Nikola Jokic has been a major contributor to the Denver Nuggets' ability to compete for and win the NBA championship for the first time in the franchise's history. But that's not all. Jokic did not win his third MVP title in a row this year because he lost to Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. However, in the play-offs, it is the Serb who is in the final, while his competitor is already out due to his own poor performance. On the other hand, Jokic is not putting in a poor performance; in fact, quite the opposite is true: the 2.11-meter giant is putting up numbers that have never been seen before in the NBA.30 points, 17 rebounds, and 17 assists, 53/4/11, 29/13/12, 32/10/12, 34/21/14, 23/17/12, 24/6/8, and 30/14/13, all while having a free throw percentage of almost 60 percent is an impressive stat line. Despite the fact that Jokic's statistics from the previous eight playoff games are impressive — six of which Denver have won — he is frequently referred to as boring because of his lack of athleticism. He is not an especially quick player, and he does not have a knack for making spectacular dunks. The things that this man achieves on a daily basis are incredible; at long last, show him the respect that he so richly merits.
The criticism is something that Nuggets head coach Michael Malone would rather not hear, most likely as a result of the United States media's preference to report on Denver's opponents rather than the Nuggets after Denver games. The narrative wasn't about Nikola and his historic achievement; rather, it was about the Lakers and their adjustments, the 51-year-old bemoaned following the second victory over the Lakers. He went on to say that what the man accomplishes every day is incredible, and that he should be given the respect he deserves. On the other hand, Jokic thinks it's pretty cool. When asked about the lack of appreciation for the team, the Serb responded by saying that he appreciates it and enjoys it when speaking to the Denver Post. The 28-year-old can do very little to change the way the media portrays him regardless of how much attention they give him. Jokic has also spent the better part of his life pursuing something that he views as a lack of appreciation. In spite of this, the fact that he had never worked for Red Star or Partizan in Serbia turned out to be a fortunate turn of events in the long run.
His agent Misko Raznatovic recalled in a podcast that he was young, not in good physical shape physically, and needed time. He emphasized that major clubs would not have had patience with him because of these factors. However, he was able to develop at Mega Basket, which was located in the peaceful town of Sremska Mitrovica, before making the leap across the pond while simultaneously remaining out of the public eye.
Wilt Chamberlain and Taco Bell are responsible for this. When Jokic was selected in the 41st spot in the 2014 draft, the broadcaster ESPN switched to a commercial for Taco Bell. This story has almost achieved legendary status due to the fact that it occurred during the draft. In the meantime, the quick-service restaurant chain ought to be pleased whenever reports about it or even the corresponding video are shown, as this constitutes free advertising for the chain. However, in the years that followed, Jokic made advertising on its own behalf, even going so far as to revolutionize the center game. The Big Man, who was also known as the Joker in the United States, established a name for himself as one of the most talented center passers in the annals of basketball history. In the beginning, he had issues with his weight and was not very good at defense; while these issues no longer affect his performance significantly, it is highly unlikely that he will ever win the award for Defensive Player of the Year. The fact that Jokic has a solid understanding of the game as well as offensive versatility is his greatest asset. He is capable of making three-point shots, both from the high and low post, as well as free throws, and he has even invented his own throw, called the Sombor Shuffle.
He is a versatile player.
He anticipates moves before they are made
That is not all because if he is doubled, he almost always sees the free man and plays the deadly pass
That is what he does when he is doubled
It was an assist that led to Jokic breaking a 56-year-old NBA record in the 113-111 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the LA Lakers -surpassed legend Wilt Chamberlain- it was his eighth triple-double in the postseason; Chamberlain had managed seven in 1966/67
Jokic makes each of his teammates better, and he acts as a kind of playmaker for the Nuggets
There are not many players who are able to play the game in such a manner
Because of his ability to score baskets, grab rebounds, and throw the ball, it is extremely challenging to defend him
He has a premonition of the plays before they take place
About the 28-year-old player, none other than LeBron James himself made the statement that there are only a handful of players like him
Family comes first, according to Nikola Jokic. It comes as no surprise that Jokic was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the Western Finals, but it's possible that the award won't mean all that much to him. He has made it abundantly clear over the past few years that he does not place a high value on individual accolades, and he openly acknowledges the fact that basketball is not the most important thing in my life, nor is it likely that it ever will be. He also does not think much of individual awards. To tell you the truth, I believe I am successful at that because I am aware that I have other, more important things to do at home. The center of his everyday life is his family, which has and will continue to be his top priority. However, this does not imply that Jokic is not interested in playing basketball at all. He most certainly has, and this is the year in which he has a chance to make his dream come true by winning the championship. The Big Man is well aware of the fact that he cannot accomplish this by himself, as the game of basketball emphasizes the importance of working together to achieve victory, just like his team, the Denver Nuggets.
There is more to the Nuggets than just Jokic. The Nuggets finished the regular season in first place in the Western Conference, and they went on to eliminate both the highly traded Phoenix Suns, who were led by Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, and the Los Angeles Lakers, who had a healthy Anthony Davis and LeBron James, in a straight-games sweep. What was the secret that the nuggets used? On Malone's squad, Jokic is the only player to earn All-Star status. On the other hand, the 51-year-old coach is aware of another member of his team, Jamal Murray, who is performing at an All-Star level in these playoffs. The guard has provided relief when Jokic was struggling by scoring 27.7 points per game in the playoffs while also averaging 6.1 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. As a result of Murray's injury, the Nuggets were without their second-best player for the entirety of the previous season. This was a significant loss for the team. Now we have the proven performer in the play-offs back. The 27-year-old also ensures one with his regularly interspersed dunks higher entertainment value, but his defensive qualities are likely to be of greater importance, especially when it comes to preventing opposing offensive stars from scoring.
There are also players like Aaron Gordon, who once didn't really cope with the pressure of expectation in Orlando, but now shines in his role as scorer number three or four behind Jokic and Murray. Christian Braun is another great defender for the Nuggets, but he doesn't score as much as the rest of the team does, so he's not as valuable offensively. When compared to Michael Porter Jr., who consistently represents a significant threat from beyond the arc, Michael Porter Jr. Both Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Small Forward) and Bruce Brown Jr. (Power Forward) are important pieces of the puzzle for the Nuggets collective, which is one thing above all others: a collective. Both of these players are positioned in the second row. The bottom line is that this is Denver's big secret: Unlike many other teams that rely on one, two, or three stars and often only fill up the rest of the roster spots, Denver put together a team that is coordinated with each other and each other very well complements. This is in contrast to many other teams that rely on one, two, or three stars and often only fill up the rest of the roster spots.
It will become clear over the course of the next few days and weeks in the championship series against the Miami Heat whether or not that will be sufficient to win the franchise's first championship.
