Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has established himself as a star in the NBA, being recognized as one of the best centers in the league right now. The way basketball is played today has diminished relevance to the position of center but players like Jokic, Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo have demonstrated they can be important for a team at the paint.
The Joker is not as athletic as Embiid and Adebayo, but he compensates that using other factors to get the points. After the Nuggets 110-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night, Jokic was asked what happens with his game that he has a lot of patience on the offensive end of the floor. Truth to his style, Jokic delivered a hilarious response.
“I’m patient because I cannot really run fast,” he said. “That’s my only option.”
“I’m patient because I cannot really run fast. That’s my only option.” 😂
– Jokic on his offensive game https://t.co/Mc1tLV4p6y
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 6, 2020
A relatable response from Jokic 😅 pic.twitter.com/rmZ84twSVc
— ESPN (@espn) September 6, 2020
Jokic has learned how to use his rivals’ mistakes to get points for his team, one of the favorites to come out of the West this season.
“When I’m playing offense and I have the ball I just look for defensive mistakes,” he said. “Just me being a little bit slower kind of gives my teammates a chance to back-cut, lob … Just playing in my comfort zone.”
The Serbian big man is a very crafty player. He uses his passing and his footwork as tools to set up his teammates and to score points. Even though he isn’t nearly the most explosive player in the league, Jokic has become one of the best players in his position and the biggest figure of his team, alongside Jamal Murray. Jokic had 26 points, 18 rebounds and four assists in Denver’s Game 2 win.
