Should people call out Jokic more for his lack of leadership?

[hagredionis]

The point is not every team needs to follow a "conventional" or "traditional" scheme to be successful.

You're talking about traditional basketball tropes as if the only way to win a championship is to have a center who is a rim protector who anchors your defense when we just went a decade with teams showing success playing small ball and not having a traditional center in during crunch time.

The make up of Denver doesn't rely on Jokic's defense. It relies on his offense and others to shore up the defensive deficiencies. Just like Goldenstate's lineup of death could work without a traditional center in crunch time.

Imagine if you remove Iggy and Draymond from the death lineup, how impactful would it be? Now imagine removing Aaron Gordon and C Braun from Denver's lineup. You don't need to, you're seeing the impact right now.

I never said teams need to follow a transitional scheme to be successful. My point is simply that if others need to shore up defensive deficiencies of a center than it's hard to argue that the player is so much better than anybody else in the league that "it's not close" as we constantly read in these forums.

It feels so disingenuous to focus on one part of his game when he's doing everything else literally at a GOAT level. Based on this logic, they should replace Jokic with prime Gobert or Evan Mobley or AD and they would magically be this dynastic team without any issues.

This reminds me when people (including myself in my young immature days) would harp on Lebron for not taking the shot instead of passing because we always expect your star 2/3 to take the last shot.

These arbitrary rules make no sense when you have a unicorn like Jokic or Lebron who is the exception to the "rule".

If anything it's the Stans who only focus on one part of his game. But just to be clear I do think Jokic is a fantastic player and a generational talent, I just don't think he's the GOAT or a clearly better than anybody else in the league or a better offensive player than MJ etc etc.

[remiga007]

I think some fans should stop being defenive and hold the bet player accountable.
these things add up and can make a difference between winning and losing.
the Nuggets lost four games in a row at home, against vastly inferior teams, in a similar pattern, showing an absolutely pathetic level of defensive effort. and this is in context of unserious basketball that we saw pretty often, since the championship.

you're helping nobody blaming everyone but Jokic, if you're a Nuggets fan (if you're not, keep going!)

If you give flack for 4 straight home losses you should give credit for 7 straight away wins too. And the incredible effort at the end of some games. That is if you want to be objective.

Also, Nugs are vastly superior than the four teams they lost to? Huh? Have you SEEN who is starting for Denver?

have you actully SEEN those games and HOW and WHY they lost?
they were absolutely seperior to them, until they stopped defending and lost.
same pattern every time, with Jokic being part of the issue.
not because of lack of mobility or verticality. but because of effort.

I know you are just trying to be snarky but yes, I have seen all Denver games.
Have you or other posters wondered WHY they have been giving less effort in the 4th? Do you think they just WANT to lose? Or maybe it has something to do with playing every single game and exerting more effort than just about every other star who have been resting/injured so far? Do you believe Jokic also must have prime Rip Hamilton conditioning and play 42 minutes on same level, or else he is not a leader or whatever the premise of this thread is?

Without AG for small ball 5 center option and JV having maybe 25 minutes, at best, to give, they have to play Jokic every single game. And big minutes, to boot. I suspect 4th quarter struggles will continue and you and others may continue to bash Jokic here, well, fly away.