Nikola Jokic deserves his own thread

[Radical Larry 28539]

 

[Braff Zacklin 13552]

Instant classic between two of my favorite young stars.

Jokic didn't have a triple double, but he did rack up 37 points, 6 boards, 9 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and only 1 turnover. His teardrop floater rivals Harden's.

Meanwhile, Zion got to the rim whenever he wanted and finished with a game-high 39 points. The way he ducks his shoulder and then explodes to the hoop with that delicate layup high off the glass is uncanny. Not sure there's ever been a big who could get to the rim so quickly.

[shadow_operative 15932]

these two should star in a buddy cop movie. also, talk about a matchup of styles. one guy is slow as molasses and all finesse, the other is a freight train with springs for feet who can leap tall buildings in a single bound. very cool clash of styles on display. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

you know i said that Jokic is "all finesse", but he actually bodied Zion off his spot in that video. really impressive show of physical strength for a guy who looks like him. i honestly did not know that he had that in him. 

[Braff Zacklin 13552]

9 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

you know i said that Jokic is "all finesse", but he actually bodied Zion off his spot in that video. really impressive show of physical strength for a guy who looks like him. i honestly did not know that he had that in him. 

Joker will back a body down. He doesn't rely on it exclusively, and it usually ends in a fadeaway or some flat-footed hook, but it gets the job done.

Check the Magic highlights from the other night, for example. He goes after Vucevic and Birch a few times.

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

 

[gsoda3 3245]

just wanted to pop in and mention how much i megaloathe the accepted American pronunciation of his name- Knee-Cola Yokich. it's not even a difficult name to pronounce. 

How are you supposed to say it?

[shadow_operative 15932]

american announcer pronounce his name knee•COLA, with a hard "cola". it's actually pronounced like Nicolas without the s, if you said it in a russian accent- KNEE•cola. 

[Radical Larry 28539]

 

[Machinator 32099]

 

[Vic Mackey 47006]

[shadow_operative 15932]

the fact that his FG% is the same as Shaq's is fucking insane when you consider the difference in the shots that each guy takes. Jokic is out here busting threes and shooting one legged fade away 19 foot jumpers to beat the shot clock. Jokic is a unicorn.

Edited April 21, 2021 by shadow_operative

[Vic Mackey 47006]

1 minute ago, shadow_operative said:

the fact that his FG% is the same as Shaq's is fucking insane when you consider the difference in the shots that each guy takes. Jokic is out here busting threes and shooting one legged fade away 19 foot jumpers to beat the shot clock. Jokic is a unicorn.

Yep that is what I noticed as well. Shaq played as close to the rim as possible. I am not going to pretend to know exactly the distance of his average shot but safe to say, it was a hell of a lot closer than Jokic's. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

Nuggets have won 10 of 11 since Murray went down. If Jokic isn't the unanimous MVP then people need to have their votes taken from them. 

[Vic Mackey 47006]

...

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

as first reported by chewbacca in the nba playoff thread:

 

 

[aggie08 21481]

Man, imagine the hype that this dude would get if he was named Cole Smith and was born in Kentucky.

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

 

[Machinator 32099]

 

[Machinator 32099]

 

[Radical Larry 28539]

 

[Machinator 32099]

 

[aggie08 21481]

I could eat the ass out of a quesarito right now, though.

Edited June 9, 2021 by aggie08

[Radical Larry 28539]

https://twitter.com/natural_onedurr/status/1402383665330540544?s=21

[Radical Larry 28539]

Double post

[washparkhorn 9939]

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

those plays where he was basically handing the ball to guys who were out of bounds were both funny and intelligent. never seen that from anyone else before. 

[Js1 85263]

The NBA needs more personalities like his.   Just watching the superstars whine and cry all the time is lame.  Love watching the dudes joke and laugh and do shit like handing the ball to the guy out of bounds.

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

ive seen four different "top five players in the NBA 2021" lists which have included at least 8 different players, and none of them have had Jokic listed. none. Damian Lillard made a list, yet Jokic couldn't get any love. winning the MVP and having one of the greatest offensive seasons ever still wasn't enough tj get this man any respect. i still see fans trashing him regularly. smh. oh well! somehow i doubt that these things bother The Joker as much as they do me. 😂 

Edited October 20, 2021 by shadow_operative

[aggie08 21481]

9 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

Damian Lillard made a list

That writer should be fired immediately.

[aggie08 21481]

It's fascinating to me how people still underrate playoff performance when, every year, we see the massive difference between regular and post season play out. Jokic's teams have been the underdogs and/or missing their 2nd best player in most of his seven playoff series, and he's 4-3, has never failed to win at least one series, and is averaging 25.9/11.3/6.4 on 51/41/84 shooting.

I don't know how anyone keeps him out of their top 5. Luca and Harden over him? Not to me, and that's not a knock on them whatsoever.

[shadow_operative 15932]

his playoff record is more impressive than his regular season body if work. it's wild. 

[Braff Zacklin 13552]

Personally, I just think he's fun to watch.

[shadow_operative 15932]

Jokic first half numbers vs Rudy Gobert:

15 min (fool trouble)

24 points (8/9, 3/3), 6 reb, 6 ast, 1 blk

Nuggets are +9 with him on the court, -9 without him

 

but yeah he's totally not a top five player.

[Js1 85263]

On 10/20/2021 at 11:56 AM, Braff Zacklin said:

Personally, I just think he's fun to watch.

He's insanely fun to watch. 

[Lowcountry Hog 266]

Still, very fun to watch 

[Braff Zacklin 13552]

Yes, some of the things he's capable of, they will floor you.

[shadow_operative 15932]

Just now, Braff Zacklin said:

Yes, some of the things he's capable of, they will floor you.

he's a knock down shooter.

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

 

[Radical Larry 28539]

 

[ztejas 43411]

I cannot stand this new stupid fad of listing points first on the box score. It drives me up the fucking wall. They do it on reddit postgame threads too. 

[Braff Zacklin 13552]

@Radical Larry posted this in the general NBA thread, but it also seemed appropriate for this one. Jokic has MVP-level humor, as well.

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1549]

he and Embiid are already top 10 Centers of all time.  Obviously they haven't won a title or gathered a lifetime of stats, but talentwise OMG. Who among the all time greats could guard these guys? It's a different type of animal these days, still, they are bigs and will be remembered as all time greats. 

[Radical Larry 28539]

https://twitter.com/espnstatsinfo/status/1484933884106190856?s=21

[shadow_operative 15932]

just embedding RL's post. shaggy was tripping with embedding shit yesterday. 

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

 

[Braff Zacklin 13552]

Jokic is a joy to watch.

I know his nickname is Joker, but it should be Moose, because that's what he reminds me off--a huge, ungainly animal that is all knees and elbows, yet somehow carries itself with regal grace, especially when in its element. Both are fully aware of how much larger and stronger they are than just about anything else, and they know how to use that to their advantage.