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The thread asking whether Jokic is the best passer ever got me thinking. Is he a better passer than Luka right now?

I think they're the two best passers in the league right now, but to me Luka is a better tough-pass and highlight-pass maker in the vein of a Bird or Magic. Jokic makes insane passes, but he doesn't quite have the flash of Luka.

Whether that makes Luka a 'better' passer is up to you, but I have them essentially tied with a slight edge to Luka.

Luka is a better passer on the drive, better needle threader, outlet passer and quicker with the release, but Jokic is a better post passer and better out of the double. Luka's passing comes from more places and situations which is why I give him the nod.

If there's such a thing as a 'tie' in sports this is about as close as it gets for me.

If you pick one or the other, what separated them for you?

I love Luka's passing, but this is Joker without much question. And I see it the total opposite. Jokic throws more passes that are just wait what did I see than Luka does. Luka is actually very fundamentally sound with his passing, its just he's finding passes mere mortals don't. That's not to say he doesn't have some incredible highlights, but Jokic has one or two just absurdities every single night.

i think it's jokic, who is a more productive passer who makes fewer mistakes. hard to evaluate that, but in terms of 'bad pass turnovers', both of them produce those at a similar rate, but jokic acquires assists at a higher rate. not perfect, but illustrative.

at the end it's subjective, i think, since they are both super productive as play makers, and they both make ridiculous passes look easy, but jokic's height gives him an advantage here that luka can't overcome in imo makes him less prone to risk.

I hate doing the whole, "its not even close" stuff. But ya Im picking Jokic without much hesitation. I dont care too much about flash, dont get me wrong both guys have plenty of flash with their passing, but level of flash doesnt really change the level of passer in my opinion.

We are talking about 2 elite passers so its not really worth trying to really pick apart one another in my opinion. I just trust Jokic's passing more. And by that I trust that if there is a guy open, or if its possible to essentially pass a guy to being open, Jokic will see it and have the ability to make it. Again to be clear, I think Luka is the same way. I just think Jokic is better is all.

Luka is great but Nikola is one of a kind

Jokic is one of the few players in the NBA that earns the majority of his assists because he actually creates scoring opportunities with his passes.

Other players just pass the ball and the assisted gotta take 8 dribbles, pump fake and jab step into a shot.

If Jokic passes a teammates the ball, all he gotta do is shoot it or lay it up.

Most of the assist leaders in the league have 6 "fake assists" a game.

With that said, I am taking Jokic.

Joker is the best passer in the league. Pretty unheard of from the C position but it's the truth

I don't really see the comparison here. This gap is just too big right now. And I'm at a loss what "needle threader" is if it isn't Jokic by a country mile. We're talking about the guy throw side arm curve balls between defenders to hit shooters and has some kind of absurd record setting level of assists for layups going on right now.

I know homer response here but, Tyrese Halliburton is flying under the radar.

It's hard to tell but I can confidently say both are better than Haliburton.

GeorgeMarcus wrote:Joker is the best passer in the league. Pretty unheard of from the C position but it's the truth

It's not like he's a traditional center, they run their offense through him a ton from what I've seen. I also find it curious many on this board label him the best/best ever because it's his unique, flashy passes.....yet denounce other flashy players, like ja morant, all the time because they are athletic and stuff, in a game centered around running and jumping.

hardenASG13 wrote:

GeorgeMarcus wrote:Joker is the best passer in the league. Pretty unheard of from the C position but it's the truth

It's not like he's a traditional center, they run their offense through him a ton from what I've seen. I also find it curious many on this board label him the best/best ever because it's his unique, flashy passes.....yet denounce other flashy players, like ja morant, all the time because they are athletic and stuff, in a game centered around running and jumping.

Jokic's passes aren't flashy, though. It's not like he's out there bumping passes with his elbow like white chocolate.

Jokic is better. There are times he plays too passive which is the usual eye test indicator of great passers. Doncic's case for passing over Jokic is basically volume and usage and I think Jokic could make the same reads if he had the same usage.

BK_2020 wrote:

hardenASG13 wrote:

GeorgeMarcus wrote:Joker is the best passer in the league. Pretty unheard of from the C position but it's the truth

It's not like he's a traditional center, they run their offense through him a ton from what I've seen. I also find it curious many on this board label him the best/best ever because it's his unique, flashy passes.....yet denounce other flashy players, like ja morant, all the time because they are athletic and stuff, in a game centered around running and jumping.

Jokic's passes aren't flashy, though. It's not like he's out there bumping passes with his elbow like white chocolate.

Jason Williams did that one time, in an exhibition, where guys were just having fun. As "flashy" of a player Williams was , he was also a reckless turnover machine.

Feel free to search "Jokic passes" on YouTube if you are really into flashy passes, or simply watch a whole Nuggets game.

Jokic and it’s not close

threethehardway wrote:Jokic is one of the few players in the NBA that earns the majority of his assists because he actually creates scoring opportunities with his passes.

Other players just pass the ball and the assisted gotta take 8 dribbles, pump fake and jab step into a shot.

If Jokic passes a teammates the ball, all he gotta do is shoot it or lay it up.

Most of the assist leaders in the league have 6 "fake assists" a game.

With that said, I am taking Jokic.

You're simply not going to get volume assists off mainly those types of plays. Yes, it does happen, but too much hyperbole here.

What is true is that Jokic gets a lot of very easy basket assists, like you're cutting you dribble once and layup, just directing you right to the score, etc.

Wallace_Wallace wrote:

BK_2020 wrote:

hardenASG13 wrote:
It's not like he's a traditional center, they run their offense through him a ton from what I've seen. I also find it curious many on this board label him the best/best ever because it's his unique, flashy passes.....yet denounce other flashy players, like ja morant, all the time because they are athletic and stuff, in a game centered around running and jumping.

Jokic's passes aren't flashy, though. It's not like he's out there bumping passes with his elbow like white chocolate.

Jason Williams did that one time, in an exhibition, where guys were just having fun. As "flashy" of a player Williams was , he was also a reckless turnover machine.

Feel free to search "Jokic passes" on YouTube if you are really into flashy passes, or simply watch a whole Nuggets game.

Jokic's most famous pass is him using his eyes to free up a guy opposite side of the court for an open 3 and his pass against the spurs where he threw a pass out to a shooter between two defenders. I'd hardly call either flashy. We're not talking Manu nut megging a heat player in a quarter quart bounce pass in transition during a finals game (also still one of the most insane highlight flashy plays of all time imo).

as a passer each has different scenarios to deal with. one player is a hub, the other has to massage the defense

is it coincidental this poll arises right now when we're seeing a plethora of jokic hilights?

has that brilliant bird-like passing luka entered the league with disipated? i don't think so

og15 wrote:You're simply not going to get volume assists off mainly those types of plays. Yes, it does happen, but too much hyperbole here.

It's not hyperbole, watch a couple of full possession highlights of Tyrese Haliburton and James Harden double 10 plus assist game and then watch Jokic and Trae.

Jokic and Trae don't have 6+ fake assists on their tape.

Lol James Harden avg 10 assists per game and 2/3rds of those assists is off of Joel Embiid taking dribble midrange pulls and people call that playmaking.

Tyrese Haliburton gets 4 or 5 Lonzo assists a game where he passes the ball before he even gets half court and a wing will dribble into a pull up 3 of eurostep to the basket.

Most assists leaders in the NBA are players that by monopolize the ball and passing it to someone who does the bulk of the action to score. There might be 5 real assists where the scoring opportunity was created by the passer.

Jokic, Luka, Lebron, Trae, Russell Westbrook, they for the most part real assists.

dhsilv2 wrote:

Wallace_Wallace wrote:

BK_2020 wrote:Jokic's passes aren't flashy, though. It's not like he's out there bumping passes with his elbow like white chocolate.

Jason Williams did that one time, in an exhibition, where guys were just having fun. As "flashy" of a player Williams was , he was also a reckless turnover machine.

Feel free to search "Jokic passes" on YouTube if you are really into flashy passes, or simply watch a whole Nuggets game.

Jokic's most famous pass is him using his eyes to free up a guy opposite side of the court for an open 3 and his pass against the spurs where he threw a pass out to a shooter between two defenders. I'd hardly call either flashy. We're not talking Manu nut megging a heat player in a quarter quart bounce pass in transition during a finals game (also still one of the most insane highlight flashy plays of all time imo).

passes like these you mean?

https://youtube.com/shorts/FM6Mejvmhdo?feature=share