Coming from Europe, I learned to appreciate basketball from a different perspective. I understand that most of you, guys, don't care about those tactical plays and want to see big blocks, trick shots, and power dunks. However, basketball is much more than that. Of course, physicality still plays the major role in the NBA, but some players are proving the fact that you don't necessarily need to have LeBron's body to dominate the game as long as you have a head on your shoulders. Nikola Jokic is one of those players.
To being, just take a look at young Nikola Jokic - he looked like a guy who could only play basketball on his Xbox. I think even random guys in the street wouldn't take him to play the game. However, instead of giving up, Jokic decided to lose 35 pounds of fat and start dominating everyone on the court. That said, he is still not the fastest and most athletic man on the court. However, he is the smartest one.
Tonight, Nikola Jokic had a triple-double with 35 points, 11 assists, and 12 rebounds. He made it happen in 30 minutes. On top of that, he made all 11 FGs, including 3 three-pointers. Jokic also made 10 out of 11 free throws. That is beyond impressive. The last time when someone had a perfect triple-double with over 30 points was in 1967 when Wilt Chamberlain ruled the NBA. I cannot understand how people are not hyped over Jokic just yet. He is probably the best center in the league at the moment.
Of course, Jokic collected his perfect triple-double against the Phoenix Suns, the team which doesn't know what the word "defense" means. That said, people were looking forward to seeing the rookie DeAndre Ayton battle against Nikola Jokic. Well, let's just say that DeAndre still has a lot of work to do in practice.
Nikola Jokic is still clumsy. He is still slow. It would be ridiculous to compare his physical abilities to AD or Giannis'. And still, he manages to dominate break 30-year-old records. How is that even possible? Nikola Jokic has the biggest basketball IQ of any big guys in the NBA, hands down. It's phenomenal that a 23-year-old kid is playing so mature at the highest level. I have rarely seen anything like that. Of course, other guys might have better stats even at the younger age, but they never show so much composure and precision. It looks like Nikola Jokic never makes a stupid and reckless move. He has a perfect vision of the court and makes instant decisions, which are the best for his team. If I were the Nuggets fan, I would be extremely hyped about this season because of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Both of those guys are yet to be picked up by the mass media, but they deserve that.
I have already said many times that Nikola Jokic reminds me of Arvydas Sabonis a lot. The only difference is that Sabonis came to the NBA old and after severe injuries, which limited his potential on the court. And still, Sabonis was the only big guy in the league who could compete against Shaq at his best. Of course, even as a Lithuanian, I have to admit that Shaq has won most of their clashes, but I believe that Sabonis could beat Shaq if he came to the NBA at his prime, before the injuries. That's who Nikola Jokic is right now - a young guy who is yet to hit his prime.
I understand the fact that AD and Giannis will always gather more attention around them as their game style is way more attractive to the mass audience. However, many managers would have a hard time picking their franchize player if it came to Giannis or Jokic (AD is 2 years older and at least 1 step ahead at the moment). You know why? Jokic is way more mature and ready to face any challenge.
Serbian basketball suffered a very tough period in the late 00's and early 10's, but things are changing now. I have this feeling that the only nation in the world that might be able to beat the USA in the upcoming few years is Serbia. Milos Teodosic, Nikola Jokic, Nemanja Bjelica, and Bogdan Bogdanovic are all very important players in the NBA and even though they would always be the underdogs to beat the USA, they could do it if the stars align in their favor. The talent is there. As a Lithuanian, I am not happy to say that, believe me. I would rather see Lithuania be the second best team in the world. However, it's Serbia at the moment and mainly because of Nikola Jokic.
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