Nikola Jokic has established himself as one of the greatest big men to ever play in the NBA. At just 28 years of age, Jokic has achieved more than most NBA players achieve in their entire career. Someone who has never seen Jokic play might be under the illusion that the Joker would be highly athletic.
However, that is not close to being true. Jokic is one of the slowest big men with almost a vertical that doesn’t even matter in the NBA. When the Joker’s vertical was measured after the 2014 draft selection, it was 17 inches, and he still has the same vertical he had in his rookie season.
Despite his athleticism being less than average NBA players, Jokic has become an unstoppable offensive force. He has become an ultimate floor general for the Denver Nuggets. He substitutes his athleticism with pocket passes on point and elevating players around him. His offense is unprecedented and gives his team a 20-point game on any given night.
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70% Win
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70% Win
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70% Win
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'; }); pollOptions.innerHTML = pollOptionsDom; pollCount.innerHTML = totalVotes + ' votes'; if (totalVotes > 10) { pollCount.classList.remove("hidden"); } } function trackBetsTodayPollImpression() { var intersectionObserverForArticlePoll = new IntersectionObserver( function(entries) { entries.forEach(function(entry) { var pollId = entry.target.getAttribute("data-poll-id"); if (POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['impression_tracked']) return; if (!entry.target || !entry.isIntersecting || entry.intersectionRatio < 0.5) return; setTimeout(function() { if (isInViewport(entry.target)) { POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['impression_tracked'] = true; var isDesktop = "1"; var gaPayload = { "question" : POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['question'], "category": "Basketball", "page_url": window.location.href, "option1": POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['option1'], "option2": POLLS_BY_ID[pollId]['option2'], } if (isDesktop) { gaPayload["device"] = "Desktop"; } else { gaPayload["device"] = "Mobile"; } gtag("event", "BETS_TODAY_POLL_IMPRESSION", gaPayload); intersectionObserverForArticlePoll.unobserve(entry.target); } }, 1000); }); }, { threshold: 0.5 } ); var pollElements = document.querySelectorAll('.bets-today-poll'); pollElements.forEach(function(pollElement) { var isAnswered = pollElement.querySelector(".poll-option-answered"); if (!isAnswered) { intersectionObserverForArticlePoll.observe(pollElement); } }) } return { answerPollX: answerPollX, }; }();Jokic is a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP and an NBA champion. His level of success was something that was thought impossible based on his first impression.
Nikola Jokic and Tyrese Maxey named players of the week
The NBA announced the players of the first week of the season: reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and Tyrese Maxey, the new sensation in Philadelphia.
While Jokic is not a surprising name, Maxey has entered the season with a different mindset.
After James Harden demanded the trade from the Philadelphia 76ers in February, it was Tyrese Maxey’s turn to step up and become Robin to Joel Embiid's Batman. He showed that he was ready for the task, averaging 30.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists in the opening week. Although his 56.0% from 3-point range is unlikely to be sustained, he has shown that he is a star in the making.
Jokic was the leader for the Nuggets in their undefeated week. In the opening week, he averaged 26.3 ppg, 13.0 rpg and 7.7 apg. Moreover, he also shot 61.5%, including an impressive 45.5% from 3-point range.
Jokic is eager to defend his championship this season. The way the Nuggets are constructed, there are few reasons to doubt that they won’t.
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