RealGM

Build a team that maximizes Nikola Jokic's skillset while minimizing his weaknesses.

This is a pretty lazy pick but I can't really imagine anything much better than the Steph-KD Warriors core, which is what past teams built around Jokic have kind of build like (Curry/Murray, KD/Porter Jr, Draymond/Millsap, Klay and 3&D guard)

To make things a little more interesting, I do think it's a waste to not go for pure scoring firepower if you have a wizard like Jokic on your team.

PG - Jrue Holiday
SG - Bradley Beal
SF - Kevin Durant
PF - Giannis Antetokounmpo

Less playmaking expected out of the point guard position but Jrue is more than enough to be a de facto ball-handler on this team. Main value is his defense to minimize chances of Jokic being the last line of defense at the rim.

I still just want to keep Kevin Durant in there just because he's the best 'bucket getter' in the NBA.

Since this is a "dream team' Giannis is added in there for rim protection and rim running ability.

Offense still runs through Jokic.

6th man would be a guy like Clarkson who just has the green light to shoot.

I'll make it semi-realistic:

Nikola Jokić
Rasheed Wallace
Otto Porter
Danny Green
Chauncey Billups

Sixth Man: Danilo Gallinari

Lowry
Klay
Anunoby
Ak47
Jokic

giordunk wrote:Build a team that maximizes Nikola Jokic's skillset while minimizing his weaknesses.

This is a pretty lazy pick but I can't really imagine anything much better than the Steph-KD Warriors core, which is what past teams built around Jokic have kind of build like (Curry/Murray, KD/Porter Jr, Draymond/Millsap, Klay and 3&D guard)

To make things a little more interesting, I do think it's a waste to not go for pure scoring firepower if you have a wizard like Jokic on your team.

PG - Jrue Holiday
SG - Bradley Beal
SF - Kevin Durant
PF - Giannis Antetokounmpo

Less playmaking expected out of the point guard position but Jrue is more than enough to be a de facto ball-handler on this team. Main value is his defense to minimize chances of Jokic being the last line of defense at the rim.

I still just want to keep Kevin Durant in there just because he's the best 'bucket getter' in the NBA.

Since this is a "dream team' Giannis is added in there for rim protection and rim running ability.

Offense still runs through Jokic.

6th man would be a guy like Clarkson who just has the green light to shoot.

I think hardly maximizes Jokic since all those guys can and do regularly create offense for themselves. His numbers and actual impact would be down. This would maximize Myles Turner.

I'd like to see Jokic in 1967 Sixers system. Wilt led them to absurd domination, but Jokic might be even better in that role.

70sFan wrote:I'd like to see Jokic in 1967 Sixers system. Wilt led them to absurd domination, but Jokic might be even better in that role.

Again, too many creators and scorers to maximize his value. Plug him in for Walton in the late 70s Blazer's offense and hope that Lucas, Gross, Hollins and company give you enough defense to still win a title. And . . . you can make it work for more than 1 year!

penbeast0 wrote:

70sFan wrote:I'd like to see Jokic in 1967 Sixers system. Wilt led them to absurd domination, but Jokic might be even better in that role.

Again, too many creators and scorers to maximize his value. Plug him in for Walton in the late 70s Blazer's offense and hope that Lucas, Gross, Hollins and company give you enough defense to still win a title. And . . . you can make it work for more than 1 year!

These systems were not that different, although Sixers did have more scorers than Blazers.

Lillard
Irving
Durant
Green
Jokic

Curry
Klay
PG13
AD
Jokic

GSP wrote:Lowry
Klay
Anunoby
Ak47
Jokic

Love the AK47 fit.

70sFan wrote:I'd like to see Jokic in 1967 Sixers system. Wilt led them to absurd domination, but Jokic might be even better in that role.

Not defensively.

Obviously a lot of this is due to the one blowout loss but and a small sample size, but Jokic with all the offensive greatness hasn’t been dominant on court primarily due to defense though that’s not all his fault.

Nuggets with Jokic on court:
119.2 ORtg, 124.1 DRtg
-4.9

Nuggets with Jokic off court:
121.8 ORtg, 114.5 DRtg
+7.3

ON-OFF: -12.2 per 100 possessions

Jokic is an offensive savant and the regular season lineups didn’t matter who was on court as he produced great offense. But 7 games played with these numbers isn’t good.

homecourtloss wrote:

70sFan wrote:I'd like to see Jokic in 1967 Sixers system. Wilt led them to absurd domination, but Jokic might be even better in that role.

Not defensively.

Obviously a lot of this is due to the one blowout loss but and a small sample size, but Jokic with all the offensive greatness hasn’t been dominant on court primarily due to defense though that’s not all his fault.

Nuggets with Jokic on court:
119.2 ORtg, 124.1 DRtg
-4.9

Nuggets with Jokic off court:
121.8 ORtg, 114.5 DRtg
+7.3

ON-OFF: -12.2 per 100 possessions

Jokic is an offensive savant and the regular season lineups didn’t matter who was on court as he produced great offense. But 7 games played with these numbers isn’t good.

Yeah, surely I was talking about offensive end only. Jokic can't touch Wilt on defense.

Mills
Ginobili
Korver
Horry
Jokic

That would be a deadly highly synergistic team on both ends.


Murray
Drexler
Bridges
AK47
Jokic

Crazy cut/shoot combos here.

Simmons
Reggie Miller
Marion
Christian Wood
Jokic

Good luck predicting just about any play action against any of these teams.

It will be fascinating to find out how Jokic would do in 2004-2006 Ben Wallace role as they are the two extremes.
Billups
Hamilton
Prince
Rasheed
Jokic

Curry
Dumars
Durant
Duncan
Jokic

Curry and Jokic seem tailor-made for each other offensively. Curry as the greatest three-point shooter of all time and having the greatest off-ball gravity would be on any dream team I would construct. They have the downside of not being great defenders, but their blistering offensive synergy overwhelms that. I did pick the rest of the squad with defense in mind, though.

I picked Dumars because of the combination of defense and complete offensive skills while not being the type of guy who has to have the ball to feed his ego. I could be convinced to go with Billups or Klay here. What wouldn't be a good fit is a guard who has to have the ball to be effective, because that's Jokic's job.

Durant I'm not sure about. I personally think he's somewhat overrated defensively, and the whole ego thing would make me pause, but this is a dream team scenario, and in this fever dream, Durant is his best self as a teammate. As long as his head would be right, having Durant would make for yet more awesome offense.

Timmy was my first pick after Curry. Great interior D to complement/compensate for Jokic, great at everything, low maintenance, would be happy with fewer touches on a dream team.

Giannis makes up for Jokic's averagish defense while Jokic helps Giannis with closing. Jrue/Conley are great all around PGs who play good defense. Bogdan and Bridges are good shooters and Bridges is a nice two way wing, Bogdan is a solid defender.

Overall great spacing outside of Giannis who is a mediocre shooter and very good defense.

PG: Jrue Holiday/Conley
SG: Bogdan Bogdanovic
SF: Mikal Bridges
PF: Giannis
C: Jokic

Something you could actually maybe have:

Old man Kidd
pre-injuries Wes Matthews
Kawhi (my 2nd star)
PJ Tucker
Jokic

bench -- Maxi Kleber, Tony Snell, Eddie House, Satoranksy, Mason Plumlee

I'm going with big three. I think KG and Curry are the perfect Joker teammates.

Nikola Jokic
Kevin Garnett
Shane Battier
Danny Green
Steph curry

Billups
Allen
Battier
Garnett
Jokic

Realistic and picking only players worse than Jokic

Billups
Miller
Battier
Marion
Jokic