Nikola Jokic is at the core of everything good happening for the Denver Nuggets. The Serbian big man has played well for the Nuggets this season and was a key reason why the team managed to force the Minnesota Timberwolves to a Game 7.
The Nuggets have made moves to better help Jokic make a run for the Finals next season. They brought over exciting rookies and signed Russell Westbrook to add firepower to the second unit, though some are openly criticizing the decision to acquire him.
While the Nuggets are still figuring out if they can make any further moves to improve the roster, Jokic is focused on helping Serbia win Olympic gold. While many NBA fans believe that Team USA are the overwhelming favorites to win, their recent performance against South Sudan brings plenty of questions on whether they actually have what it takes.
Moreover, Jokic is recently recognized as the best basketball player among the trove of NBA talent that will show up in Paris.
SB Nation names Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic as the best men’s basketball player in the 2024 Paris Games
SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell put together a list of the 50 best cagers who will suit up for their respective countries in the 2024 Summer Olympics. The number of top-tier NBA talents in the games would make it tough for any fan to rank them accordingly.
However, O’Donnell didn’t hesitate to put Jokic ahead of everyone else as the best player in these games. He explained his logic when he named him #1 on his list:
Jokic is a basketball mastermind in every way. He is at once the passer in the world, best post-scorer in the world, and arguably the best rebounder in the world. He has a special ability to produce a good shot for his team every time he touches the ball. Serbia won a silver medal in the 2023 FIBA World Cup without Jokic on the floor. Adding the best player in the world makes them the tournament’s biggest sleeper for another medal run.
His stats during the 2024-25 campaign corroborates O’Donnell’s arguments. The Joker averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists in 79 starts last season, and no one in the league could find a way to stop him.
While FIBA rules would make things more interesting, it’s hard to deny that Jokic would still shine against the opponents Serbia will face in the games. Whether the rest of the team manages to step up to the plate and help him is an entirely different matter, though.
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