Nugg Love
Fansided

Nikola Jokic: The slow-footed, below the rim unicorn.

By Marcus Kaplan

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during the game on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during the game on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Nikola Jokic is special.  Nikola Jokic is different.  Nikola Jokic had more triple doubles than dunks last season….and he’s a center.  Nikola Jokic spends his money on horses, not flashy cars.  But is Nikola Jokic an NBA unicorn?

What exactly even is a unicorn by NBA standards?  It seems like the blessing of unicorns in the league today is ever-growing.  Yes, a collective group of unicorns is called a blessing.  Anyways, by my definition a unicorn is a player typically 6’10 or taller who can shoot it, pass it, handle it, and defend all at an elite level.

Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets /

Denver Nuggets

This is where it gets tricky.  I remember awhile back Serge Ibaka was being coined a unicorn.  Serge Ibaka could protect the rim at an elite level and was a pretty good spot up shooter.  So by the Serge Ibaka definition Myles Turner is a unicorn right?  That actually just made me laugh.  The answer is an emphatic NO.

When I think back through the last 20 years of who reminds me most of a unicorn Chris Webber and Kevin Garnett immediately pop into my head.  But even these two weren’t elite in all 4 categories.  Webber wasn’t an elite defender and Garnett wasn’t an elite play maker.

The players who get labeled unicorns the most in the league today are Anthony Davis, Kristaps Porzingis, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, Giannis Antetokounmpo (who I’ll refer to as just Giannis because his last name is just too hard to type), and Kevin Durant.

By my definition none of these guys are unicorns.  Anthony Davis is probably the closest and Joel Embiid has the most potential to be one if he can stay healthy.  Porzingis doesn’t defend at an elite level and his play making skills aren’t there yet.  Giannis is an elite play maker, shot blocker, and can handle the rock but his shot still needs a lot of work.  Durant has improved drastically on the defensive end but his play making is still not elite.  Towns wouldn’t know what defense is if it hit him in the face.

I’m going to go ahead and amend my definition.  A  unicorn is a player typically 6’10 or taller who excels at 3 out of these 4 categories:  Shooting, Dribbling, Passing and Defense.  With this new criteria all the above mentioned are unicorns.  So what about Nikola Jokic?

The Joker is a unicorn, albeit a very different kind.  When you watch him play it’s like he’s got bricks strapped to his shoes.  He moves in slow motion and has the vertical leap of Mark Cuban.  But then he does these things on the court that absolutely amaze you.  He makes passes that have me hitting the rewind button on my DVR for ten minutes.  His court vision is next level.  He sees the court and makes plays like a 6’10 Steve Nash.  He’ll grab a rebound and lead the fast break from the center position.  He’s got the most silky smooth touch around the rim and his jumper is butter.

Jokic’s defense definitely needs work.  He still takes stupid fouls and is not considered a rim protector by any means.  He needs to work on his lateral quickness because the NBA has shifted to a switching league.  Teams have started to isolate Jokic on the perimeter versus a guard and it’s never pretty.

Next: Assigning the Nuggets as Mortal Kombat characters

From what I’ve heard these are the things that he’s been focusing on in the off season.  After signing his max contract I think more people are going to start taking notice of The Joker.  This guy can ball.  Add him to the list of Unicorns and please go watch his passing mix tapes on YouTube.  The Nuggets handed Jokic the keys to the franchise this summer and it’s going to be exciting to see how he responds.

Home/Nuggets News