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With regards to Nikola Jokic, Isiah Thomas doesn’t see peak. Heck, no. He sees a ninja. A cobra in a dragon’s physique. In his thoughts, the Joker’s simply one other member of the membership.
The level guard membership.
“I have a look at Jokic as a 7-foot level guard,” Thomas, the NBA TV/Turner Sports activities analyst and longtime Detroit Pistons flooring common, advised The Submit. “A 7-foot level guard (with) his passing abilities, his capacity to steer the break, rebound.
“I believe coach (Michael) Malone does the fitting factor by enjoying by him, recognizing his guard abilities and never essentially taking a look at him as only a conventional 7-footer, however having the notice to see the expertise that he has.”
Yeah, however right here’s the factor: Can a 7-footer actually lead the NBA in assists? Isn’t 2020 over with? Aren’t we previous the bizarre?
“I imagine he can,” Thomas replied, “due to the way in which (the Nuggets) play their offense. Due to his decision-making, his passing capacity. Each offensive determination begins with him. And he makes the choice of who’s going to shoot, who’s going to attain. And when he’s not passing … he’s able to scoring himself.”
By the primary fifth of the common season, the Joker is placing up Oscar Robertson/Russell Westbrook numbers, darn close to a triple-double each night time: By Saturday afternoon, the Serbian was averaging 25.5 factors, 11.3 rebounds and 9.9 assists over 35.3 minutes per recreation.
Nevertheless it’s the dimes that hold elevating eyebrows. After Friday night time’s motion, Jokic remained the league’s chief in complete assists, with 148 — 13 greater than Dallas’ Luka Doncic. No beginning NBA middle has ever averaged double-digit in assists whereas showing in not less than 58 video games. And no huge man has led the league in complete assists, the delight and purview of legendary level guards reminiscent of Thomas, since Corridor of Famer Wilt Chamberlain did it again in 1967-68.
We’ve been down this highway earlier than with the Large Honey, who’s the one beginning NBA middle to common not less than six assists per recreation over three consecutive seasons (2017-2020). However because the Nuggets get Michael Porter Jr. again into the rotation and work shooters reminiscent of Jamal Murray, Will Barton and JaMychal Inexperienced into the circulate, Jokic may have loads of snipers to feed over the weeks to come back.
“Coach (Malone) is placing me in the fitting spot and I’m making an attempt to only discover an open man,” the Nuggets All-Star stated lately. “I like when everyone is concerned. I believe that’s actually exhausting to protect when everyone is concerned, when everyone expects the ball, and everyone seems to be lively on offense. That’s simply actually exhausting to protect, for my part.”
It’s even tougher to place into context. Former Nuggets assistant Bob Weiss was Chamberlain’s teammate as a twenty-something level guard with the 76ers from 1965-67. By that time, the Large Dipper had grow to be “uninterested in the sport,” Weiss recalled, that basketball had grow to be a job during which the prodigiously gifted Chamberlain may do no matter he needed, every time he needed.
“I by no means considered Wilt as a inventive passer,” Weiss defined. “However he was prepared to provide the ball up … he handed properly sufficient to get the help title (in ’67-68) however he wasn’t the identical type of passer that Joker is. Nikola is a bit more inventive, slightly extra cell. It’s such an amazing worth in at the moment’s recreation, as a result of it permits you, when you’re a coach, so many extra choices.”
And different huge males with nice courtroom imaginative and prescient haven’t been shy about passing the Joker their compliments. Corridor-of-Famer Invoice Walton (3.4 profession assists per recreation) has sung Jokic’s praises, in his personal Waltonesque approach, on a number of events. And Vlade Divac (3.1 profession assists per recreation), the Serbian native and former Lakers/Hornets/Kings middle, stated Large Honey might be one of the best passing put up participant of the final three a long time.
“Joker simply surpassed everyone,” Divac advised The Submit final week. “He went to the following stage.
“(His) basketball IQ is what impressed me. Lots of people in my time would ask me, how did I do it? And it was simply exhausting to clarify. You simply see it earlier than and also you simply do it. And I’m certain he does the identical factor. He makes issues occur earlier than they occur.”
The one query is whether or not he can hold making it occur, statistically, over the following 4 months or so. Well being shouldn’t be a problem: Jokic has appeared in not less than 81% of the Nuggets’ regular-season video games for the reason that begin of the 2016-17 season.
Whereas the Joker seems to be in one of the best bodily form of his younger profession, Weiss notes that he’s additionally going to want relaxation, periodically, in anticipation of a spring playoff run to come back. Chamberlain averaged a staggering 46.8 minutes per recreation in ’67-68, when he led the loop in dishes, after averaging 45.5 minutes and seven.8 assists the season prior.
“In order that gave him not less than 10-12 minutes a recreation greater than Joker is attending to get for his assists,” Weiss stated. “So it’s exhausting to match apples and oranges now, as a result of the sport was so completely different then. However I imply, (Jokic) is only a super asset. Simply on one other planet.”
Yeah, however can a 7-footer actually lead the NBA in assists at the moment? Over a full season?
“He may,” Weiss stated. “The factor I like about Joker is, he doesn’t exit right here making an attempt to get any explicit stat. And so if he needed to steer the league in assists, if he needed to place his thoughts to it, he in all probability may.”
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