The Early Days of Nikola Jokic with the Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic’s journey with the Denver Nuggets started off as a slow build. In his first two seasons, he wasn’t yet the dominant force that fans and analysts now recognize. At just 20 and 21 years old, Jokic was still finding his footing in the NBA after coming from Serbia. His development into an annual MVP contender took time, and many, including his teammates at the time, didn’t expect him to reach such heights.

One of those teammates was Danilo Gallinari, who played alongside Jokic during his early days with the Nuggets. On a recent appearance on the White Noise Podcast with Derrick White, Gallinari reflected on his initial impressions of Jokic and how his game evolved over time.

A Surprising Transformation

Gallinari admitted that he never thought Jokic would become the best player in the world. However, he did notice a shift in Jokic’s performance towards the end of his second season. “He started to throw some triple doubles in there,” Gallinari recalled. “In the last couple of months, he had like three or four triple doubles. I’m like, ‘Okay, this is pretty cool.'”

At that point, Gallinari realized that Jokic was on a different trajectory. “I was like, ‘Okay, now you did it. I’m sorry for you, but you’ve got to do it every night now.’ And I think he really followed what I told him to do.” According to Gallinari, Jokic’s triple-doubles have become so routine that they’re almost as common as daily habits like drinking coffee in the morning.

From Rookie to Leader

When Jokic first joined the Nuggets, he wasn’t the physical presence or playmaker he is today. His scoring ability was still developing, and he wasn’t the vocal leader in the locker room that he has since become. However, over time, Jokic transformed into one of the most impactful players in the league.

Gallinari noted that Jokic wasn’t very talkative during their time together. “He didn’t talk that much,” Gallinari said. “When we go on the road, he was playing games all the time. He never got out of the room when we were going on the road.” Now, Jokic has become a key leader on the team, bringing everyone together and speaking more confidently both on and off the court.

Jokic’s Legacy and Future

Fast forward to today, and Jokic has established himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history. He is currently third in the all-time triple-doubles list and leads the league in triple-doubles and assists for a big man. There’s a strong possibility that he could surpass Russell Westbrook on the all-time triple-doubles leaderboard if he maintains his current level of performance.

Despite his incredible achievements, even those who saw him in his early days, like Gallinari, were surprised by how quickly Jokic developed. But as always, Jokic has continued to defy expectations, refining his game each season and proving that he belongs among the sport’s elite.

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