Nikola Jokic is an incredible basketball player. Part of what makes him so great is the way he uses his basketball IQ to help elevate all of those around him on the court. You don't have to look very far for the latest examples. Unfortunately for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, the proof is in the pudding, errr, production.
Peyton Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr. are the latest examples to put a spotlight on how much better someone plays when they're getting wide-open looks from playing with Jokic. And the difference this season from last is eye-popping.
Hardaway and Watson are shooting terribly from deep
Hardaway and Watson are off to poor starts with their new teams, which could be putting it mildly. Hardaway finished third in the Sixth Man of the Year Award voting last year while playing 26.6 minutes off the bench for the Nuggets, and he shot a career-high 40.7% from three and hit 224 made three-pointers, also a career high. Having Jokic on the court made a world of difference for Hardaway.
He left Denver for a raise with the Heat. He signed a one-year, $6.5 million contract, and the Heat could be kicking themselves over that deal. Hardaway is shooting just 28.6%, a career low, from beyond the arc in his first 9 games, averaging just 5.1 points, down from 13.5 last year.
It's not going much better for Watson, either. Watson was dynamite from downtown in his last year in Denver. He shot 41.1% from three on 3.6 attempts. But after being traded to the Cavs and signing a four-year, $88 million contract, he's been a headache for them over their first seven games. Watson's shooting just 17.9% from deep, and he's putting up 4.0 attempts per game. The Cavs aren't exactly getting what they had hoped for the money.
Jokic just makes the game easier for those around him
Sure, it's a small sample, but the Jokic effect on their open looks certainly had to play some part in Hardaway and Watson's career year from three. It can't be a coincidence that both of them suddenly look like shells of their former three-point selves.
Jokic is the best passer in the game, and one reason he continues to be voted so highly in "best basketball player" lists is that he makes the game easier and elevates the players around him. He takes so much pressure off of everyone else by drawing in defenders and surveying the court to find the open player. He'll even hit someone in the shooting pocket while firing a behind-the-back rocket across the court and around three defenders, allowing for a wide-open look, like he did in the first game of the preseason to Cameron Johnson.
The Nuggets should keep improving as the season moves forward. Jokic and his basketball IQ will figure out how to best work with the new-look second unit that he gets paired with, and he'll elevate their play like he always has.
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