Nuggets big Nikola Jokic has become one of the best all-around players in basketball, a big with tremendous vision and good scoring ability on the block along with a solid face up game. He was also the leading scorer for the Denver Nuggets this season at 20.1 points per game.
So it was a bit surprising that Jokic attempted just nine field goals in Denver's loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their first round matchup in the Western Conference playoffs. While Nuggets guard Jamal Murray had no problem chucking (Murray made just eight of 24 attempts), Jokic seemed more passive in the flow of the offense.
However, given his increased role as a facilitator both on the block and even on the perimeter, Jokic said he would rather make the extra pass rather than forcing the issue with a bad shot through a double-team:
Jokic said he doesn't want to force anything when double-teamed: "I am fine w/ passing to the open guy. I don’t have any problem w/ passing the ball. If I force it, maybe it’s going to be a bad shot, so I am just going to pass it out. I think that’s how we are supposed to play."
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) April 16, 2019
That said, Jokic acknowledged that there were times where he possibly could have been aggressive in seeking his own shot during Game 1:
Jokic on if he liked his offensive approach in Game 1: "Yeah. Maybe I could have been a little bit (more) aggressive, but I didn’t want me being aggressive (to) disrupt our offense."
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) April 16, 2019
“The Joker” posted career highs in nearly every major statistical category this season, including a whopping 7.3 assists which led all NBA big men.
In Game 1 against San Antonio, he tallied a ridiculous triple-double with 10 points, 14 rebounds and an eye-popping 14 assists. But the Spurs were able to capitalize on Denver's poor shooting performance–especially from beyond the arc–and steal the home court advantage.
It is clear that the Nuggets will need to find a way to get Jokic more one-on-one post touches and assert him as a scorer, particularly if they continue to struggle to shoot the ball from deep.
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