I'll be Jokic.

[nuraman00]

During one of the timeouts of a Nuggets game, they had a mini version of a Skills competition, for two contestants.

Two contestants had to dribble around cones, pass into a net, then make the basket.

The on-court host said that when it came time for the made shot, "I'll be Jokic".

What that meant was that the host would bounce pass it to the contestant, who would then catch it and attempt the shot.

Normally when someone says they'll imitate a NBA player, they mean a scoring move.

In this case, the host was imitating Jokic's passing!

This enhances the reputation that Jokic's most well-known trait is passing.

In this race between the contestants, the first contestant caught the pass, but missed the shot.

The contestant that was slower than the first contestant, caught the pass, and made the shot.

So it was a come from behind win.

@MHSL82, I hope you like that on-court host.

I can imagine other arenas saying "I'll be Nash" or "I'll be Stockton".

 

[Wamu]

Been following the Joker's career since his rookie year (been to a bunch of Nuggets games over the years), he's fun to watch. He's already the best passing C in league history. And he's carried the Nuggets all season long while they've missed their 2nd best player Murray & their 3rd best player MPJ has only played about 10 games.

 

[nuraman00]

I remember when I read on a forum in 2017, when someone said Jokic might be the best center. (Non Nuggets fan).

That person was onto something.

Have they had that same Nuggets skills competition on the court at the games you've been to, and has that on-court host said that line "I'll be Jokic" before too?

Also what is up with the intro video for the Nuggets lineup? When they announce Jokic, it looks like he's alternately winking with each eye.

 

[nuraman00]

He deserves the MVP more than Embiid, Embiid's FG% sucked in November.

It would be Jokic or Antetokounmpo to me. I've heard one former broadcaster say Morant.

I could also consider DeRozan. All 4 of these guys have been more consistent, for the whole year, than Embiid.

But, voters sometimes remember the finish, not the whole race.

 

[nuraman00]

What was also cool was that the on-court host didn't even have to explain what "I'll be Jokic" meant.

He didn't have to explain that he would pass. Or use the "pass" word in a sentence.

He just said "when it's time for your shot, I'll be Jokic".

 

[nuraman00]

@MHSL82, do you like people imitating this trait of Jokic's?

 

[nuraman00]

Jokic with an MVP start to the 3rd, all with his passing.

 

[nuraman00]

 

[MHSL82]

It looked like he expected it. Unfortunately, it seemed like the defender did too. The point of those type of passes is when the defender doesn’t know it’s going there. I mean, the player who received the pass look like he went to go up but someone was there. That would’ve been a “brilliant” play if that defender wasn’t there. Of course, you would need to decide on whether to make that pass based on whether that defender would be there, but I don’t think it was totally unexpected and it was supposed to not be found by defender.

 

[nuraman00]

You'll find out why later today.

 

[MHSL82]

You'll find out why later today.

I know he won the MVP again. Is that what you’re referring to?

I have some re-ordering to do. Give Giannis the MVP last year and give Gobert the defensive player of the year. Give Embiid the MVP this year, not that I like him, but just to get the complaining out. Give Jokic Coach if the Year because these awards don’t matter. Haven’t meant anything since 1999.

 

[nuraman00]

After there wasn't a MVP presentation yesterday or Friday in Philadelphia, I thought Antetokounmpo might get it today. And that they didn't want to make an announcement on Mothers Day.




I like the pick. My MVP candidates, in no order, would have been from Jokic, Antetokounmpo, Morant, Chris Paul. Embiid had a lot of bad shooting games this year. He had 11 games where he shot 35% or less. Out of 68 games played.

To compare, Antetokounmpo: 5 out of 67.

Morant: 8 out of 57.

Chris Paul: 9 out of 65.

Jokic: 2 out of 74.

Yes shooting is just one part of an evaluation. I'm just saying that Embiid had too many clunkers for me.

His defense is ok, but as of right now, I don't think there's a great defensive PF or C anyways in the league.

 

[nuraman00]

I know he won the MVP again. Is that what you’re referring to?

I have some re-ordering to do. Give Giannis the MVP last year and give Gobert the defensive player of the year. Give Embiid the MVP this year, not that I like him, but just to get the complaining out. Give Jokic Coach if the Year because these awards don’t matter. Haven’t meant anything since 1999.

Give Gobert it this year?

You haven't liked any of the coach of the year winners since 1999?

So you would have Jokic with no MVPs? I'm starting to think you don't like assists.

 

[nuraman00]

One of the reasons Paul made my cut is that he lead the league in assists. Still strong steals too. Not 2.0 though, 1.9.

Paul should have won MVP in 2008, the year Bryant won it.

 

[nuraman00]

It looked like he expected it. Unfortunately, it seemed like the defender did too. The point of those type of passes is when the defender doesn’t know it’s going there. I mean, the player who received the pass look like he went to go up but someone was there. That would’ve been a “brilliant” play if that defender wasn’t there. Of course, you would need to decide on whether to make that pass based on whether that defender would be there, but I don’t think it was totally unexpected and it was supposed to not be found by defender.

Did you like the pass, anyways, even if it was expected?

 

[BigFin]

Jokic has now cemented his HOF bust by winning multiple MVP’s.

 

[nuraman00]

He deserves the MVP more than Embiid, Embiid's FG% sucked in November.

It would be Jokic or Antetokounmpo to me. I've heard one former broadcaster say Morant.

I could also consider DeRozan. All 4 of these guys have been more consistent, for the whole year, than Embiid.

But, voters sometimes remember the finish, not the whole race.

Here are Embiid's October and November stats:

6 games in October, 43.0%.
5 games in November, 42.9%.

That's terrible, for a MVP. The whole season counts.

Even late in the year in March, he had a 6 for 20 game.

 

[nuraman00]

His defense is ok, but as of right now, I don't think there's a great defensive PF or C anyways in the league.

Expanding on this.

Even someone like Antetokounmpo can make great defensive plays, but isn't a consistently great defensive player every possession, like some of the best in history.

That's where the league right now falls short for me.

After Ben Wallace, Dwight Howard, and Tim Duncan, in the modern era, Tyson Chandler and Marc Gasol were the next best. Then after that, guys like Gobert, Embiid, Adebayo, Antetokounmpo can make great plays, but are not like the best in history.

Draymond Green is more of a wing defender and weakside, not a PF/C defender.

Gobert, I don't know if it's schemes, or he just makes bad choices, but he can't be considered an all time great when the Jazz perimeter defense and rotating to 3's has been a known problem for years. He can be the best in a given year, in a less strong era.

 

[nuraman00]

I wish I hadn't seen the tweets today btw. I would have preferred seeing the surprise on TNT, whenever it's presented.

 

[MHSL82]

I actually listed Embiid because I am annoyed by him and I am annoyed by every one but my own whining. I said to give Jokic the coach of the year because the fact that he’s not a coach wasn’t relevant to me because the award is not relevant to me since 1999 when Karl Malone won the most valuable player, which I didn’t really think he deserved that year. They never gave it to Jerry Sloan, they didn’t give it to Gobert because of voter fatigue in 2020. They didn’t give it to Michael Jordan more often or LeBron more often because they wanted to give it to somebody else. There is no award for assists.