EuropeanBball wrote:Actually, he was in best shape of his life when he was with NT during the last summer. Why he was out-of-shape in Denver, thats question for coaches in Denver. His coach from Mega, guy without Jokic would not be even a profesional athlete, said once that Jokic is irresponsible and undisciplined and thats main problem with him. He needs a coach who is a great authority and thats one of the differences between Nuggets and NT. I think that he will not make big progress in physical part during the summer because he is undisciplined.
OK, I surrender, the public record of his multiple years of extremely poor eating habits including massive quantities of soda didn't affect his conditioning until he got to Denver and stopped those habits and that's why his conditioning was poor - yes, sarcasm intended.
Then you continue with
"His coach from Mega, guy without Jokic would not be even a profesional athlete, said once that Jokic is irresponsible and undisciplined and thats main problem with him. He needs a coach who is a great authority and thats one of the differences between Nuggets and NT. I think that he will not make big progress in physical part during the summer because he is undisciplined." So you are saying nobody could get Jokic in good condition so the people that couldn't do it are more authoritative than the Nuggets' staff who are making a huge difference this year, as already shown? That makes no sense whatsoever. You deny the pictorial evidence of his progress this summer?
EuropeanBball wrote:He didnt develop that bad habits like fouling with NT because new rule about that is introduced 2 years ago, thats was common for European basketball until 2 years ago... its more thing of his frustration and lack of shape i would say.
Really? Then why do so many European players still have that habit? Why did we see a great deal of those fouls during the Olympics? Sure, many European guards do it a lot and that's fine, but in Europe even big men do it. In the NBA, with far more physical play down low, big men can not afford to do that. Just in the Nuggets' experience, multiple big men have had that habit, including Jokic, Nurkic, Mozgov, even others like Koufos.
EuropeanBball wrote:Being a starter is not same in US and Europe. For example, Teodosic who was best player in Europe was coming of the bench for his team in Europe. Could you imagine Westbrook, LBJ or Harden coming of the bench? No, but in Europe that is normal, your role doesnt have anything with it. He was no. 3 player in NT last year, this year he will probably be no. 2 player, thats a big responsability.
Ridiculous - teams always start their best players or at least their best lineup. The top 2 or 3 stars always start unless they play the same position and even then they usually start. In European ball, there is even more flexibility in having two players that play the same position. But even in the NBA they will play two SFs or two SGs or often 2 PGs some play "twin towers", etc.
Jokic was not the center of his NT last year and it seems unlikely he'll be the center of the team this year. You say he'd "probably be no. 2". On the Nuggets, he is #1 and the offense runs through him. Perhaps the NT said "You'll be on the bench again" and he said, "No thanks. I've got real work to do for where I am appreciated."
EuropeanBball wrote:How Tanjevic can be selfish when he is not coach of Serbian NT, he is head coach of Montenegro, why he would like to Jokic play for Serbia?
It is selfish because he wants all European players on their NT - that way he'll be justified in having all of his NT players there.
EuropeanBball wrote:I dont have anything against Jokic's decision, i just think as fan of both Serbian NT and Nuggets that playing for NT would bring him many benefits...
Sure you have something against his decision - anything else would mean you wouldn't advocate so strongly.
European fans, mostly, place far more value on playing for their NT. I get it. That's the way it should be.
USA NBA fans, mostly, place far more value on playing for their NBA team. It's natural.
These things are logical.
What is also logical is European fans assuming all American fans don't understand NT play - and probably most don't.
What is also logical is that most American fans assume European fans don't understand NBA play - and probably many do not.
We'll call this discussion quits - at least from my end.
, sees the small picture before looking at Jokic's future.
