Superstar Nikola Jokic has finally led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA Finals, and they will end up facing the Miami Heat on the biggest stage. A lot of their success has been due to Nikola Jokic being a one-man elite offense, and it is clear that he has a case to be the best payer in the league.
Coach Mike Malone has frequently spoken out about how elite Nikola Jokic is, and recently, he heaped more praise on the superstar. Malone compared Jokic to Tim Duncan, noting that both are “selfless” superstars.
“I’ve been here for eight years now…Nugget fans everywhere even back in Serbia appreciate and respect him…he is not trying to be something he is not…I never coached Tim Duncan…he was a selfless superstar…I look at Nikola Jokic in the same vein… I look at Nikola Jokic as a selfless superstar.”
"Tim Duncan was a selfless superstar…I look at Nikola Jokic in the same vein."
Coach Malone sees parallels between Nikola Jokic and NBA legend Tim Duncan 🔊#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV Media Availability
Game 1: Thursday, 6/1, 8:30pm/et, ABC pic.twitter.com/NuRXA1j3LH
— NBA (@NBA) May 31, 2023
It is easy to see why Nikola Jokic’s playstyle is considered selfless, as he doesn’t generally focus on scoring and prefers to assist others. In fact, he once revealed a brilliant piece of advice from his former coach, who told him that assists make two players happy, while points only make one person happy.
“I love to share the ball, that’s how I grew up and learned to play the game. I love to pass the basketball and my coach back home always told me, ‘assists make 2 people happy, points make only 1 happy.”
It is clear that playing in this manner has helped Nikola Jokic reach insane heights, and he could cap off his season with a championship. He definitely has the talent to win at a high level, and we’ll see what happens in the future.
In the playoffs, Nikola Jokic has put up 29.9 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 10.3 APG for the Denver Nuggets. It is clear that he has elevated his play from the regular season, and hopefully, he shows out in the Finals.
Nikola Jokic Needs To Have More Team Success To Truly Be On Tim Duncan’s Level
There have definitely been other people who have compared Nikola Jokic to Tim Duncan, and it is easy to see why. However, to truly reach Tim Duncan’s level, Nikola Jokic needs to add more championships to his resume.
Nikola Jokic will have a good chance to win a championship this season against the Miami Heat, and the Denver Nuggets are definitely viewed as favorites in the series. However, nothing will come easy, and he’ll have to be at his best to get past the Heat defense.
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