Denver Nuggets: 3 takeaways from All-Star Saturday

Though Jokic was the only Denver Nuggets player competing on All-Star Saturday, it was still a busy day. Here are the Nuggets 3 biggest takeaways from Day 2.

All-Star Saturday night — what most, including myself, consider to be the most entertaining night of the break.

Though, the Denver Nuggets only had one participant — Jokic in the Skills Competition — it was still a busy day. From a media circus early in the day to a bigger media circus at night, there’s never a dull moment.

Though Jokic didn’t take home any hardware — and the Nuggets were spectators in everything else — it was still an exciting day.

Here are the 3 biggest Nuggets takeaways from All-Star Saturday.

Nothing New: Jokic is savvy, but slow

Big Honey made it to the second round of the Skills Challenge, beating Nikola Vucevic in the first round before falling to eventual-champion Jayson Tatum.

His long limbs and great touch were on display — but he didn’t do anything Nuggets fans haven’t been seeing all season.

In the end, his “elite” quickness and athleticism had him in the lead before he missed his first 3-pointer. Tatum drained his first to close the book.

Jokic will most likely be a mainstay at All-Star weekend. And though his second Skills Challenge ended the same as the first, he will most likely have al least one more chance.

Nikola Jokic: The Goat Rancher?

Well, Jokic — like many — wants to get in the good graces of His Greatness, Michael Jordan.

So what better way to the heart of THE GOAT, than with A GOAT.

A question that has to be answered, though: where does Jokic keep his goats?

Does he keep them back in his native Serbia? Does he have some land outside Denver? Or — my personal favorite — does he rent out an apartment in Denver just for his goats?

Who knows if Big Honey will actually follow through, but MJ may come out of the weekend one goat richer — whether he wants to or not.

Malik Beasley should be in next year’s dunk contest

OK, I know. Beasley was never going to be in the dunk contest this year.

Coming into the season, he was a virtual unknown outside of the Mile High City, playing sparingly last year off the end of the Nuggets bench.

But this year he’s more than proved he belongs. He’s been the Nuggets most exciting dunker — besides Jokic of course — and was on the good end of one of the better posters of the season.

And even though Saturday’s dunk contest had some highlights — notably eventual-winner Hamidou Diallo dunking over Shaq — Beasley would certainly add some appeal, especially to Nuggets fans.

If Beasley keeps playing like he is, he will be on a lot of people’s radar moving forward — especially if the Nuggets can make a run to the Conference finals.

And if he keeps dunking like he’s shown he’s capable of, he’ll be more than deserving of a dunk contest nod.