analytical, to calculate the percentage your play affects winning. While MJ once again leads the pack, hot on his trail before retirement was David Robinson at 0.2502 to Mike’s 0.2505. But, not far behind, is the Denver Nuggets superstar at 0.2489.

While he does trail Jordan in two of the three stats, there is one point to keep in mind. Michael Jordan had the keys to the franchise from Day 1. However, the Serbian was a 41st overall draft pick, who was drafted over a Taco Bell commercial.

As a result, their trajectories were much different. Moreover, it took Nikola till Year 5 to truly become the face of the franchise. So, his numbers since hitting his stride might be even more impressive.

At face value, the argument does have some standing. With proper context, however, the points only strengthen in Jokic’s favor. But, can #15 appeal to the casual NBA discussions as well?

The macro for the ‘Joker’ and Michael Jordan

Over the last three years, the 6’11” Center has been on a generational run. There are a handful of players in NBA history who have compiled back-to-back MVPs, a Championship, and a Finals MVP in such a short time span. But, it is far more impressive than even those lofty standards.

Nikola Jokic is 28 years old. By that point in their careers, Michael Jordan had one Championship, same as LeBron James. All that to say, that Jokic isn’t behind schedule. Born 2 days apart from Michael, he could continue to elevate his time and his own standing.

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With modern technology enabling longevity, with a prime example in James who is seemingly bending time and age to his own will, and Jokic’s repertoire, a sublime mix of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, not relying on athleticism, his dominance could continue late into his career.

On an overall career spectrum, he is well on his way to immortality. But, if he keeps up the pace of the last 3 years, the GOAT title might be his to claim.