In the aftermath of the Nuggets’ Game 7 loss to the Timberwolves this week, former NBA swingman Evan Turner was one of several people to feel a sense of relief at the results. In fact, on social media, Turner went so far as to say he never wants to see the Joker play again on account of his rather modest play style.
“I sound like a hater but I don’t wanna see Jokic play another game,” wrote Turner on X. “It’s like watching baseball.”
In the comments, fans were not happy with this take and many were quick to compare Turner’s career as a role-player to Nikola Jokic’s, who is easily one of the best big men in NBA history. He even responded to one fan, who pointed out the irony in his take.
“You been watching from the sideline for a long time, Samuel Which further tells me that… Everybody in yo family was an assistant pimp,” wrote Turner in self-defense.
At this point, Jokic’s greatness is undeniable. Even in the aftermath of a playoff defeat, the Joker’s body of work is still enough to impress with a final stat line of 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game on 58.3% shooting.
His legacy, however, has also become a point of great contention for some critics. Due to his status as a slower and less graceful NBA superstar, Jokic has a unique aura about him and a lot of people don’t know how to respond.
In the eyes of Turner and other haters, Jokic isn’t fun to watch and he actively taints the enjoyment of the process. Clearly, Turner is in the minority of NBA viewers but he’s not alone in this feeling and he wasn’t the only one to celebrate when the Nuggets got bounced in the second round.
Nikola Jokic Will Be Back For Revenge
After his second MVP win in 2022, critics were harsh on Jokic for his failure to make a run in the postseason. Up to that point, he had only ever taken the Nuggets a few rounds deep in the West bracket. Of course, he proved everyone wrong when he led the Nuggets to the championship in 2023 and won Finals MVP for averaging 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game against the Miami Heat.
Since winning the championship, the Joker’s status as the best player in the league has gone unchallenged and he plans to re-take that title for himself after this season. Now that the Nuggets are bounced out of the playoffs, the hard work will begin of trying to improve the roster and it starts with their supporting cats off the bench. After letting go of Bruce Brown last offseason, the Nuggets had to rely on young, unproven talent this season and it cost them when it mattered most.
If the Nuggets can improve their talent around the edges and increase the potency of their depth, it could be all that they need to go on another championship run and catch up with the rest of the West. Either way, with Jokic on the squad, the Nuggets will always be competitive and they’ll always be a major threat to win the title.
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