Kerr recently said he’d put Jokic ahead of Kareem. I don’t know about rankings but the man is doing Bird like things at the center position. He’s incredible and fun to watch.
Where would you put Jokic in the top 100 players of all time?
- Thread starter Eppy99
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Ahead of Kareem... no.
It's to early to say. He's only been in the league 10 years. He needs to win another NBA championship or 2 to start talking about being top 10.
I’ve never seen anything like him - offensively, anyway.
He’s like McHale, Parrish, and Bird all wrapped into one 7’0” tall player.
Where I’d rank him all-time, I don’t know. But he’s the best player in the league right now.
He’s like McHale, Parrish, and Bird all wrapped into one 7’0” tall player.
Where I’d rank him all-time, I don’t know. But he’s the best player in the league right now.
Good on defense too;
“Despite his inability to run or jump like other players, Jokic has accomplished something remarkable: The center is a perennial advanced-metrics juggernaut on defense, routinely finishing with better big-picture numbers than Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, or future Hall of Fame defender Draymond Green.
Defensive box plus-minus, which measures a player's box-score defensive impact and value to his team per 100 possessions, has been pointing to Jokic as the NBA's most valuable defender for years now. He has finished No. 1 in the metric for the past three seasons and is within striking distance of doing it for a fourth.”
“Despite his inability to run or jump like other players, Jokic has accomplished something remarkable: The center is a perennial advanced-metrics juggernaut on defense, routinely finishing with better big-picture numbers than Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, or future Hall of Fame defender Draymond Green.
Defensive box plus-minus, which measures a player's box-score defensive impact and value to his team per 100 possessions, has been pointing to Jokic as the NBA's most valuable defender for years now. He has finished No. 1 in the metric for the past three seasons and is within striking distance of doing it for a fourth.”
Top 15 probably. He's in Hakeem tier at this point, I think.
It’s always hard to compare players of different generations. Older generations might have had less competition in terms of sheer numbers of high-quality athletes. Then again, they didn’t have all the analytical tools that modern players have which Jokic clearly uses to his advantage.
That Jokić is able to be so unathletic and compete with the modern athletes both on offense and defense is remarkable in the extreme. What could he achieve if he were more athletic?
Winning more NBA Championships will be the thing that puts him in the top ten. Outstanding player without the obvious athleticism. Hes the kind of basketball player who, were he to have played in 80s, knuckleheads would say he wouldnt be shit today, because today’s basketball players are so superior athletically.
Interesting question. Part of me wants to say that his lack of athleticism is integral to the player he is. For one thing, like Bird, he’s had to figure out how to use timing, anticipation, and misdirection to compensate for his athletic disadvantage.
I saw somebody talking about him - might’ve been LeBron - about how his taking actions (passes, ball fakes, shots, etc) so far out of any conventional rhythm is what makes him so hard to guard. He uses the defender’s own instincts and reactions against him as well as anybody I’ve seen.
And he’s also a top-tier scorer who is looking to pass first, which just makes him that much more dangerous.
If he could do all these same things just as well along with great athleticism? I shudder to think about it.
Had the great athleticism he wouldn’t do all those things. He wouldn’t have needed to develop that bit.
His brothers are beasts too
Better athleticism would make him a better defender. If he was a top tier defender, just for this time period, he'd be in a Top 5 overall player tier.
He’s not run jump athletic, but he has other athletic traits that are off the chart. Hand eye and touch being a couple.
Crazy stat: DeMar DeRozen is within 100 career pts of Steph Curry. They entered the league the same year: 2009.
That dudes a bucket and always has been.
Yeah, we don’t value or even see that kind of athleticism. The only kind that counts is run/jump.
Edit: Jokic was drafted 41st. !!! Thats 100% because NBA scouts also cannot see past run/jump.
To be fair, I think his body shape had people wondering what he was. He’s a freak with his stamina at that size and shape. Guy plays a ton of minutes.
Is that JDB?
Come on man... you know I don't have that kind of height
So hard to rank guys against the past, but he's a lock at Top 15 and has a legit argument for Top 5. I mean, his stats alone are utterly ridiculous.
3 MVPs, he's AVERAGING a Triple Double this year while shooting 58% from the floor and 42% from 3. What he's done in the league is nearly insane and he doesn't even look like he's trying, which is what makes it so fun.
He's led the league in OWS for five years in a row and his D +/- is nearly as good as his offensive +/- (not magnitude, but league ranking).
Damn good win tonight! No Pascal, no problem.
Pacers are only 2 games back of the Knicks. They still have to play the Pistons and Cavs. Not that I expect the Pacers to catch them but they do play the Cavs twice and what if they sit the starters? Hmmm
On the flip side, I’m not sure I’d want to be the third seed anyways. If the Pacers were to win the first round they’d have to play Boston. If they’re 4th they would play the Cavs, I think Boston is again the best in the east.
On the flip side, I’m not sure I’d want to be the third seed anyways. If the Pacers were to win the first round they’d have to play Boston. If they’re 4th they would play the Cavs, I think Boston is again the best in the east.
You can’t be excited about this pacers team that’s probably going to lose this game to the Cavs bench.
He’s also stupid strong. Like sabonis level.
Run/jump quick twitch athleticism is important. Not as much when you’re 7 foot and 325.
And the stamina is his most underrated trait. He’s the same player 90% of the game. Doesn’t fade. Stays healthy.
And putting him in the middle of the floor and giving him options, with his intelligence. Lights out.
That was ugly. They have a bad habit of taking games off but finding a way to win. Granted the Cavs bench is the #1 bench in the league. They've got legit starters on that bench.
Jerome and Hunter yes. The rest no. Okoro was a starter last year but was their weakest.
