This is an evaluation that poured out when the Denver Nuggets won the final of the 2022-23 season of "The Dynasty May Start." Denver's performance in the playoffs at the time seemed to be no match. Although the lineup was not wide, the presence of "Joker" Nikola Jokic 29, 211cm, the best player in the league, was large. He boasts overwhelming skills to the point where people say, "He is as good as his pure ability compared to Michael Jordan in his heyday."
He can't run fast or run high, but in addition to his good size and power, he is the owner of the all-time BQ, so he knows how to win the game beyond overwhelming his matchup opponent. Just as a Go master reads ahead of the head tax, it shows insights beyond the scope of common sense in the fight, including grasping the movements of allies and enemies at a glance.
Fast players are burdensome because fast speed is difficult, but controlling the speed from fast players is one reason that makes defense difficult. This reminds me of Greg Maddox's "Slowly, Slowly" who dominated the era of Major League Baseball with slow balls. The same goes for Jokic. Although not as fast as it stands out, he constantly changes the speed and takes away the opponent's timing.
In addition, the person who rules the time of the match is often the yokichi because unexpected fakes or unexpected attacks go in from moment to moment. It will be similar in any event, but it will be very late if the opponent starts attacking and takes defensive movements accordingly. The likelihood of blocking the attack increases when you make predictions or judgments in advance.
It is very difficult to take such a defense method against Jokic. This is because even if there is a lot of repertoire, there is too much. Even though it is a center position, there is nothing you can't shoot, breakthrough, post-up, face-up, pass, and screen. The basic skills are solid and the sense of fingertips is very good, so the completeness of each is high. If you take the lead in the tower with so many skills and walk the so-called multi-jisunda, it will be difficult for the defense to get a sense of how to replace it. 메이저놀이터
He slowly breaks through the ball by stealing the timing, and pushes forward with a big frame to score points through post-ups. A thrower shot that does not care about distance often drops the opponent's defense capability. Shaquille O'Neill, who was with the Lakers, sometimes comes to mind when he played in a different style but couldn't stop him even though he knew it.
However, Jokic takes a step further from here. His vision and passing sense are at the guard level. No, that is not enough. It is right to put the word "pure," or "all-time high." The assessment that "the center has all the skills of a pure point guard" does not sound like an exaggeration at all. As such, it is no exaggeration to say that Denver is a team for Jokic, by Jokic.
Most of the offensive systems revolve around Jokic. Because Jokic is holding out, he is considered a favorite. If Jokic is eliminated from the Denver team, Jamal Murray 27, 193 centimeters will likely become an injured and undulating dual guard, Aaron Gordon 29, 203 centimeters will become a rising star with only athletic ability, and Michael Porter Jr. 26, 208 centimeters may become a tall shooter.
Because of Jokic, it is evaluated that they are focusing on what they are good at and exerting their full potential. Of course, Jokic is also getting help from them. Currently, Denver is a team of players who can make the most of Jokic. Players with good athletic ability and activity make up for Jokic's shortcomings and take good passes.
This is the best advantage in terms of being a one-team team, but it can also be a big weakness. This is because if Jokichi is blocked or struggling, his performance will inevitably decline. As mentioned earlier, if Jokichi is holding out, it is a strong team that can always seek to win the playoffs, but otherwise, it will lose power to ordinary or less.
It is not easy for the NBA to find an absolute powerhouse as the winner teams change every season. Players who are worthy of their names have shifted more actively during the off-season, which has led to significant changes in their power. The Boston Celtics, the winner of this season's finals, have retained their title members, while the runner-up Dallas Mavericks has added Clay Tamson 34, 201cm, the mainstay of the Golden State Warriors dynasty, in addition to Luca Doncic and Kyrie Irving One-Two Punch.
The Philadelphia 76ers of Joel Embiid 30, 213cm, who is considered the league's No. 2 big man after Jokic, recently brought veteran forward Paul George 33, 203cm to the FA and succeeded in completing the big three with Tyreece Maxey 24, 188cm. In addition, each team is actively recruiting players, and they are already looking forward to next season.
Denver fans are frustrated in this regard. They do not want to create a super team by recruiting big names or beefing up their teams on a massive scale. They are satisfied even if they hire backup players who can take a certain amount of time out of the game and make a bench for mid-ranking teams. Denver's lead is the worst in the league, and the backup center that provides Jokic with even a brief break is also not good.
Denver was held back by the Minnesota Timberwolves after a close game in Game 7 in the second round of this season's playoffs. Two-option Murray was not in good condition, and more importantly, Jokic was overworked. Despite this, Jokic showed off his great power against the Minnesota big men, who are the best in quality and quantity, in addition to Rudy Gobert 32, 216 centimeters and Carl-Anthony Towns 28, 211 centimeters.
If Jokic had been guaranteed some time to rest, Denver would have been in the same situation this season. Many fans expressed regret over the fact that it was the counter team that could trouble the Boston Red Sox the most. After winning the championship, Denver is not only expanding its power but also losing some of its power.