Paul Pierce named his list of pure passers in the NBA while adding that recently-minted NBA champion Nikola Jokic was not even in the top five list of passers.
Speaking to Rachel Nichols on Showtime, Pierce named yesteryear legends Magic Johnson and Larry Bird as the best passers and added three more names in Jason Williams, Pete Maravich, and his former teammate Rajon Rondo.
“[Nikola Jokic] is not even a top 5 passer to me. Just because he’s a big man, he’s the best big man … when we just talk about pure passer … Magic [Johnson], Jason Williams, [Rajon] Rondo, Pete Maravich, Larry Bird.”
"[Nikola Jokic] is not even a top 5 passer to me. Just because he's a big man, he's the best big man… when we just talk about pure passer… Magic [Johnson], Jason Williams, [Rajon] Rondo, Pete Maravich, Larry Bird."
—Paul Pierce
(via @shobasketball)pic.twitter.com/DMKaFpFcM7
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 17, 2023
There’s no doubt that his list of players was amazing at assists. The likes of Magic and Bird obviously make for the greatest passers, and some massive names in Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Steve Nash, John Stockton, and Oscar Robertson make the cut as well.
Jokic surely deserves a mention in the list of passers, given that he’s shown more than enough times that he’s not a ball-dominant player. His guard-like skills have made him one of those players with an incredible assist percentage. This past season, he averaged 9.8 assists in the regular season and 9.5 in the playoffs.
The numbers show it all, but maybe Pierce comes from the era where passing from guards was more of a unique skill set, which in modern-day basketball is pretty much an ability that adds to a player’s repertoire irrespective of his/her position.
Aaron Gordon Says Nikola Jokic Is ‘Redefining’ The Center Position Like Magic Johnson Did With The Point Guard Position
Known for his laser aim and flamboyance, Magic Johnson was one of the greatest point guards to have played the sport. And Nikola Jokic’s teammate Aaron Gordon had a lofty-yet-apt comparison to make.
“Players that can just do anything, regardless of size,” Gordon said in the preview interview of Game 4. “He’s kind of like breaking that mold, kind of like how Magic Johnson did with the point guard position. He’s breaking the mold of the center position that’s only been dominated down on the block.”
It perhaps helped Jokic that he also played point guard in his early years, making sure that he operates like a Quarterback in football.
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