Placing Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic within a matrix of his fellow basketball greats is no easy task. He racks up triple-doubles like Wilt Chamberlain, tosses no-look passes like Magic Johnson and launches high-release jumpers like Larry Bird, but there’s only one Joker, whose contradictions make him one of the NBA’s most fascinating superstars.
Jokic lives in the paint but rarely dunks. He’s almost always the biggest player on the court, but he rarely plays above the rim. He touches the ball constantly but makes a concerted effort not to hold it. He sometimes struggles to move laterally on defense, but he tap-dances past defenders for floaters and step-back three-pointers. His serene personality is central to his success in late-game situations, but he has erupted for a few memorable flagrant fouls along the way.
Read Full Article »
