YouTube Script from KBR Sports YouTube video “Why Nikola Jokic is the NBA’s most beloved VILLAIN, The JOKER”
WELP, it’s official.
Nikola Jokic…. is unguardable.
The man of many names ranging from Big Honey, to Yoke, and then even the Cookie Monster.
Although, none of them are more fitting than that of the “Joker”
Some could take this the wrong way but equating Jokic to the clown prince is a perfect match.
Primarily because, similar to the actual Joker, Jokic operates in an enigmatic and unique way.
His basketball game is unlike anyone we’ve seen in the modern era.
The closest person being possibly Dirk Nowtizki, but even Dirk didn’t operate at this level of all-around offensive brilliance.
Jokic is a surgical basketball player dissecting all the weak points of an opposing team and exploiting them to the benefit of his.
Kind of like the Joker wouldn’t you say?
The Joker is a mastermind at getting inside the heads of his adversaries and praying on their greatest fears and weaknesses to his advantage.
If you played Injustice or read the comic, you know how deep the Joker got when he made Superman live his worst nightmare by praying on his greatest weakness.
Jokic has a few guys having nightmares too let me tell you.
It’s the main reason why the entire Nuggets offense revolves around his scoring and passing ability.
It has a lot of ball movement and screens to bring out the best of his skills.
This allows him to be a consistent threat while he’s on the court.
Whether he is at the top of the key surveying the defense for vulnerabilities. Screening to get a great look for a teammate or himself, or down on the block making plays.
He is one of the toughest players to guard in the NBA because of how versatile and unpredictable he is on the offensive side of the ball.
Over the summer and in quarantine he dropped 25-30 lbs making him lighter on his feet. Although, he still stands at 6’11, and 284 lbs.
He can wear down his defenders with his hulking size and essentially put them into a 35 minute per game torture chamber.
He is not the bruising paint pounder to the effect that Joel Embiid is. However, he tires out opponents in a similar fashion to Tyson Fury in boxing.
He lets them carry his weight making his job easier.
His skills enable him to be able to hit shots from all over the floor.
Sometimes stretching those tasked with slowing him down and dragging them out of their comfort zone. Most of them being big men.
Jokic is a mismatch for practically everyone.
Even some of the NBA’s best defenders.
The funny thing is, it’s not even like he is one of the most athletically gifted guys in the sport.
You could probably name 100 players more athletic than Jokic, but only a handful that are as dangerous.
Now that I think about it…
The Joker himself did not have any powers but was as dangerous as some of the worst villains in comic book history.
Jokic is playing at an MVP caliber level right now averaging 26 points on 56.5 percent shooting from the field and nearly 42 percent from deep, with 11 rebounds and almost 9 assists.
It’s incredible when you consider how much of a leap he took scoring wise.
Raising his 20 ppg average from last season to the 26 ppg it’s at now.
The last time we saw a player put up those type of splits was when Russell Westbrook won the MVP award after Kevin Durant left.
No one else in the modern era of basketball has had a season like this.
Let alone any other big man.
Jokic is an anomaly at the position and in the sport in general.
He already has a case for possibly being the best passing big man of all time.
Hell, he even has a case for being a top 5 passer in today’s NBA overall.
His passing prowess mixed in with his vastly improved scoring and overall impact are a large reason why his 30.9 PER is second to only Joel Embiid’s at the time of this recording.
Here are the lists of categories Jokic’s name currently rests at the top of.
Win shares, Offensive win shares, Box Plus/Minus, Offensive Box Plus/Minus, and value over replacement.
I know there is a community out there that hates advanced stats.
Well guess what?
Advanced stats tell you how some of the best players are even more amazing than you realize. They give you a more complete idea just how much they impact winning.
There are a lot of talented scorers in the NBA with some even averaging more than Jokic who is sits at 10th in scoring.
What sets Jokic, and other players like Luka Doncic and LeBron James a part from everyone is their ability to uplift their teams with their all-around offensive game.
It’s one of the reasons why LeBron is a perennial MVP candidate. It is the reason why Luka was the odds on favorite to win MVP coming into the year. It is now the reason why Jokic is arguably in the lead for the award now.
Whether he wins it or not, one thing is for sure.
A Jokic led team could beat anyone in the playoffs if they don’t take him serious, but as the real Joker would say..
Why so serious?
