We need to do something about Nikola Jokic’s seeming indifference to scoring during stretches of gametime. And when I say “we”, I really mean “The Nuggets coaching staff” because there’s nothing I, nor any of you watching this video, can do to get it into his head that he needs to be looking to score all the time. I guess we could tweet at him, if he has a Twitter account, or harrass him on other social media sites. But suggestions for improvement from random fans are unlikely to be considered. Michael Malone or another coach or possibly his teammates need to sit him down and say “you’ve got to pretend that everyone else on the court is like an Emmanuel Mudiay, which means don’t pass it unless you’re triple-teamed”.
Maybe I’m reacting too strongly to his 18-point first quarter followed by his 7-point rest-of-the-game. But can you blame me? This was looking like another classic Jokic performance, but then he fizzled out, Anthony Davis scored 40, and the Nug Crew lost.
Tough love. That’s what he needs. I kinda get the feeling that he’s the kind of dude to retreat into his shell and act all mopey if he gets criticized too hard, so the love shouldn’t be too tough. And try to frame it positively by talking about how much of a beast he is when he’s scoring the ball. That’s not even a lie, there’s no need to lie here. Because compared to him, everyone else on his team IS like an Emmanuel Mudiay.