Jokic's Road to GOATness Happens in 2024

[kenwood3333]

If he can just beat team USA in the olympics, thats already goat in my book.

[durden_tyler]

Let’s get past the Lakers before this GOAT talk


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Should be an easy one.

[Sgt Major]

If he wins the title this year, it will be an amazing accomplishment. Not only he will be the only player in history to win the ring without any teammate who was previously selected to the All Star, he will have this accomplishment TWICE.
But still, all the 3 players who have a case to be the GOAT, have at least 5 rings and 5 MVPs, so he will not be in that zone yet.

DeAndre Jordan was an All-Star!

[AdagioPace]

au contraire.....Olympics will be Wemby's first step to Goatness

[Exp0sed]

that's a great story but Nuggets aren't repeating..

imo they will lose to the winner of Minny\PHX in the semis
those are the two teams that have the tools to beat them (Wolves moreso than the Suns), they could have easily avoided them till the WCF at least (which would have giveen them a better shot at avoiding them all together), all they had to do was not let up when up 23 on the Spurs or just..bench Reggie Jackson

oh well..

[TheShow2021]

As much as I would love for this scenario to happen, it's 10x more likely they lose in the first round.

[nate33]

One more ring and MVP award secures him in the top 8-11 range alongside guys like Hakeem, Bird and Shaq. Two consecutive rings, 3 MVP's and 4 straight seasons of insane statistical dominance is enough to get him there. (Plus 2 more All-Star seasons prior to that incredible 4 year run.)

He'll need 1 or 2 more titles after that to break into the top 3 to 8 range alongside guys like Duncan, Russell, Magic and Wilt. I'm not sure he can ever get to the top 2.

[TheHartBreakKid]

Jokic's road to Greatness (GOAT Level)

2024 NBA PLAYOFFS

Beat Lakers (LeBron/AD) in first round
Beat Wolves (Edwards/Gobert) or Suns (KD/Booker) in West Semis
Beat Thunder (SGA) in West Finals
Beat Celtics (Tatum/Holiday)

2024 OLYMPICS

Beat Team USA (all names above, except Gobert for France and SGA for Canada, which Serbia can meet on their way to the gold medal)

i know, i know, it's tough to repeat in the NBA unless have a clearcut dynasty roster (Nuggets have yet to prove that) and the road to the gold medal in France is tough.

But if Jokic can accomplish both, winning the NBA title and winning the gold this 2024, does he jump some all time greats and maybe even Top 5? Top 3? Less?

The Olympics would be an amazing accomplishment, but man, just running it back to back in today's competitive NBA would take him to another tier.


It'll take a lot more longevity/accomplishments to reach the MJ, Kareem, Lebron, tier, and I think he would need atleast another trophy or two to be in the Magic level and Bird level, but I think he'll be right there with Kobe, Shaq, Hakeem with another title.

(It's hard for me to compare modern players to Wilt and Russell, I haven't forgotten about them).


Anyways, TLDR, I agree that Jokic could enter another level of greatness this year. I think a title for him would have tremendous impact on his legacy and basketball history.

[p0peye]

Where this calculus leaves Jokić at if Lakers win in 1st round?

[TheHartBreakKid]

Where this calculus leaves Jokić at if Lakers win in 1st round?

Where does it leave Jokic's legacy wise? It'll be a minor hit, nothing more (rightfully so).

[Wigginstime]

Where this calculus leaves Jokić at if Lakers win in 1st round?

Depends on how he plays. Jokic has been one of the most consistent performers in the history of the sport to the point where most people don't even consider it possible that he could play bad. If Jokic puts up a solid 25/12/9 on a PER of 30 and his team looses because the rest of the nuggets shoot <40%, i doubt anyone will care.

[Special_Puppy]

Can we wait until he gets 1 more MVP and 2 more Finals MVPs

[JasonStern]

We won't beat the USA at the Olympics, that's not happening.

I would not be that hopeless. There is a chance, although not a big one.

I have a better chance of landing Sydney Sweeney than Serbia does of knocking off the 2024 U.S. team.

[TheHartBreakKid]

We won't beat the USA at the Olympics, that's not happening.

I would not be that hopeless. There is a chance, although not a big one.

I have a better chance of landing Sydney Sweeney than Serbia does of knocking off the 2024 U.S. team.

I'm sure you're a great guy, and Sydney Sweeney isn't all that, and this US team will be incredibly tough to beat.

That said, I'm gonna bet on Serbia vs you landing Sydney Sweeney, pretty comfortably.

[Bornstellar]

Winning a gold medal in the Olympics is nice but imo it doesn't not elevate one's place amongst the greats in the NBA history. NBA achievements are what matters in those discussions. So no, going back to back and winning a gold doesn't make him top 5 ever

[Tempe]

Jokic doesn’t belong anywhere near Shaq and Bird you gotta be joking


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[BigShot Bojan]

Let’s get past the Lakers before this GOAT talk


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[NZB2323]

He's not the GOAT. He won one ring. That doesn't make him LeBron.

The sooner he gets knocked off the better so this stuff can end. It was one season, one ring. Everyone who wins one doesn't become the GOAT.

Jokic broke the record for most triple doubles in a postseason.

Jokic became the first player to have a 30-20-10 finals game.

Jokic became the first player to have 500 points, 200 rebounds, and 100 assists in a postseason.

Jokic and Murray became the first teammates to have a triple double in the same finals game.

Jokic became the first player to lead the playoffs in points, rebounds, and assists.

Jokic isn’t everyone. He’s a 1 of 1.

[ChipotleWest]

The amount of slobbering this forum does for Joker is a little bit sickening. He's great and all but as of right this second he has won 1 ring where his team beat two #8 seeds one #7 seed and a #4 seed, if you just do it by seeds that's the easiest path in NBA history to a championship. He is no where near the GOAT. If he wins about 3 or 4 more of rings then talk to me.

[tsherkin]

The amount of slobbering this forum does for Joker is a little bit sickening.

This is the sort of phrasing which undercuts the legitimacy of an attempted point made.

"Slobbering" has a very intentional negative connotation to the amount of adulation Jokic receives, which is at odds with the factual reality of his play. You may disagree with the specific rankings people have of him, and may consider it premature to place him in the range all-time which some advance, but to denigrate the opposite position isn't really appropriate or legitimate given his accomplishments.

That in mind, it's also worth remembering that while his championship collection is limited compared to a small selection of ATGs in league history, he's also a 2-time MVP. There are only 13 guys in league history who have won at least 2 MVPs. And of those, only 11 have done it in consecutive seasons (Karl Malone and Bob Pettit did not). Also, only 5 guys have an MVP season at .300+ WS/48, which is just one of many monstrous statistical achievements he has, along with that title.

So while you're disagreeing, don't forget to afford baseline respect for the incredible things he's been doing which have generated that discussion in the first place.