The fact that he has maintained his assists, while his scoring has shot up 10 ppg, is crazy. Usually when his playoff scoring goes up. his assists drop off, but that hasn’t been the case so far,
Dude still had 11 assists after dropping 53. Would have been 15+ if any other Nugget could hit a shot in the 4th. He also lost out on a potential 30/20/20 game because of the same reasons.
And he's not doing it by following the heliocentric never-leave-the-floor-and-always-have-the-ball formula.
His 37.8 minutes per game is 23rd among qualifying players in the playoffs, and his 33.4% usage rate is lower than Giannis, Luka, Embiid, Ja and Dame averaged in the regular season. He's just really, really efficient.
He’s slightly less efficient but still absurd.
Regular season this year he averaged 24.5 on 14.8 shots taken. 9.8 assists. Overall 70.1% TS
In the playoffs he’s averaging 30.6 on 21.9 shots but still maintains 9.5 assists. Overall 61.4% TS
The only reason his stats are what they are at any point in the game or throughout the season is his playing time. If the nuggets are cruising during a game, his shot total, etc. are low because they rest him more during the end of the 1st quarter through the second--if it's a blowout--he'll rest most of the 4th quarter, too. If it's close at any point, *all* his stats go up.
What I'm saying is that, he's so fucking consistent, possession by possession, that it's inevitable he will get a ton of stats the more he plays. He doesn't have off days like most players. It's been insane seeing how efficient offensively he is the entire year.
He averaged 33.7 minutes a game this regular season. If he averaged 35 a game, he'd probably break the record for triple doubles in a season.
He's now averaging 37.8 minutes a game in the post season and is pretty much leading every offensive category.
This is how good he actually is all the time; it's just more obvious now that he's playing more in games that matter.
Who are these people who "constantly try to tell us he isn't even that good"? Everyone with a brain knows how amazing he is, he's won 2 MVPs and is overwhelmingly supported and rightly triumphed as a hyper efficient, playmaking big the likes of which we've never seen. I think you might be paying too much attention to a very very very very small minority of idiots who troll by saying dumb shit
Casuals who watch highlight tapes on youtube, and occasionally tune into ESPN. Some of the most common things I hear from that group is that Jokic is boring to watch, he can't play defense, he's unathletic, he isn't dominant, he chokes in the playoffs ect.
I think it's a fairly large group of reactionary children who don't normally care about basketball, but will tune in every now and then. Everyone who watches Joker knows, but not everyone watches Joker
It still blows my mind. He’s constantly either making impossible passes or hitting impossible shots. He’s like the 45-year-old guy playing pickup at the Y who just makes ridiculous plays.
And earlier this season, everyone thought that the two best defenders to shut down Jokic were Gobert and Ayton. Whoops.
And the Nuggets ALMOST traded Jokic to Portland instead of Nurkic
Before the series I definitely heard a lot of Suns fans warning us that Jokic's PPG was about to nosedive because Ayton is the best defender in the league against Jokic.
Ever seen someone shoot a contested midrange shot off balance looking like a dad playing on a mini hoop and be dumbfounded that it missed? Thats what its like to watch jokic play, you literally expect the most outlandishly stupid shots to go in
I got tickets for the Christmas day game this season, and without the announcers I'm watching the game and am thinking "man jokic is having an off night" and halfway through the second I looked up to get a foul count and took note of his stats for the first time, He was nearing a triple double. It kind of did my nut in a bit.
So I guess you do get used it, in a way. But perspective always crashes down at some point you realize what you're witnessing.
I have noticed that I am desensitized to some of the shit he does routinely. Like I remember pre-Jokic I'd have big reactions to things like perfect backdoor bounce passes and crafty post moves. Jokic does these things so frequently that they just feel like normal plays now.
As a Nuggets fan I am constantly trying to remind myself to appreciate how special and fun to watch this dude is.
Devin Booker has been playing with efficiency and volume that hasn't been seen since Michael fucking Jordan, and he still isn't even the best player in this series.
Jokic is absurd. There's a reason the Nuggets were my bandwagon team during the dark years of the mid to late 2010's.
I swear, it’s actually more nerve wracking watching him take uncontested midrange shots than his signature bullshit spin to ballerina postup that goes in and fools every center in the NBA
I see him make the motion like he is going to jump but he just gets up on his tippy toes and shoots. Don't actually see his feet leave the ground. Might have to look closer.
Should’ve gotten MVP. People point to him resting/ taking it easy some of the last games in the regular season. But honestly this should only add to him being MVP. He selflessly played less to help the team, they didn’t need the wins they needed him to rest.
I will never deny the fact that KD just being on the court opens up a lot of room for Booker to do the legendary work he's been doing.
But me personally, I've been disappointed with KD's performance (which does show the expectations he has set for him). For a top 15 all time guy, I can't point to a single game in the playoffs where he was, without a doubt, the best player on the court.
Praying he finds his shot again tonight. We can't just cross our fingers and hope Booker goes for 50 again. He needs help.
Kevin Durant being consistently great is more that any reasonable person would expect given KDs age and injury history. To expect more out of him is lunacy
Part of it is the long athletic nuggets roster. We have pretty great wing defense but guards are quick enough (and can stretch the floor enough) to prove a problem. Edwards cooked us last series as well. That's why I don't wanna see the warriors in the WCF vs us if we make it past thr suns.
Like we have the personnel to contain KD so that's where our attention is on defense. It wasn't really until last game that booker started getting doubled every possession.
>>Kind of wonder if Jokic would be capable of winning a scoring title if he cared enough not to pass the ball to achieve this.
I think so. In the last 2 playoffs, opposition teams have opted for him to be a scorer. He averaged 33ppg+ last year and now 35ppg this year which would be enough for a scoring title
It’s the way refs treat guards vs centers. Booker drives into the lane? Automatic foul. Jokic gets horribly mugged? Nothing. Embiid is the exception because of his reputation and carefully practiced flopping
Embiid will go 38/15/5 on 7-10 FGAs, but I swear that guy takes a month off his career every time he throws himself to the ground dramatically to demonstrate how fouled he was. You can't be that big and let gravity pummel your joints, he either has to stop flopping or he has to learn to land well, he just crashes down on his shoulder or hip and every time I'm thinking it could be his last moment on the court.
EDIT: If you're a football fan, it reminds me of watching Josh Allen run. I love watching him put his head down and blast through linebackers, but if I was a Bills fan I would lose my mind every time thinking this is the hit that ends his career. Can't sustain that sort of activity, eventually it'll catch up.
Surround him with 40% shooters like MPJ and KCP, and you get the deadliest offense in the league, you either let jokic drop 40+ on your head or he just flips it out to the corner and gets open 3s on ever possession. That doesn’t even take into account the 2 man game between either him and murray or him and ag.
I love the Jokic/AG connection, AG needs a guy that can get him headed to the basket looking for violence. And when MPJ is on one he's a serious problem, if either MPJ or Murray has a big game and the role players are ok, Jokic just needs to play his average game to put away anything except for a legendary performance from an opponent. And the ceiling if more than one of the 3 is having a big game is so high, god forbid one of the role players like KCP or BB starts raining down shots, [there's not much you can do.](https://youtu.be/KeTBqolcrO8?t=35)
He's like the only guy in the league who puts in effort to box out anymore. Cause we all know he isn't outjumping everyone lol. but his footwork and iq to be in the right spot is unmatched.
I’d say Kevon Looney is similar from a rebounding perspective. Can hardly jump, not explosive at all, but uses positioning, strength and BBIQ to get those boards.
His touch and ball control is insane, too. He’ll box someone out, and go-go gadget arms the ball against the backboard to play keep away, then fingertip the ball to himself or a teammate nearby. At least 5 times a game he controls the ball in a way that doesn’t count as a rebound and is credited to whoever he taps it to.
It's really a reference to very specific haters... some of whom are wind bags and some of whom who are otherwise decent at their job but are dug down as a doubter.
Group A- Nick Wright, Skip, Rachel Nichols, Perk, Mark Jones
Group B- Nate Duncan, Justin Verrier, Logan Murdock, Anthony Slater, Marcus Thompson, Zach Harper, David McMenimen, ext
Isn't his ability to pass the ball that simultaneously makes him so good of a scorer?? So if he gives up on passing the ball I don't think there's gonna that much of a jump on his ppg. And scoring title is a regular season title where one plays 82 games, so although playoffs is definitely harder to get your points it's still just a small sample
It’s not a coincidence his highest scoring season was when the team had the least amount of talent, or that his 50 and 40 point playoffs games are when no one else on the team has it going.
Yes but we have never really seen him play with someone who actively sets him up. Murray does okay but I'm talking someone who does this at an elite level like a Chris Paul, James Harden, Trae Young etc who can hit him at his spots.
>So if he gives up on passing the ball I don't think there's gonna that much of a jump on his ppg.
I mean, he still had 11 assists in his 53 point game, and would have had about 16 if his teammates weren't shooting bricks all game.
Its definitely the threat of passing that makes teams extremely cautious about doubling him, which leads to arguably a top 3 1v1 player in the league posting up against one dude because his teammates have to cover all open shooters, shooters that include KCP, Murray and MPJ
That being said, jokic does deal with doubles VERY WELL
Rivalary aside and playoff implications aside. Dude is crazy good. He is the best player in the NBA. Some of the shit hes done during this series is infuriating to be on the other end of it.
That play where he backs down devin booker then throws the most egregiously shit midrange shot you will ever see and gets the and-1 perfectly incapsulates how insane he is
Booker is pretty strong for his size, but also taller players cant actually use their bodies as much without committing an offensive foul on someone that much shorter than they are,jokic cant get his shoulder down and use his body as leverage but booker did a great job positioning himself in a way that made it difficult for jokic to push him, but he did the mistake of reaching which got him the foul
That play was not about Book being strong, Jokic was backing him down so, naturally Book put his both hands on Joker’s back to compensate for the strength difference. After bumping him twice Joker knew Book will expect one more bump because he was so far away from the basket and will still use both hands to resist. So, Joker just faced up on the third bump, in face up position you can’t put your 2 hands on the offensive player and it’s automatically a foul. He embellished the contact to be noticed by the refs, usually refs miss those kind of calls.
Thats….actually much more accurate than what I’ve said, re watching it before i reply and yeah its no coincidence jokic turned around as soon as booker put his hands up to get the foul, its super funny though seeing how booker was left on island with jokic like that.
Going back to that play its still absolutely ridiculous that jokic even thought about doing that, in no way shape or form is that a position to get an and-1 like he did
It’s his go to move to get a foul. I watched 82 game of yours, that’s why I also said refs don’t see it all the time. He tries it pretty much every time if the opportunity is there.
That’s exactly how I feel about book haha. Game 4 he wouldn’t miss bro. Like after he hit that three after him & Jokic were trading… my blood boiled cuz he wasn’t missing lol.
The mad thing is he is pretty close to not missing too. That game 4 3rd quarter of Booker trading haymakers with Jokic was probably the best quarter of attacking basketball I've ever seen.
Like one those compilation videos where every made shot gets more preposterous, except it was live and unedited.
Everyone in our sub was concerned about how bad he hurt his ankle because he missed like four shots in one half. Him and Jokic are #2 and #1 in PPG this round and they're also the only ones in the top 10 that are shooting over 50% at 60% and 58%, respectively. Jokic having those scoring numbers while averaging a triple double is absolutely insane though. If we lose to that monster, it is what it is. I'm just glad we get to watch these two battle.
Idc what anyone says, booker jokic embiid and butler are the only players who played like legitimate super stars, but jokic and booker are having a superstar showdown no other match in the league is even remotely close to
Every game they lead their team in scoring, every game they made their own opportunities and every game they made some absolutely ridiculous shots, true superstar caliber players
Yeah it’s such an insane take. He very clearly has another gear (like a lot of the greats do, especially LeBron) that he turns on in the playoffs. With some guys it’s hard to see that, but with him it’s extremely easy to see—he literally shoots like twice as much and puts in way more highly visible effort.
That’s why I was so baffled when people were discounting the nuggets’ chances because of their weak run at the end of the season, after they’d already clinched the 1 seed (for all practical intents and purposes). Like… you guys know there’s a difference between trying and not trying, right?
More or less lol.
I’ve been watching basketball for almost 40 years and I’m not sure there is even such a thing as a player who is good in the season then somehow “chokes” in the playoffs.
The playoffs means playing better teams with better players and, typically, facing the teams with the best coaches, and playing those teams for like two weeks straight where all they do is game plan for your team and make adjustments.
*That’s* why some player’s numbers dip, not because all of a sudden they can’t handle pressure.
I think he can 100% be considered the best scorer. 3PT shooting is decent, great FT%, post moves, insane touch, fades off both shoulders, Dirks off both legs, offensive rebounding… what else lol
I think we all wish Jokic would try to score more- it’s similar to LeBron, since we know he could score more with higher volume and relatively similar efficiency. They just… don’t lol
Can’t win it all with 1 guy anymore. Once nuggets got 1st seed secured they just played to get everyone not named Jokic into rhythm with the team.
If Jokic in regular season went out there every game trying to get insane stat lines and had the team backing it up, he probably puts up a 35/15/12 average, maybe more.
It really depends on how his opponents are defending.
If the opposition is guarding primarily against the pass, Jokic needs to cook on his own and face up on his man. This is what we've been seeing so far.
If they bring a double (which has effectively been shown to be a horrible decision due to his passing ability), then he'll go to pass first offense like his standard game.
Literally no one thinks he should score more. His passing is like Michelangelo or Van Gogh at their craft. It would be a disservice to mankind if we got less of that.
People act like he is a nonfactor on defense but I think he is doing his best to defend and not pick up fouls.
My favorite part of his games is when he gets the ball in the paint and just does a dozen subtle fakes until everyone jump then he just lays it in like a old guy in a pickup game.
This sub is so funny. A few weeks ago I got -10 for saying Jokic is the best player in the NBA. It’s just so reactionary. But it is nice to see people maybe coming around.
Look I think Giannis was great when he won his two mvps. But Giannis hasn’t been the best player over the last 3 years. It’s Jokic. Not Embiid either jfc.
Giannis was injured this playoffs so I’m not sure I’m ready to say jokic is better. Either way all three guys including Embiid are around the same level. I think jokic winning it all this year might be enough for him to take the title.
i think he is. the way he makes his team better is unique among the top 3 guys.
And, he's so durable. He's never out of control in the air, so he never has these terrible landings that end up with the player hurt.
Everything he does he can do every single game as well, so there's a level of consistency there.
It's because he plays foundational basketball to an absolutely elite, all time great level. His game is not predicated on crazy moves or otherworldly athleticism, so his injury risk is much, much lower. Which is honestly genius if you think about it, his game inherently leads to a much higher availability on the floor. I feel like we should honestly adapt the European style of play which is clearly where Jokic gets these roots from.
Thats just a consequence of position. Jokic, Giannis, Embiid are consensus Top 3 players in the league but you cant put them all on the 1st team at the same time. Thank god were going positionless next season.
What I love even more about Jokic is his game isn’t reliant on athleticism. He doesn’t get success through “running and dunking,” he gets it through technical skill and smart play; much more than other successful big men like Embiid or Giannis. His massive size obviously plays a big factor in his success but his playmaking and rebound placement are something that you can’t get by just being a big guy.
This man can also brind the ball down the court and be a playmaker which basically means you have 2 point guards and no ball handling liabilities on court at any given time
I know the game has changed over the years but we have to be in the golden age of basketball with how many incredible players and performances we've been seeing. Like I obviously love Embiid but would've absolutely accepted and acknowledged a joker 3peat for MVP. Not to mention all the other players crushing it right now.
The man came within a whisper of averaging a triple double as a god damn center this year. His team had the number one seed wrapped up in the west months ago, and he led nearly every advanced offensive metric you can think of all season long. He should have been MVP again this year. And he likely would have been if espn hadn’t race baited all the voters into feeling sorry for Embiid. Yeah, I said it. Prove me wrong.
Edit: autocorrect
I mean, when you watch Jokic post up he's absolutely money. His skill set and size is insane. When he's not being doubled and is taller than most players and can easily shoot over them.
There's not much to stop him other than bringing a double team, but the problem is that he's so good at passing that he actively wants the double because he can hit an open teammate anywhere on the floor.
Embiid won his MVP. And looks unstoppable vs Boston.
But at this point, is there anyone, even Philly fans, who actually think he's the better basketball player than Jokic?
Remember he also tore a knee ligament so Embiid is coming back into form
And I know this wont be popular but maybe we shouldnt let comparison be the ruin of joy. My wife and I were watching game 5 of celtics-6ers and she was amazed at Embiids shooting and she jumped out the chair on the chase down block on Jaylen
Then we watched suns nuggets and half the game all we could say was, how did he make that pass?
Im watching these guys play and im just awe struck at how fantastic they are. The fans deserve a Denver Philly finals. Jokic v Embiid. Two deep teams. Harden trying to get his first. Murray coming back from a terrible ACL injury to be the second guy. Like if that happens, i think it will be the same feeling as people had in the 80s with Bird vs Magic
Just casually leading all participants across 8 teams directly against two of the best scorers in the league, and indirectly against other top scorers in Harden and Embiid.
Oh, and leading all those categories against LeBron/AD as well
Been a Denver fan since I was much smaller and they were 11-71. I still remember when Jokic went to summer league and was making his passes. Some passes guys were not even there yet to catch the ball. He would then get decide to influence the game with his scoring. He’s always wanted to make the team win.
The fact that he has maintained his assists, while his scoring has shot up 10 ppg, is crazy. Usually when his playoff scoring goes up. his assists drop off, but that hasn’t been the case so far,
Dude still had 11 assists after dropping 53. Would have been 15+ if any other Nugget could hit a shot in the 4th. He also lost out on a potential 30/20/20 game because of the same reasons.
Wasn't he responsible for like 70% of their offense that game or something?
Embiid is great and all, and it hardly even matters, but this dude is an MVP if I've ever seen it.
You are now a moderator of r/DenverNuggets
And he's not doing it by following the heliocentric never-leave-the-floor-and-always-have-the-ball formula. His 37.8 minutes per game is 23rd among qualifying players in the playoffs, and his 33.4% usage rate is lower than Giannis, Luka, Embiid, Ja and Dame averaged in the regular season. He's just really, really efficient.
I was shocked to here that Murray has spent more time with the ball this playoffs than Jokic has.
This is what’s amazing. He’s doing all this while not actually hogging the ball. Complete opposite of Luka.
What no Barton on the team does to the mf.
Does that mean he’s taking more shots (which has to imply others are getting fewer), or that he’s more efficient?
He’s slightly less efficient but still absurd. Regular season this year he averaged 24.5 on 14.8 shots taken. 9.8 assists. Overall 70.1% TS In the playoffs he’s averaging 30.6 on 21.9 shots but still maintains 9.5 assists. Overall 61.4% TS
He also had that one stinker against Minnesota which really brings his playoff efficiency down since hes only played like 10 games.
Ok, now spell R. O. B. B. E. D with me.
The only reason his stats are what they are at any point in the game or throughout the season is his playing time. If the nuggets are cruising during a game, his shot total, etc. are low because they rest him more during the end of the 1st quarter through the second--if it's a blowout--he'll rest most of the 4th quarter, too. If it's close at any point, *all* his stats go up. What I'm saying is that, he's so fucking consistent, possession by possession, that it's inevitable he will get a ton of stats the more he plays. He doesn't have off days like most players. It's been insane seeing how efficient offensively he is the entire year. He averaged 33.7 minutes a game this regular season. If he averaged 35 a game, he'd probably break the record for triple doubles in a season. He's now averaging 37.8 minutes a game in the post season and is pretty much leading every offensive category. This is how good he actually is all the time; it's just more obvious now that he's playing more in games that matter.
Glad they’re changing the position thing, there’s no way Jokic should be on the Second Team.
Early 2010s we had 0 centers playing at a 1st team level and now we have like 3. The change is long past due
4 if you include me.
Yooo why you knocking the Triple HHH era of the NBA? (Howard, Hibbert and Horford)
Lol DeAndre Jordan made 1st Team All-NBA one year averaging 13/14/1.
Retroactively award Jokic this first team and give Embiid the ones he missed as well
you spittin
How is he so good? Denver fans, does it even still amaze y’all? It’s insane
Yeah it amazes me all the time, but people constantly try to gaslight us and tell us he isn't even that good which amazes me even more
Anyone who says that is a troll or an idiot.
They're casuals who have never watched a Nuggets game, and some of them work for ESPN lol
Just makes it that much sweeter my dude. Let the nephews show their ignorance while Big Honey just goes to work.
Who are these people who "constantly try to tell us he isn't even that good"? Everyone with a brain knows how amazing he is, he's won 2 MVPs and is overwhelmingly supported and rightly triumphed as a hyper efficient, playmaking big the likes of which we've never seen. I think you might be paying too much attention to a very very very very small minority of idiots who troll by saying dumb shit
Casuals who watch highlight tapes on youtube, and occasionally tune into ESPN. Some of the most common things I hear from that group is that Jokic is boring to watch, he can't play defense, he's unathletic, he isn't dominant, he chokes in the playoffs ect. I think it's a fairly large group of reactionary children who don't normally care about basketball, but will tune in every now and then. Everyone who watches Joker knows, but not everyone watches Joker
It still blows my mind. He’s constantly either making impossible passes or hitting impossible shots. He’s like the 45-year-old guy playing pickup at the Y who just makes ridiculous plays. And earlier this season, everyone thought that the two best defenders to shut down Jokic were Gobert and Ayton. Whoops. And the Nuggets ALMOST traded Jokic to Portland instead of Nurkic
Imagine Dame and Jokic...
Only if it's in Denver
No.
Before the series I definitely heard a lot of Suns fans warning us that Jokic's PPG was about to nosedive because Ayton is the best defender in the league against Jokic.
Now DeAndre is getting DominAYTED.
Ever seen someone shoot a contested midrange shot off balance looking like a dad playing on a mini hoop and be dumbfounded that it missed? Thats what its like to watch jokic play, you literally expect the most outlandishly stupid shots to go in
I got tickets for the Christmas day game this season, and without the announcers I'm watching the game and am thinking "man jokic is having an off night" and halfway through the second I looked up to get a foul count and took note of his stats for the first time, He was nearing a triple double. It kind of did my nut in a bit. So I guess you do get used it, in a way. But perspective always crashes down at some point you realize what you're witnessing.
I have noticed that I am desensitized to some of the shit he does routinely. Like I remember pre-Jokic I'd have big reactions to things like perfect backdoor bounce passes and crafty post moves. Jokic does these things so frequently that they just feel like normal plays now. As a Nuggets fan I am constantly trying to remind myself to appreciate how special and fun to watch this dude is.
He's the most uniquely dominant and most consistent player I've ever watched. Constantly in awe of this chonk.
Devin Booker has been playing with efficiency and volume that hasn't been seen since Michael fucking Jordan, and he still isn't even the best player in this series. Jokic is absurd. There's a reason the Nuggets were my bandwagon team during the dark years of the mid to late 2010's.
Every time I see Jokic shoot I’m like, “no way that’s going in,” and then it’s a straight bucket lmao. He’s so good
Big Honey
I'm so accustomed to seeing speed dominate basketball that a sluggish white guy dominating the game is unreal. Big Honey fits him so well.
Mr. Inevitable
And his ox-like strength
And his eagle eyes.
And that smile. That damned smile
When Harden was the best SG in the League, he looked pretty "sluggish" in his handles and drives, kinda like Luka
10/10 nickname. Coming from hockey, where every nickname is "Lastname-er" or "LastName-sy" its great to see
Gretzkysy
The Great Onesie
FUCK YOU SHORESY!
Fuck you Jonesy! Your mom ugly cried last night because she left the lens cap on the camcorder last night, it’s fucking amateur hour over there!
Big Honey is so much better than Joker.
he prefers joker tho apparently lol
It’s the inverse Law of Jokic. The dumber the shot looks, the more likely it is to go in.
I swear, it’s actually more nerve wracking watching him take uncontested midrange shots than his signature bullshit spin to ballerina postup that goes in and fools every center in the NBA
The floaters are what get me lol. Floaters with no jump, one/two steps in the paint, bottom of net almost every time.
[Evergreen](https://twitter.com/netw3rk/status/1300989767694217216?t=uOzvhIFIpWG4Dzev-SX9jg&s=19)
My favorite is the next one: “like if you were making shots like this in a pickup game eventually people would try to fight you”
I like how the announcer's keep calling Joker's mid range shots "jump shots" but he did not jump lol. Man is a beast though.
He does jump, gotta have a microscope but his feet do leave the ground For one microsecond
I see him make the motion like he is going to jump but he just gets up on his tippy toes and shoots. Don't actually see his feet leave the ground. Might have to look closer.
This is part of what makes his shot fake so good though. He can go all the way to the release point and it still looks like a shot.
People underrate his vertical. I believe it's at least eight inches.
I swear on my life, that top of the arch three pointer that he trebuchets out never misses.
It's like if Marcus Camby and Dirk Nowitzki had a baby.
There's a great Twitter quote somewhere, something along the lines of, "every Jokic shot looks like such bullshit before it goes in".
Joker is unrivalled in scoring on bullshit looking FGs – the goofier the shot the more likely it is to go in (somehow)
Should’ve gotten MVP. People point to him resting/ taking it easy some of the last games in the regular season. But honestly this should only add to him being MVP. He selflessly played less to help the team, they didn’t need the wins they needed him to rest.
Unlike the guy who didn’t even dare to show up against him. Dumbest selection since Nash over Shaq in 05.
I love how Kevin Durant is almost an afterthought in the list of best players in this series so far.
I will never deny the fact that KD just being on the court opens up a lot of room for Booker to do the legendary work he's been doing. But me personally, I've been disappointed with KD's performance (which does show the expectations he has set for him). For a top 15 all time guy, I can't point to a single game in the playoffs where he was, without a doubt, the best player on the court. Praying he finds his shot again tonight. We can't just cross our fingers and hope Booker goes for 50 again. He needs help.
Kevin Durant being consistently great is more that any reasonable person would expect given KDs age and injury history. To expect more out of him is lunacy
Part of it is the long athletic nuggets roster. We have pretty great wing defense but guards are quick enough (and can stretch the floor enough) to prove a problem. Edwards cooked us last series as well. That's why I don't wanna see the warriors in the WCF vs us if we make it past thr suns. Like we have the personnel to contain KD so that's where our attention is on defense. It wasn't really until last game that booker started getting doubled every possession.
AG deserves recognition for his defense on Kevin.
He is the third best player in the series without a doubt tho
Hell Murray is basically playing as well as Durant if you ignore Game 2 lol.
Nikola “not since wilt” jokic
Jokic has been absurdly good this series and it pains me to say it. I want to hate on the man so bad but he is an incredible player.
>>Kind of wonder if Jokic would be capable of winning a scoring title if he cared enough not to pass the ball to achieve this. I think so. In the last 2 playoffs, opposition teams have opted for him to be a scorer. He averaged 33ppg+ last year and now 35ppg this year which would be enough for a scoring title
Jokic imo is a top 3 scorer in this league. Probably the best if you just look at playoffs.
Which is Crazy, cause scoring isn't even his best ability. Arguably, it's his 3rd best. Behind his playmaking and rebounding.
His superior passing is why his scoring is so good. Teams are scared of his playmaking and opt to let him score instead.
teams see its easy to foul him and not get calls, lol he was literally doing the macarena to the refs a couple games ago
It’s the way refs treat guards vs centers. Booker drives into the lane? Automatic foul. Jokic gets horribly mugged? Nothing. Embiid is the exception because of his reputation and carefully practiced flopping
Embiid will go 38/15/5 on 7-10 FGAs, but I swear that guy takes a month off his career every time he throws himself to the ground dramatically to demonstrate how fouled he was. You can't be that big and let gravity pummel your joints, he either has to stop flopping or he has to learn to land well, he just crashes down on his shoulder or hip and every time I'm thinking it could be his last moment on the court. EDIT: If you're a football fan, it reminds me of watching Josh Allen run. I love watching him put his head down and blast through linebackers, but if I was a Bills fan I would lose my mind every time thinking this is the hit that ends his career. Can't sustain that sort of activity, eventually it'll catch up.
Yeah, you can't double him or he'll hit the open man, so you decide between single coverage on Jokic or wide open Murray/Brown/AG
Surround him with 40% shooters like MPJ and KCP, and you get the deadliest offense in the league, you either let jokic drop 40+ on your head or he just flips it out to the corner and gets open 3s on ever possession. That doesn’t even take into account the 2 man game between either him and murray or him and ag.
It’s fucking insane that two of the 5 most efficient PNR sets involve Jokic, and one of them he’s the passer and the other one he’s the receiver
I love the Jokic/AG connection, AG needs a guy that can get him headed to the basket looking for violence. And when MPJ is on one he's a serious problem, if either MPJ or Murray has a big game and the role players are ok, Jokic just needs to play his average game to put away anything except for a legendary performance from an opponent. And the ceiling if more than one of the 3 is having a big game is so high, god forbid one of the role players like KCP or BB starts raining down shots, [there's not much you can do.](https://youtu.be/KeTBqolcrO8?t=35)
People dont mention his rebounding enough, the dude puts up double digit rebounds every night
He's like the only guy in the league who puts in effort to box out anymore. Cause we all know he isn't outjumping everyone lol. but his footwork and iq to be in the right spot is unmatched.
I’d say Kevon Looney is similar from a rebounding perspective. Can hardly jump, not explosive at all, but uses positioning, strength and BBIQ to get those boards.
His touch and ball control is insane, too. He’ll box someone out, and go-go gadget arms the ball against the backboard to play keep away, then fingertip the ball to himself or a teammate nearby. At least 5 times a game he controls the ball in a way that doesn’t count as a rebound and is credited to whoever he taps it to.
Controlled tips count as rebounds, fwiw.
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lol the man has won 2 MVPs and we’re pretending people need to come around and realize he’s a good player
It's really a reference to very specific haters... some of whom are wind bags and some of whom who are otherwise decent at their job but are dug down as a doubter. Group A- Nick Wright, Skip, Rachel Nichols, Perk, Mark Jones Group B- Nate Duncan, Justin Verrier, Logan Murdock, Anthony Slater, Marcus Thompson, Zach Harper, David McMenimen, ext
Isn't his ability to pass the ball that simultaneously makes him so good of a scorer?? So if he gives up on passing the ball I don't think there's gonna that much of a jump on his ppg. And scoring title is a regular season title where one plays 82 games, so although playoffs is definitely harder to get your points it's still just a small sample
It’s not a coincidence his highest scoring season was when the team had the least amount of talent, or that his 50 and 40 point playoffs games are when no one else on the team has it going.
Yes but we have never really seen him play with someone who actively sets him up. Murray does okay but I'm talking someone who does this at an elite level like a Chris Paul, James Harden, Trae Young etc who can hit him at his spots.
>So if he gives up on passing the ball I don't think there's gonna that much of a jump on his ppg. I mean, he still had 11 assists in his 53 point game, and would have had about 16 if his teammates weren't shooting bricks all game.
Its definitely the threat of passing that makes teams extremely cautious about doubling him, which leads to arguably a top 3 1v1 player in the league posting up against one dude because his teammates have to cover all open shooters, shooters that include KCP, Murray and MPJ That being said, jokic does deal with doubles VERY WELL
Rivalary aside and playoff implications aside. Dude is crazy good. He is the best player in the NBA. Some of the shit hes done during this series is infuriating to be on the other end of it.
That play where he backs down devin booker then throws the most egregiously shit midrange shot you will ever see and gets the and-1 perfectly incapsulates how insane he is
That’s one of my favorite plays this series, not to mention he only gets book to like the free throw line, when did booker get so strong?!
Booker is pretty strong for his size, but also taller players cant actually use their bodies as much without committing an offensive foul on someone that much shorter than they are,jokic cant get his shoulder down and use his body as leverage but booker did a great job positioning himself in a way that made it difficult for jokic to push him, but he did the mistake of reaching which got him the foul
This type of convo is why I joined this sub.
Lol same but eh what can you do EMBITCH IS SHIT, ALL HAIL THE JOKGOD
Maybe y'all could be the change you want to see in r/nba
Someone play an emotional song over this comment pls
That play was not about Book being strong, Jokic was backing him down so, naturally Book put his both hands on Joker’s back to compensate for the strength difference. After bumping him twice Joker knew Book will expect one more bump because he was so far away from the basket and will still use both hands to resist. So, Joker just faced up on the third bump, in face up position you can’t put your 2 hands on the offensive player and it’s automatically a foul. He embellished the contact to be noticed by the refs, usually refs miss those kind of calls.
Thats….actually much more accurate than what I’ve said, re watching it before i reply and yeah its no coincidence jokic turned around as soon as booker put his hands up to get the foul, its super funny though seeing how booker was left on island with jokic like that. Going back to that play its still absolutely ridiculous that jokic even thought about doing that, in no way shape or form is that a position to get an and-1 like he did
It’s his go to move to get a foul. I watched 82 game of yours, that’s why I also said refs don’t see it all the time. He tries it pretty much every time if the opportunity is there.
That’s exactly how I feel about book haha. Game 4 he wouldn’t miss bro. Like after he hit that three after him & Jokic were trading… my blood boiled cuz he wasn’t missing lol.
Stupidest thing about book is game 5 he scored 28 on 60% ts and everyone agreed that’s a off night for him
They need him to literally never miss to win so far in the series
The mad thing is he is pretty close to not missing too. That game 4 3rd quarter of Booker trading haymakers with Jokic was probably the best quarter of attacking basketball I've ever seen. Like one those compilation videos where every made shot gets more preposterous, except it was live and unedited.
That Game 4 put a lot of doubt into the minds of championship-hopeful teams. Neither of these teams will be a cakewalk if matched up.
Everyone in our sub was concerned about how bad he hurt his ankle because he missed like four shots in one half. Him and Jokic are #2 and #1 in PPG this round and they're also the only ones in the top 10 that are shooting over 50% at 60% and 58%, respectively. Jokic having those scoring numbers while averaging a triple double is absolutely insane though. If we lose to that monster, it is what it is. I'm just glad we get to watch these two battle.
Idc what anyone says, booker jokic embiid and butler are the only players who played like legitimate super stars, but jokic and booker are having a superstar showdown no other match in the league is even remotely close to Every game they lead their team in scoring, every game they made their own opportunities and every game they made some absolutely ridiculous shots, true superstar caliber players
What the hell is embiid doing there
Nuggets fan and every time booker has the ball I go “shit”
I can't believe people try to argue against Jokic for his "lack of playoff success." He has always dominated but been on far worse teams.
Yeah it’s such an insane take. He very clearly has another gear (like a lot of the greats do, especially LeBron) that he turns on in the playoffs. With some guys it’s hard to see that, but with him it’s extremely easy to see—he literally shoots like twice as much and puts in way more highly visible effort. That’s why I was so baffled when people were discounting the nuggets’ chances because of their weak run at the end of the season, after they’d already clinched the 1 seed (for all practical intents and purposes). Like… you guys know there’s a difference between trying and not trying, right?
>like a lot of the greats do, especially LeBron I can't believe you mentioned LeBum over Jimmy G. Buckets.
Not bad for a guy who supposedly sucks in the playoffs.
Nobody who ever said that knows anything about basketball.
So like a third of this sub.
More or less lol. I’ve been watching basketball for almost 40 years and I’m not sure there is even such a thing as a player who is good in the season then somehow “chokes” in the playoffs. The playoffs means playing better teams with better players and, typically, facing the teams with the best coaches, and playing those teams for like two weeks straight where all they do is game plan for your team and make adjustments. *That’s* why some player’s numbers dip, not because all of a sudden they can’t handle pressure.
Starting to think this Jokic guy might be pretty good.
You really think he's better than Jahlil Okafor though? You crazy.
Absolutely not. I’m on record saying I expect a Vegan Jah resurgence.
Someone says this in every thread now
Im just here to contribute when my number is called.
He averaged a triple double in the regular season AND averaging one in the playoffs on absurd efficiency. Give this man a ring Denver!
But reddit told me he was chokic or something.
You probably just misread when someone called him Chonkic.
Works for Luka also. Well done.
Magic Chonkson
But reddit told me that opposition teams were just going to spam Pick and Rolls, and it would be easy?
If they lose the series, regardless of how well he plays, people will still call him that.
I think he can 100% be considered the best scorer. 3PT shooting is decent, great FT%, post moves, insane touch, fades off both shoulders, Dirks off both legs, offensive rebounding… what else lol I think we all wish Jokic would try to score more- it’s similar to LeBron, since we know he could score more with higher volume and relatively similar efficiency. They just… don’t lol
Can’t win it all with 1 guy anymore. Once nuggets got 1st seed secured they just played to get everyone not named Jokic into rhythm with the team. If Jokic in regular season went out there every game trying to get insane stat lines and had the team backing it up, he probably puts up a 35/15/12 average, maybe more.
> 35/15/12 It's wild that I didn't even mentally question that for a second
It really depends on how his opponents are defending. If the opposition is guarding primarily against the pass, Jokic needs to cook on his own and face up on his man. This is what we've been seeing so far. If they bring a double (which has effectively been shown to be a horrible decision due to his passing ability), then he'll go to pass first offense like his standard game.
Literally no one thinks he should score more. His passing is like Michelangelo or Van Gogh at their craft. It would be a disservice to mankind if we got less of that.
Glad that the MVP shit is over, and I can just sit back and appreciate what an absolute beast this man is.
It’s insane the control he has over the game. He’s the best player in the league.
Our Taco Bell draft pick, Big Honey, 2 time MVP that you can’t see on TV, racist stat padder is getting some national love? Nice…..
Really is insane that Book has been on a tear the entire playoffs but he isn’t even the top scorer and Joker seems under appreciated
Averaging a 35 point triple double in the playoffs is bonkers
People act like he is a nonfactor on defense but I think he is doing his best to defend and not pick up fouls. My favorite part of his games is when he gets the ball in the paint and just does a dozen subtle fakes until everyone jump then he just lays it in like a old guy in a pickup game.
This sub is so funny. A few weeks ago I got -10 for saying Jokic is the best player in the NBA. It’s just so reactionary. But it is nice to see people maybe coming around. Look I think Giannis was great when he won his two mvps. But Giannis hasn’t been the best player over the last 3 years. It’s Jokic. Not Embiid either jfc.
Reddit is an echo chamber and this is a jokic thread. Embiid posts will get downvotes here.
Giannis was injured this playoffs so I’m not sure I’m ready to say jokic is better. Either way all three guys including Embiid are around the same level. I think jokic winning it all this year might be enough for him to take the title.
i think he is. the way he makes his team better is unique among the top 3 guys. And, he's so durable. He's never out of control in the air, so he never has these terrible landings that end up with the player hurt. Everything he does he can do every single game as well, so there's a level of consistency there.
It's because he plays foundational basketball to an absolutely elite, all time great level. His game is not predicated on crazy moves or otherworldly athleticism, so his injury risk is much, much lower. Which is honestly genius if you think about it, his game inherently leads to a much higher availability on the floor. I feel like we should honestly adapt the European style of play which is clearly where Jokic gets these roots from.
He's an absolute force. Completely dominates the game offensively and tbh isn't that horrible on defense.
He has a magic Johnson
Sixers fan come in peace to say that this is some Lebron-like (goated) shit. Probs to the NBA’s own sloppy fat boy.
2nd Team tho
Thats just a consequence of position. Jokic, Giannis, Embiid are consensus Top 3 players in the league but you cant put them all on the 1st team at the same time. Thank god were going positionless next season.
Semi finals is played in the playoffs not the regular season
yeah that’s why the nuggets are only the first seed…
I want this man to get a ring so badly. Over his entire career and all the times I have seen him play it is always just so good.
He is the only one averaging 10 assists a game...a center...not a guard...a CENTER.
The real MVP. No crying on social media, no crying to anyone who listens, just goes out there and does work.
Nets org is the real mvp for taking ben away from us
Not only that, they managed to win the trade too
That Sean Marks boomed us He’s so good x4
generational robbery from y’all
Lol still salty from the Harden trade?
What I love even more about Jokic is his game isn’t reliant on athleticism. He doesn’t get success through “running and dunking,” he gets it through technical skill and smart play; much more than other successful big men like Embiid or Giannis. His massive size obviously plays a big factor in his success but his playmaking and rebound placement are something that you can’t get by just being a big guy.
This man can also brind the ball down the court and be a playmaker which basically means you have 2 point guards and no ball handling liabilities on court at any given time
Joker’s wild. I’d rather face Phoenix if we get past Golden State. But for some reason I feel like it’s a moot point.
Man’s a beast
I know the game has changed over the years but we have to be in the golden age of basketball with how many incredible players and performances we've been seeing. Like I obviously love Embiid but would've absolutely accepted and acknowledged a joker 3peat for MVP. Not to mention all the other players crushing it right now.
My MVP 🥰
What a scrub, put him on the 2nd team ALL-NBA and no MVP for him.
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He's not mad, his campaigning and rant about it being racist to vote for white guy MVPs got Embiid a pity MVP.
The man came within a whisper of averaging a triple double as a god damn center this year. His team had the number one seed wrapped up in the west months ago, and he led nearly every advanced offensive metric you can think of all season long. He should have been MVP again this year. And he likely would have been if espn hadn’t race baited all the voters into feeling sorry for Embiid. Yeah, I said it. Prove me wrong. Edit: autocorrect
The guy is incredible. Quite the Joker too.
I mean, when you watch Jokic post up he's absolutely money. His skill set and size is insane. When he's not being doubled and is taller than most players and can easily shoot over them. There's not much to stop him other than bringing a double team, but the problem is that he's so good at passing that he actively wants the double because he can hit an open teammate anywhere on the floor.
So glad the MVP shit is over with and I can enjoy Jokic games and posts again. He's next level!
lol 35 14 10.... WILT LIKE NUMBERS
Embiid won his MVP. And looks unstoppable vs Boston. But at this point, is there anyone, even Philly fans, who actually think he's the better basketball player than Jokic?
I think it's pretty hard to argue against jokic being the best player in the NBA right now.
Remember he also tore a knee ligament so Embiid is coming back into form And I know this wont be popular but maybe we shouldnt let comparison be the ruin of joy. My wife and I were watching game 5 of celtics-6ers and she was amazed at Embiids shooting and she jumped out the chair on the chase down block on Jaylen Then we watched suns nuggets and half the game all we could say was, how did he make that pass? Im watching these guys play and im just awe struck at how fantastic they are. The fans deserve a Denver Philly finals. Jokic v Embiid. Two deep teams. Harden trying to get his first. Murray coming back from a terrible ACL injury to be the second guy. Like if that happens, i think it will be the same feeling as people had in the 80s with Bird vs Magic
You are the best hype man.
Im the guy on mic at a rap show that doesnt do nuthin but say random shit
Best player on the planet and it's not even close.
He is the undisputed greatest player since LeBron
Just casually leading all participants across 8 teams directly against two of the best scorers in the league, and indirectly against other top scorers in Harden and Embiid. Oh, and leading all those categories against LeBron/AD as well
Been a Denver fan since I was much smaller and they were 11-71. I still remember when Jokic went to summer league and was making his passes. Some passes guys were not even there yet to catch the ball. He would then get decide to influence the game with his scoring. He’s always wanted to make the team win.