Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets utterly dominated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
Jokic was the star of the series as he was named the Western Conference Finals MVP. Speaking of the Serbian superstar, LeBron James heaped huge praise on the two-time NBA MVP.
“Nothing, I know how great he is,” James on if Jokic proved him anything. “There are certain guys in this league that play the game a certain way, a certain way that I like to play the game as well, and he’s one of them where you are always off balance when you are guarding a player like that because of his ability to score, rebound, shoot. He sees plays before they happen. There’s not many guys in our league like that.
“So you already knew you was going against a beast once the series started, and not only just about his game. Everybody gets cracked up into his stats, but I don’t think a lot of people talk about, like, this part of his game [indicating cerebral]. Maybe it’s not talked about it because a lot of people don’t understand it, but I do. He’s special.”
(Starts at 8:23)
More often than not, the media and fans praise Jokic for putting up astronomical numbers. But James made sure to point out the 28-year-old’s IQ, which often goes unnoticed.
In the Conference Finals, Jokic averaged 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists over a four-game stretch. Apart from that, Jokic has been simply phenomenal over the last nine games in the postseason.
39 PTS, 16 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK 56.7% FG, 33.3% 3P (Game 2 vs. the Suns)
30 PTS, 17 REB, 17 AST, 1 BLK 57.9% FG, 50.0% 3P (Game 3 vs. the Suns)
53 PTS, 4 REB, 11 AST, 1 BLK, 66.7% FG, 50.0% 3P (Game 4 vs. the Suns)
29 PTS, 13 REB, 12 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 60.0% FG, 66.7% 3P (Game 5 vs. the Suns)
32 PTS, 10 REB, 12 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 72.2% FG (Game 6 vs. the Suns)
34 PTS, 21 REB, 14 AST, 2 BLK, 70.6% FG, 100% 3P (Game 1 vs. the Lakers)
23 PTS, 17 REB, 12 AST, 3 STL, 42.9% FG (Game 2 vs. the Lakers)
24 PTS, 6 REB. 8 AST, 1 STL, 47.4% FG, 40.0% 3P (Game 3 vs. the Lakers)
30 PTS, 14 REB, 13 AST, 1 STL, 3 BLK, 45.8% FG, 50.0% 3P (Game 4 vs. the Lakers)
The Joker is on a mission this season, and it won’t be a surprise if he leads the Nuggets to their first NBA Championship in franchise history.
Michael Malone Claps Back At Nikola Jokic’s Doubters
Nikola Jokic is undoubtedly the best player in the NBA right now. The two-time NBA MVP is having a historic playoff run. Despite that, many have raised an eyebrow about Jokic’s talent.
But with Jokic leading the Nuggets to their first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history, there is nothing much that the haters can say. Head coach Michael Malone demanded respect for Jokic after the Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Conference Finals.
“The MVPs are real. All the narratives are silly. He’s averaging a triple-double. Do you see any stat padding out there? Give him his damn respect.”
If Jokic can cap off this season by winning the NBA Championship, it would go down as one of the greatest individual seasons by a player.
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