<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/exclusive-mpj-interview.jpg"></figure><h1>Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr. talks about ‘Curious Mike,’ Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, getting his brain scanned and more</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-09-20T18:15:22-07:00">September 20th, 6:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-09-20T20:02:25-07:00">September 20th, 8:02pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a>Angelo Guinhawa is a basketball and soccer/football editor/writer. He uses his background in digital marketing to make sure you get to read his work. He has previously worked for FOX Sports PH and a number of reputable sports media outlets. If he's not writing or watching sports, he's likely scouring online for his next NBA card purchase.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Denver Nuggets rising star Michael Porter Jr. has proven himself to be an elite scorer on the court. However, he wants everybody to know he’s more than just that.</p><p>He wants his voice to be heard. He wants people to converse and talk about topics they often avoid. That is why he started his “Curious Mike” show, giving him and others a platform where they won’t be judged or their words misconstrued unlike other social media platforms.</p><p>In a wide-ranging interview with ClutchPoints, Porter discussed his inspiration to start his own show, getting his brain scanned, mental health, working out with Stephen Curry and trying to get him on “Curious Mike,” and even his relationship with Nuggets teammate and reigning NBA MVP Nikola.</p><h2><b>Michael Porter Jr. Gets Curious In “Curious Mike”</b></h2><p>As an athlete playing at the highest level, Porter knows how some stay out of politics and topics they are uncomfortable with. He understands the sentiment, which is why he is “trying to create a space where you can talk about those things without necessarily being judged.”</p><p>“My inspiration really just came from wanting to not only inspire people but just have a voice myself to help create positive change and be an influence in culture not just as a basketball player,” Porter Jr. said in an exclusive interview last week.</p><p>Mental health has been a key topic as of late, with several high-profile athletes like USA gymnasts Simone Biles and Japanese Tennis star Naomi Osaka opening up about their struggles. Osaka, for her part, even <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/naomi-osaka-taking-a-break-from-tennis-after-shock-us-open-defeat-to-leylah-fernandez/" rel="noopener">said that she no longer feels happy</a> when she wins.</p><p>Porter sees his show becoming an avenue where athletes can talk about the real stuff without hiding anything and show that there’s more to them than meets the eye. In the first season of “Curious Mike,” he did just that when he interviewed his draft classmate and longtime friend Trae Young about their time in the AAU circuit, as well as <a href="https://youtu.be/UBj3w5TW3Wk" rel="noopener">with his Aunt Nancy</a> where he discussed chasing joy–something that athletes rarely talk about or even open up.</p><p>“Like I said, I just kinda want people to see that there’s more than meets the eye to athletes. There is so much going around the world right now. Like you just said, there’s a lot of athletes coming out and saying they are not necessarily happy and are going through a lot. That’s real stuff. I just want to create something where you can have conversations,” the Nuggets youngster added.</p><p>“I think people with a lot of influence sometimes don’t like to talk about things like that because they might be put down or crucified on social media, whatever it is. I just want to do something that breaks those boundaries a little bit.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><h2><b>Brandon Roy Opens Up, Stephen Curry Next?</b></h2><p>“Curious Mike” is heading to its Season 2 after its four-episode Season 1. The first episode of its latest installation launches on Tuesday, September 21, and apparently fans will get to see Brandon Roy open up to Porter.</p><p>During the interview, Porter refused to name the player he interviewed that really made a significant impact on him, just saying that “one of the most memorable moments would be bringing to light someone who was largely forgotten about–went through some injuries and stuff throughout his career in the NBA.”</p><p>In a recent teaser on Instagram, though, the Nuggets forward posted a teaser of his talk with the former Portland Trail Blazers guard. Roy was Porter’s high school basketball coach in his senior year in Nathan Hale.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"><p> </p><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div><p> </p><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CT-XVAIFGdo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" rel="noopener" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by CURIOUS MIKE (@curiousmike)</a></p></div></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Aside from Roy, though, Michael Porter Jr. is also hopeful to get Stephen Curry to the show. Like MPJ, Steph is a man of family, faith and basketball–three things that the two can certainly talk about.</p><p>The Nuggets scorer recently worked out with Steph in San Francisco, during which they also discussed about “Curious Mike” while they both listened to Lecrae’s songs. Lecrae was one of Porter’s guests in the first season of his interview-style podcast. To his surprise, Curry watched that episode with the Christian hip hop artist and called it “dope.”</p><p>“I went out to San Fran and worked out with Steph for four or five days. It was just great getting on the floor with him. I’ve been cool with Steph for a while ever since my high school days—[attending] one of his camps—so getting back with him and getting to the gym was awesome,” Porter said.</p><p>He continued: “We’re hoping to get Steph on there Curious Mike]. We haven’t done the interview yet, [but] he’s want’s to be on there so we’re hoping to get that one down sooner rather than later.”</p><h2><b>Michael Porter Jr. Gets Real On Getting His Brain Scanned!</b></h2><p>Porter’s guests in the show are not just athletes, though. He teased that fans “can expect the variety of different guests” since he won’t necessarily “stick to athletes or some type of person” as seen in the first season.</p><p>One of his more prominent non-athlete guests is celebrity psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen. Talking about the interview with the famed medical expert, MPJ shared he got his brain scanned–which was an interesting experience for him as he learned the importance of taking care of the brain for mental and physical health.</p><p>He called the talk the “most beneficial” to him among all the ones he did before. As for the one tip from Dr. Amen that he can share to really take care of our mental health, Porter kept it simple: sleep.</p><p>“One piece of advise would be get seven to eight hours of sleep every night because it’s gonna help you age well, function well throughout the day, get your best work done. I think a lot of people are workaholics, so they do not get as much sleep as they should. But I actually think that if you prioritize sleep, your work would end up being more productive and creative,” he said.</p><h2><b>Will Nuggets Star And NBA MVP Nikola Jokic Be On His Show?</b></h2><p>Michael Porter Jr. sees himself continuing “Curious Mike” beyond Season 2. In fact, he wants to keep it going even after his basketball career is over.</p><p>With that said, it is a possibility people will get to see Nikola appear on the show. While it’s unlikely it would happen in Season 2, as Porter admits he hasn’t bring it up to him yet and he’s uncertain if he knows about it since the Serbian is not on social, he admitted how awesome it would be to show the other side of his Nuggets teammate.</p><p>“Definitely Nikola is a unique dude that I really respect. [I] would love to have him in the show. I got to bring it up to him still. I don’t even know if he knows about it because he’s not on social media or anything. People can learn a lot from that dude: he’s the MVP but he doesn’t really carry himself like he thinks he’s a superstar—he’s just a regular guy.</p><p>“I respect his consistency on and off the court and who he is. He’s a funny guy, so I’m hoping to get him on there so that people can see a different side of Joker, too.”</p><p>Porter Jr. is undoubtedly diving into unfamiliar grounds with his latest project, but it’s quite clear he’s enjoying himself. His sister, Cierra Porter, saw it as well and she’s confident Michael will be able to thrive with it.</p><p>“I think he’s just someone who’s such a light in this world and so gifted. He hasn’t had any training when it come to interviewing, and it’s something that comes so naturally to him,” Cierra said in the same exclusive interview.</p><p>“I think he’s someone people are going to recognize .. very smart, very willing to learn. Someone that people are going to look up to on how he views life.”</p><p>“Curious Mike” has already filmed two episodes and their team hopes to finish the four-episode season before the 2021-22 NBA campaign starts. After the September 21 release of the first episode, MPJ and Co. plan to release the others every week.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr. talks about ‘Curious Mike,’ Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, getting his brain scanned and more

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-18_092930.png"></figure><h1>Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. makes hilarious Nikola Jokic admission when they first met</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-09-17T18:34:17-07:00">September 17th, 6:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-09-17T18:34:17-07:00">September 17th, 6:34pm</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Nikola Jokic is the engine that makes the Denver Nuggets go. He’s been that for about five years now and shows no signs of slowing down. Michael Porter Jr., however, didn’t get the memo.</p><p>The talented forward sat down with J.J. Redick on <i>The Old Man and the Three</i> podcast, where he talked about a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-michael-porter-jr-throws-shade-at-clippers-doctors-dreadful-pre-draft-report/">host of different topics.</a> One of which was his admission on first meeting Nuggets franchise player Nikola Jokic.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><blockquote>“So, Jokic when I first met him, he was fat. When I first met him, he came to the gym when I first got to Denver. He came to rebound for me for a little bit and I was like ‘oh, he’s a good guy.’ But I didn’t really know too much about him cause I didn’t even watch the Nuggets and he wasn’t as good as he is now.</blockquote><p>At the time, Nikola Jokic was already a rising star in the league. Although he had yet to make an All-Star appearance yet, he was <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jokicni01.html">already averaging</a> 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.1 assists during the year that Michael Porter Jr. entered as a rookie. The University of Missouri product clearly didn’t watch any highlights, however, as he questioned why The Joker was even starting in the first place.</p><blockquote>“And then we went to training camp, and I’m watching him play and he’s doing alright but Mason Plumlee was doing just as good as The Joker. And I was like ‘wait, why does Joker start over Mason Plumlee?And then I remember my teammates saying ‘no, when he wants to, he can score 40 a night. Wait until the season starts.”</blockquote><p>Talk about blasphemy for Nuggets fans. Michael Porter Jr. has definitely seen the light now after three seasons alongside Nikola Jokic. He’s still definitely in Mason Plumlee’s good graces, though.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. makes hilarious Nikola Jokic admission when they first met

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nuggets-Nikloa-Jokic-Nuggets-X-factor-NBA-Season.jpeg"></figure><h1>The Nuggets X Factor For 2021-22 NBA Season, And It’s Not Nikola Jokic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-09-10T04:16:56-07:00">September 10th, 4:16am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-09-10T04:17:35-07:00">September 10th, 4:17am</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2021-22 NBA season is going to be an interesting year for the Denver Nuggets.</p><h2><b>Nuggets X Factor</b></h2><p>They will miss the services of Jamal Murray for a good chunk of the season as the guard is still recovering from the ACL tear he suffered in April. There’s no question that Nikola Jokic will double his efforts in keeping the Nuggets’ head above water. He was declared league MVP last season for a good reason. However, if you’ve been keeping a close eye on the team, you know that this young gun named Michael Porter Jr. will not just Jokic carry the chores, but will rise up as one of the Nuggets’ X-Factors.</p><p>MPJ was drafted in 2018 as the 14th overall pick. But a back injury forced him to sit out in his entire first year, which effectively made the 2019-20 NBA season his rookie year. Even before the Nuggets picked him up, they had already climbed the Western ranks as one of the elites. In the 2018-19 season, they had a 54-28 win-loss record which ranked second in the West. Not only did the team break its five-year playoff drought, but they seemed to have found their identity in Nikola Jokic.</p><p>This made MPJ’s entry into the team a little awkward. If the Nuggets were either a bottomfeeder or even a mid-tier team, then he would’ve fit right in. But the Nuggets, as mentioned, were quickly rising as legitimate title threats. In recent memory, a player named Darko Milicic was picked second overall by the Detroit Pistons who were then one of the best teams in the league. This certainly hurt Milicic’s confidence as he went on with his NBA career.</p><p>MPJ did not suffer the same fate as Milicic. It’s a combination of Mike Malone’s coaching talent as well as the forward’s. As for one, in MPJ’s first season, Malone did an interesting experiment with regard to his playing time. Malone would field him in the first and last minutes of the quarter. The aim seems to give him a feel for the game in a calculated manner. He averaged just 16.4 minutes per game, a reality that MPJ didn’t necessarily like.</p><p>However, this seemingly odd experiment paid off in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Not only was MPJ an intrinsic part of those back-to-back 3-1 comebacks, but the man showed extreme confidence despite being in the postseason for the first time in his career. He was knocking down critical 3-points left and right, swatting shots, and crashing the boards like a mad man.</p><p>MPJ proved that his postseason performance wasn’t just a fluke. In the 2020-21 NBA season, he boosted his averages to 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game from 9.3 points and 4.7. He was rightfully inserted into the starting lineup and played <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/portemi01.html">31.3 minutes</a> per game. He shot a stellar 54.2 percent from the field and a ridiculous 44.5 percent from deep (on 6.3 attempts per game). For all his efforts, Porter Jr. finished third in the Most Improved Player voting. He’s now on the radar as an up-and-coming star.</p><p>It is this interesting narrative that makes MPJ the player to watch out for. In just two years in the league, Porter Jr. has shown us how well he’s adjusted to the big leagues. This reveals a lot about his talent and also his professionalism. Also, he seems to have that clutch gene inherent in him. He will never shy away from taking the big shot. Not all players have this trait in them.</p><p>Nuggets fans might be sobbing their hearts out after that Murray injury. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2021-nba-free-agency-tracker-signings-agreements-and-deals/" rel="noopener">Yes, the guard’s</a> absence will definitely affect the team. But at the same time, MPJ will take this season as an opportunity to further boost his game. Who knows, maybe he could snag that MIP award once and for all. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll be voted into an All-Star for the first time in his young career.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The Nuggets X Factor For 2021-22 NBA Season, And It’s Not Nikola Jokic

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nikola-Jokic-Nuggets.jpg"></figure><h1>VIDEO: Nikola Jokic appears to have new hops and the rest of the NBA should take notice</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-09-09T23:32:20-07:00">September 9th, 11:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-09-09T23:32:20-07:00">September 9th, 11:32pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo is a freelance writer, TV producer, and news editor based in Manila, Philippines.  He will debate anyone to death that Penny Hardaway is the real GOAT, and he will work for pizza.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Forget Jayson Tatum or De’Aaron Fox or Tyler Herro. The best NBA offseason transformation is Nikola Jokic shedding more weight. The Denver Nuggets main man looks even more svelte these days after losing dozens of pounds.</p><p>The reigning MVP started his weight loss last season and immediately drew surprised reactions. After all, Jokic has always used his size and heft to his advantage en route to being one of the best big men in NBA history.</p><p>With his lighter physique, it appears Jokic’s athleticism has also improved. He used to have the vertical leap of a can of sardines, but judging by the latest workout video posted by the <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets">Nuggets’ Twitter account</a>, it looks like Jokic has newfound hops. Or at least by his standards.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">41 days until our season opener❗️ <a href="https://t.co/hiNAts9eTO" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/hiNAts9eTO</a></p><p>— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/1435987610099490817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">September 9, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Jokic’s teammates have teased him in the past for not dunking a lot despite his 7-foot height. But he’s never been a flashy player, he’s a throwback center who likes to operate in the paint with his cocktail of moves. Clearly, it has been effective for the former 41st overall pick.</p><p>The fun-loving giant from Serbia has been putting in the work, but he’s also making sure that he enjoys it, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-gets-hilariously-impersonated-by-pj-dozier/">joking around with his teammates</a> during practices.</p><p>Petition to get Nikola Jokic into the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. No? Okay.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: Nikola Jokic appears to have new hops and the rest of the NBA should take notice

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nuggets-Nikola-Jokic-Michael-Porter-Jr.-Jamal-Murray.jpg"></figure><h1>3 reasons Nikola Jokic, Nuggets are being massively slept on for title this season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-09-05T23:26:32-07:00">September 5th, 11:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-09-05T23:26:32-07:00">September 5th, 11:26pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The offseason was a treat to NBA fans as they saw their favorite teams beef up their roster to bolster their title hopes. Teams such as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers">Los Angeles Lakers</a>, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, and Miami Heat among others had some key additions. These teams were the talk of the town as fans started to fantasize about all sorts of <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/nba-power-rankings-dallas-mavericks-luka-doncic-lakers-suns-warriors-clippers">winning scenarios</a>. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets">Denver Nuggets</a>, however, were not a part of these conversations.</p><p>It’s a puzzling occurrence. The Nuggets have been one of the best teams in the Western Conference for the past three seasons but they get this sort of treatment. But there are three reasons why Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are being massively slept on for the title this season.</p><h2><b>“Stacked” Storylines</b></h2><p>It’s safe to assume that teams that qualified in last year’s NBA Playoffs, including the Nuggets, will maintain their stature (if not improve on it) in the 2021-22 NBA season. In the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns will be carrying all the momentum from last year’s stellar performance. The Lakers, who massively overhauled their roster, will once again be favorites to win the crown. There are doubts whether their new lineup filled with old men will work, but fans and analysts should know by now that it’s foolish to doubt a team’s chances especially if the squad has LeBron James. Of course, there’s also the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/golden-state-warriors">Golden State Warriors</a> with the returning Klay Thompson.</p><p>With regards to the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks will remain a threat to the title. The Nets, with the key additions of Patty Mills and Paul Millsap, have boosted their chances once again. Teams like the Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and New York Knicks, are also expected to compete. The Bulls, who loaded their roster with Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso, are now tagged as a serious up-and-coming squad.</p><p>These different storylines might have overshadowed the Nuggets, who only have veteran forward Jeff Green as their major addition. Their lack of offseason activity isn’t necessarily a failure on the part of the front office. The roster is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/roster">already pretty stacked</a> with the presence of Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and the ever-improving Michael Porter Jr. But this is the way the NBA operates at times. Teams who have a history of winning or who have “generational talent” seem to get more exposure than the others.</p><h2><b>Health</b></h2><p>The Nuggets’ campaign last season was slightly derailed due to the injuries of Murray and Will Barton. Barton was able to return and play four games in the NBA Playoffs. Murray, who went down with an ACL tear in April, missed the entire postseason. Barton has since recovered from his hamstring injury but there will still be concerns moving forward. After all, he will be tasked to do more than his usual given Murray’s absence.</p><p>Similar concerns will be placed on Murray, but on a deeper level. Back then, ACL tears were the kiss of death to one’s career. But athletes nowadays have done a good job in returning to tip-top shape after gruesome injuries. As such, the concern lies more on the time Murray is set to miss. So much so that there are some doubters on the Nuggets’ chances to even qualify for the postseason. But the reality is, the Nuggets will still make it even without Murray. The bigger question is how will his long absence and sudden presence affect the overall dynamic of the team?</p><p>This seems like a trivial concern especially since Murray has long been part of Mike Malone’s system. So it’s safe to assume that the squad will adjust easily once he returns. This shouldn’t mean that we should completely disregard the possibility of a bit of disarray in the team’s chemistry once the rotation is tweaked.</p><h2><b>Last Season’s Poor Playoff Run</b></h2><p>The Nuggets were booted out in four games by the Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals. We can say that the Suns entered the series with a slight advantage given that the Nuggets were shorthanded. But the Nuggets still had the league MVP in the fray. Not only that, but they also had other key pieces like Barton, Monte Morris, and PJ Dozier. Let’s not forget about Porter too who rapidly improved last season.</p><p>It was inevitable that the Nuggets would lose. But shouldn’t they have taken at least a game or two from the Suns? Not only do they have the tools, but they were a much more experienced postseason squad as well.</p><p>Perhaps this is what’s on the mind of fans and critics alike. The Nuggets’ poor run in last year’s NBA Playoffs might have dampened their hopes. Momentum plays a key part in everything, most especially in sports.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
26.4	10.8	8.3	0.7	1.3

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
26.4	10.8	8.3	0.7	1.3

Nikola Jokic

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The Nuggets X Factor For 2021-22 NBA Season, And It’s Not Nikola Jokic

VIDEO: Nikola Jokic appears to have new hops and the rest of the NBA should take notice

3 reasons Nikola Jokic, Nuggets are being massively slept on for title this season

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