Nikola Jokic looks nothing at all like Santa Claus, but he's making a list and checking it twice at the start of the Denver Nuggets' training camp in Boulder. Nothing goes unnoticed by Jokic, and it just solidifies why his basketball IQ is so high.
Jokic was fielding questions at the makeshift press conference following the team's first practice when he was asked how much he was watching the new additions and younger players. Let's just say Jokic could even see more than Santa.
"To be honest, a lot," Jokic said. I think they don't even know, but really, even when they shoot with the coaches, even when they lift, I really pay attention what they are doing. How they reacting."
Making a list. Checking it twice. Joker will find out if you're naughty or nice.
It all feeds into the lore behind Jokic's basketball IQ
One thing is for sure. Jokic sees it all. And his calculated attention to the small details about his teammates is a quality that only a few greats have ever had. It's what helps to keep Jokic as the number one player in the Top 100 player rankings. Most importantly, it's why Jokic is able to maximize his teammates so well and get the most out of everybody the way he does.
Jokic notices someone putting in a little more work on leg day in the weight room, and he knows they'll be a little more explosive cutting to the rim. Boom. He hits them with a pinpoint-accurate pass for an easy bucket because he knew they'd get to the rim. He knows where his teammates should be on the court at all times, and knowing their strengths and weaknesses inside and out is why he's able to get the most from them.
Jokic has a lot of new faces to learn this year
The Nuggets have a lot of new faces for Jokic to study this year. Combined with the two-way players, the Nuggets have seven new faces to observe. But it doesn't sound like it will take him very long to get up to speed. Jokic is already comfortable with the starting five, and he called playing them "second nature." More time to study the rest of the team.
Which is great to hear. The Nuggets starters missed a combined 136 games last season, so the thought of needing a few games under their belts to get reacquainted can be brushed aside now. We'll see just how well Jokic meshes with the new faces on October 4th, when the Nuggets take on the Utah Jazz in their first preseason game in front of the fans in Boulder.
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