RealGM

The MVP returns
1st MVP since SHAQ as center

32pts
70 FG%
16 REBS vs Spurs

Its not inconceivable he repeats as Mvp. Shades of 06 Nash when Amare missed the whole season with Murray. He will need a top 2 seed and clear 50 wins at least tho

Due to his durability him and Giannis should be right there all year long. Curry/Durant that’s probably the main four.

But yeah Jokic is Jokic I do like the more 20 FGA every game approach.

Murray > MPJ. MPJ is young but needs more strings to his bow (Rebounding/defending gotta pick one or he’ll be a rich man’s Tobias).

He’s looked way better on defense this year. He slimmed down and is moving way better to cover quick guards that put him in pick and roll. On offense, he has been beating guys more with his quickness than brute size. He may well win another MVP.

Game 1 against the Suns.
Nikola Jokic enters the game with 7:34 left in 4thQ. Score is 96-89 for Nuggets. Until the end of the game Jokic scores 8 pts (4/6). Suns score 9 pts (4/14). Finale score 110-98 Nuggs
Game 2 against the Spurs
Nikola Jokic enters the game with 6:55 left in 4thQ. Score is 85-82 for Nuggets. Until the end of the game Jokic scores 10 pts (5/5) with 2 ast (for 5 pts). Spurs score 14 pts (4/11). Finale score 102-96 Nuggs
Closer

It's two games, but he has been devastating on offense so far, and very good on defense. I wonder where the Nuggets will be after 20 games.

Maybe not MVP but definitely my pick for RealGM PoY.

Statlanta wrote:Maybe not MVP but definitely my pick for RealGM PoY.

doesnt it go in hand in hand

Looking like he’s flat out BITW for an extended period. Which is very rare.

He’s insanely good. Not a Nuggets fan. Just an admirer lol. So stoic too.

Hitting 3s and dropping dimes tonight.

Defensively he was pretty bad today though. Allen went at him at will. Offensively, well, we couldn't stop him.

yoyoboy wrote:Defensively he was pretty bad today though. Allen went at him at will. Offensively, well, we couldn't stop him.

I agree. Was very good defensively in the previous 2 games, tonight was bad, too many mistakes.

Right now there are 5 players with PER over 30 Giannis (34,87), KD (32,05), Butler (31,15) and Holmes ?!? (30,70) and one player with PER over 40 - Nikola Jokic (40,94)

IS his defense really as bad as everyone suggests? I mean, career, not just this year.

Rankings Among All Centers, 2016-2022, Min 400 Games (16 players):

DBPM: 3rd
DWS: 5th
DRtg: 9th

It looks average, or even above average, not terrible. What do the other advanced metrics say?

Last night Jokic seemed frustrated most of the night, picked up his 3rd and 4th fouls seconds into the 2nd half, gathered himself and obliterated Dallas and sat down for the last 15 minutes of the game, job done. Just far and away the best player on the court(which he is basically every night expect maybe 2x a year against Giannis when its a push). His ability to manipulate the entire game is breathtaking especially from a man his size.

ty 4191 wrote:IS his defense really as bad as everyone suggests? I mean, career, not just this year.

Rankings Among All Centers, 2016-2022, Min 400 Games (16 players):

DBPM: 3rd
DWS: 5th
DRtg: 9th

It looks average, or even above average, not terrible. What do the other advanced metrics say?

If he's average defensively as a C, the question then becomes: can you win championships with an average defensive big anchoring the defense? Maybe the Lebron-era Heat and the Jordan/Pippen Bulls but those teams also had Bosh, Rodman and Cartwright, who were clear positives on defense. Not to mention that Bron and Pippen played like bigs on defense and those teams also had some of the best perimeter defense the league has ever seen.

Looking at the championship winning teams over the last decade and their big man defensive anchors:

2021 Bucks: Giannis, Brook
2020 Lakers: AD, Bron
2019 Raptors: Marc Gasol, Ibaka
2015-2018 Warriors: Draymond
2014 Spurs: TD
2012-2013 Heat: Bosh, Bron
2011 Mavs: Chandler
2009-2010 Lakers: Pau
2008 Celts: KG

The closest muse for the Jokic Nuggets might be the 2011 Mavs, who surrounded Dirk with a great defensive big man and 3 and D guys on the perimeter. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, they don't have that personnel right now.

Peregrine01 wrote:

ty 4191 wrote:IS his defense really as bad as everyone suggests? I mean, career, not just this year.

Rankings Among All Centers, 2016-2022, Min 400 Games (16 players):

DBPM: 3rd
DWS: 5th
DRtg: 9th

It looks average, or even above average, not terrible. What do the other advanced metrics say?

If he's average defensively as a C, the question then becomes: can you win championships with an average defensive big anchoring the defense? Maybe the Lebron-era Heat and the Jordan/Pippen Bulls but those teams also had Bosh, Rodman and Cartwright, who were clear positives on defense. Not to mention that Bron and Pippen played like bigs on defense and those teams also had some of the best perimeter defense the league has ever seen.

Looking at the championship winning teams over the last decade and their big man defensive anchors:

2021 Bucks: Giannis, Brook
2020 Lakers: AD, Bron
2019 Raptors: Marc Gasol, Ibaka
2015-2018 Warriors: Draymond
2014 Spurs: TD
2012-2013 Heat: Bosh, Bron
2011 Mavs: Chandler
2009-2010 Lakers: Pau
2008 Celts: KG

The closest muse for the Jokic Nuggets might be the 2011 Mavs, who surrounded Dirk with a great defensive big man and 3 and D guys on the perimeter. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, they don't have that personnel right now.

I think the real question is can you win championship with the best player in a league surrounded with team that compliments his skills? The answer is obviously yes, so Jokic will win it soon as Giannis, LeBron, Kawhi, KD and Steph have proved in recent years.

Joked is better defensively this year and still great on offense. He’s Just had one of the greatest opening five games on a per minute basis in NBA history

I'm starting to think that his defense has improved dramatically. Small sample size yes, but Denver is sitting at 2nd in DRTG. And from just watching him, he's gotten a lot more active around the rim - showing earlier on drives, contesting shots and just taking up space. From watching his warm-up footage, he's made a concerted effort on improving his foot speed and so far (along with the weight loss) it looks like it's paid off as he's handling high pick and rolls a lot better.

He'll never be quick but I wonder if he can play Marc Gasol type defense. If he can, we might be looking at a multiple MVP winner.