"He is the best player in the NBA by far" - Former Coach of the Year hails Nikola Jokic after leading Nuggets to first NBA title
Nikola Jokic is the best player in the world, according to former NBA Coach of the Year and current NBA TV analyst Sam Mitchell. Jokic recently led the Denver Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship after defeating the Miami Heat in five games.
On a recent episode of 'NBA Finals Film Room', Chris Miles, Earl Watson and Mitchell discussed Jokic's performance in Game 5. Mitchell praised the "Joker" for knowing what to do in certain situations coupled with his outstanding skill set and basketball IQ.
"That thing for me that's so outstanding is he can take you outside and shoot the three, can take you inside against the zone put in the middle," Mitchell said. "His passing cuts like a warm knife through butter. He had the answers to every test that Erik Spoelstra and this Miami coaching staff gave him and he aced it. He is the best player in the NBA by far."
“He had the answers to every test that Erik Spoelstra and this Miami coaching staff gave him, and he aced it. He is the best player in the NBA by far.”
@SamMitchellNBA on Jokić’s Game 5 performance https://t.co/nV5nZir1JF
Nikola Jokic finished Game 5 with 28 points, 16 rebounds and four assists on his way to winning the NBA Finals MVP trophy. Jokic was simply too good and too hard to guard for the Miami Heat. Bam Adebayo, who is one of the best defenders in the league, barely fazed the two-time MVP.
It might be true that Jokic is the best player in the NBA at the moment. He's been the best player in the best team this season and while he might not be great defensively, he picks his spots on that end of the ball.
Meanwhile, Jokic's offense is just simply too good since he can shoot, post up and make plays to create for his teammates. His size also makes him tough to guard down low. He might not be as athletic, but his footwork and touch around the rim make him very effective.
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Is Nikola Jokic already in the top 25 NBA players ever?
Nikola Jokic cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time at the age of 28 by winning an NBA championship. Jokic is just one of 13 players in NBA history to have two league MVPs and a championship ring, as per The Ringer. He's also only the 11th player to have two NBA MVPs, a ring and an NBA Finals MVP.
If Jokic retires today, he'll already be a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest of all time, possibly in the top 25 ever as well. Some fans might disagree that he's an all-time great, but anything he does and accomplishes moving forward is just icing on the cake.
He'll likely end up inside the top 15 or 20 if he can add another ring or two to his resume.
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