After beating the Timberwolves, the Nuggets went on an eight-game winning streak to continue to be number one in the West.
Jokic is his 14th triple-double of the season today and 90th of his career — though he probably doesn't care. After all, he is three games away from a triple-double this season, five games away from a triple-double with one assist, and played 8 points, 6 rebounds and 14 assists in 27 minutes.
Last season, Jokic was the Nuggets' scoring king, rebounding king, assist king, steal king, blocking king, shooting percentage king, basically unprecedented.
But this can also say that the Nuggets have a lot of injuries and he has a heavy burden.
So far this season, the Nuggets are the first in the West, and Jokic is still the Nuggets' scoring king, rebounding king, assist king, steal king, is to block the team's top three.
Incredible.
His vision and hand feel ball quotient technique, too much to mention.
After today, Jokic became the Nuggets' all-time assist leader: averaging 9.9 assists per game this season.
A center, the team's all-time assist king, is just a stone's throw away from averaging double-digit assists per game in a single season.
- Who will say: This may also be brushed for teammates!
But......
Prior to today, the NBA fed assists to the basket this season, Morant 136, Harden 137, Luca 147, Garland 148, Haliburton 166, Wilson 174.
Jokic 212.
Trae Young 214.
Today Jokic had 13 assists and 10 fed to the basket. After today, he should be the first person to assist under the basket.
Also make pie for teammates, others throw pies far and near, and have to let teammates pick it up everywhere, maybe depending on the long-range shooting feel of teammates.
Jokic fills the pie, bakes the spread, and stuffs it in your mouth.
Today's Nuggets made the final goal, and it was Jokic who fed Aaron Gordon a dunk after breaking through - Gordon's three goals in the fourth quarter today were all fed by Jokic.
In other words, Gordon has played a career masterpiece this season, averaging 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists per game, shooting 59% from the field and 65% from the field — he shot 45% in Orlando and 54% after Denver.
He dunked 104 baskets in Orlando's highest annual 78 games; 107 baskets in 39 games this season.
Who fed him the basket?
In the NBA this season, "assists feed to the basket," Wilson feeds LeBron 45 league sixth, Luca gives Wood 49, Garland gives Mobley 54. Harden gave Embiid 56. Young gave Capela 63.
Jokic fed Gordon 89 assists, 78 of which were straight to the basket, first in the league.
Jokic: "I'm afraid that you won't be full, feed you two baskets every game, pad your stomach, rest assured!" ”
Gordon's best season of his career was fed by Jokic one by one. So after Gordon came to the nuggets, every time he looked at Jokic's eyes, it was as if he was looking at his own brother.
Today, Nuggets coach Adelman said that Jokic is a seven-foot figure hiding a Stockton soul.
But Jokic's feeding method is not just about the offensive end.
The Nuggets have won lately, and the improvement is defense.
Averaged 118 points and lost 116 points per game last month; This month averaged 120 points and lost 108 points.
Without Murray Porter last season, the Nuggets offense only trained Jokic, which is the sixth level in the league, so don't worry; The Nuggets' problem has always been defense; The problem with defense was that the perimeter could not be defended, and Jokic was targeted for singles again - Mitchell, Lillard, Paul, Curry, and looked for Jokic in the playoffs every year.
After being beaten by Paul in 2021, coach Malone tried to change his strategy and not let Jokic squat; But what to do after Jokic is prevented?
Recently, the Nuggets solved this problem.
The Nuggets' defense method in the past two years has been to try to put Gordon against the ball carrier - this is a bit of the meaning of the Nuggets using Kenyon Martin to Kobe Bryant; When Gordon misses the ball, it becomes a defensive sweep.
For example, in today's opening game, Jokic participated in the pinch from a high post, and Gordon first prepared to delay the center, and then rotated to protect the box; With Gordon behind him, Jokic also dared to make a steal.
- Center Jokic is the Nuggets' steal king. Forward Gordon is the Nuggets' blocking king.
"I went out to protect your basket, you went out I protected the basket".
But this routine has also been played before, not new. The Nuggets' recent new trick is like this, and suddenly from time to time they put a joint defense.
The reason is also clear: the starters Jokic and Porter are both more than 208 cm tall, and the single defense speed type suffers, but they are tall enough. With Gordon, this striker-sized station is good — and it can hide Porter.
Hiding Porter is a trick the Nuggets have learned a lot lately: they will take the initiative to change defenses without the ball and hide Porter on the weak side; Similar to the Nets will take the initiative to change defenses without the ball, put Claxton and Simmons on the strong side, let Durant under the basket, and hide Irving on the weak side. Although it is a bit blunt, "Porter is a big stunned for ball defense, it is better to hide the weak side as a pillar!" ”
But today is a little hidden, Porter once became a Timberwolves cash machine, beaten to the ground. The only bright spot on the defensive end, which was hiding on the weak side, gave Edwards a block, but he went off the pitch afterward. The fourth quarter did not come back.
The Nuggets conceded 95 points in the first three quarters and 23 in the fourth.
Defend.
At the end of the game 118 draws, a few rounds of the Nuggets:
Of course, the Timberwolves asked Jokic to block it, and Jokic also came out to change defense.
So: The Nuggets took the initiative to pinch the rotation - Gordon made up the position.
The Nuggets made the first pinch to force the Timberwolves to pass the ball and rotate on the weak side; At this point, there was a gap under the basket, but Gordon immediately interfered and forced the opposite side to make a mistake.
In the next round, Jokic was named to change defenses, the Nuggets took the initiative to pinch the rotation again, and finally the Timberwolves couldn't find a chance, and Russell missed the shot.
Murray hit the lead, the Timberwolves made a free throw on the touchline, Jokic took the initiative to pinch and Murray rotated, forcing the Timberwolves to miss the pass with only 8 seconds left.
Jokic then blocked Edwards' layup and assisted Gordon to seal the win.
Jokic took the initiative. Teammates rotate as one. Gordon fills.
The Nuggets won eight straight games.
Presence coach Adelman said: "Winning ugly or good-looking, who cares? A good team wins. ”
It's not ugly, it's just that the Nuggets found defense.
Although neither Porter nor Murray offense has yet to fully find form, with Jokic feeding the ball, the Nuggets offense is enough.
Bruce Brown and KCP are the Nuggets' unobtrusive but real patches this season, and their defense and rotation are very good at the ball - Brown even became the Nuggets' blocking king at 193 centimeters.
And Gordon's rise on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends is the most typical portrait of the Nuggets so far this season:
Jokic's passing fed Gordon, KCP and Bruce Brown – he averaged 2.2 assists per game, 1.8 assists for KCP and 1.4 for Bruce Brown.
KCP and Brown blocked the perimeter for pinch shots, and Gordon rotated to make up for the basket for Jokic.
MVPs feed role players, and role players fight defense for MVPs.
Reciprocal, virtuous circle.
Nuggets fans should be familiar with this: After Chauncey Billups arrived with the Nuggets, JR Smith, Birdman Anderson, Kenyon Martin and Nene all played the best season of their careers, and Melons shot less in the regular season, but played the only Western Conference finals of their careers:
Without him: Chauncey fed the Nuggets generals in a timely manner, and the generals also fought hard at both ends of the offensive and defensive ends.
A good passer has this magic that can make his teammates work hard for him. When Martin was with Kidd and Chauncee, Marion was with Nash and Kidd, and Tyson Chandler was with Paul and Kidd, each playing with his life. Jokic said after the game today that he wants to be remembered as a "good team player". He knows how to be a good team player.
On the day of the previous Christmas battle, Gordon smashed an annual dunk. Jokic praised Gordon after the game, saying Gordon is the soul of the team and "he can do everything on the court." ”
Gordon did play well that day, with 28 points, 13 rebounds and a legendary dunk; But Jokic himself had 41 points, 15 rebounds, 15 assists...
Imagine you're a dunking genius, but seven years in the NBA aren't considered aspirations; To a team, two-time MVP feed you the best basket pie in the NBA every day, allowing you to dunk wantonly; The night he had 41 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists, he told the media that you are the soul of the team.
What do you do at this time?
Therefore, Gordon flew away every game, exerting force everywhere at both ends of the offensive and defensive ends, and "can do everything on the field" did exert his strength, and he almost fought to the death to pay his confidant.
To see if a person is a good teammate, it's actually as simple as that:
It's clear at a glance whether his teammates are willing to fight hard for him.