Can anyone stop Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets? 

My favorite part about watching Jokic play is he'll absolutely cook the best players on earth, then jog back on defense with no expression other than sometimes making a face like he has mild heartburn

Best player in the world. Can’t believe he was getting torched for losing to the Warriors by himself last year

When you watch Jokic‘ artistry broken down like this, all you can do is shake your head in disbelief and admiration

As someone who’s watched nearly every game jokic has played, this is the absolute peak of his powers. He is playing damn near perfect offensively and has stepped up defensively as well, I cannot believe how much of a high level he is playing at right now. Really hopes he gets his ring this year

Jokic makes everyone around him better. My basketball IQ has increased just by watching him play. It must be crazy to play on his team.

Denver roster construction is really something. Porter and KCP are absolutely elite cutters.

One of the most unique players ever. A big, heavy 7' center with less than exceptional footspeed, and they run Iverson cuts for him, and it works. He's the most unsolvable problem in the league today.

This has got to be one of the best videos breaking down Jokic's genius that I've ever seen. Using the Matrix analogy was pure genius as well lol as that is a perfect way to describe Jokic's game. He sees everything in slow motion and its almost like he is just 2 or 3 steps ahead of everyone else. He knows what the defender is going to do before the defender even knows what he's going to do. He is a pure basketball artist. And yet he gets an unbelievable amount of hate for being "slow" and "unathletic". The dude is the face of the league and the league flat out doesn't want it. It's unforgivable at this point. Hope he brings Denver its first championship. He flat out deserves it more than just about anyone else in the playoffs. Greatest center I've ever seen in my lifetime, flat out.

people were calling jokic a playoff choker when the last time before this season the nuggets were healthy they made it to the wcf... i seen some jokic slander over the past 2 seasons that ill never forgive

So happy for RU-vidrs like you. The media can only talk about KD this CP that. New media appreciates the sport properly

It's been such a painful, heartbreaking but AWESOME experience to see this team slowly build a winning roster. The investment in Jokic, the patience with MPJ, the commitment to Murray, the acquisition of Gordon, Brown and KCP... It's so great. Nobody cares who scores, as long as they're wearing a Nuggets jersey. It's BEAUTIFUL basketball. We got this -- BEAT LA!!!

Despite being labelled unathletic and slow, jokics offball movement is so good its often overlook everyone talks about his passing, nice to see someone recognizes jokics movement and how he gets open

As a Suns fan once again it sucks watching us get destroyed again but I'm not nearly as mad as last year. I thought Denver was the better team coming in, was close but thought they were still better, so not surprised we lost. The other reason I'm not mad, there were times Jokic was just doing things where I couldn't get mad, I just had to give it to him. Ayton caught a lot of flack this series, a lot of it deserved, but there were times he was defending Jokic well and it didn't matter, Jokic was just going to make a great play and there wasn't anything anyone could do. Jokic is one of those players that I enjoy watching so even though he was dissecting the Suns I couldn't help but appreciate his game. Couldn't get too upset over a guy who they really had no answers for, better team won and the best player on the floor played amazing almost every game.

Jokic is my favourite player of all time so if he wins a ring this year after all the doubt and hate throughout these past seasons I can die a happy man Been following him since 2016 when I was in grade 6 so to see him at this crazy apex where he’s the best player in the league is surreal

Watching the nuggets reminds me of the spurs when timmy, manu, and tp. Just fluid rhythmic basketball. It's beautiful.

This video combined with Gilbert Arenas reminding people that Jokic looks over everyone have finally helped me make sense of it - he is basically playing with an NBA2K view of the court and also has all the moves to execute that vision of what's in front of him. Now i finally understand. 🙌🏿

Their chemistry is so good and Jokic has the ability to take over if the team needs. Healthy right now I say they come out the west

Jokic shoots with both hands up, that’s almost 10 ft high! He shoots with high projectile arc that is like missile precision! Hard to guard!

Davis playing like the best defender in the NBA vs Jokic running this unstoppable offense. We are in for a good one

Jokic cannot be stopped. You might take away something of his but that man will always impact the game. He’s amazing. Respect from a a Thunder fan

Masterful performance. As an Embiid fan, I must concede. This man Jokic is the best

One thing that has stood out to me this season has been the Offensive IQ of the OTHER Nuggets as well - some of these cuts from Porter, Green, Murray etc are really smart plays. A lot of that comes from playing alongside Jokic for so long, some of may also come from Malone's coaching. But this is such a smart team.

The Denver Nuggets play the most beautiful basketball I’ve ever seen

Perkins' campaign to say Jokic's greatness was racially motivated is one of the greatest injustices in league history. This man IS our 3-time MVP and it never should have been a discussion.

I keep telling people that Jokic is as good a scorer as Embiid, but doesn’t score as much because his decision making and play making is so much better.

"He will keep it and toss in some running witchcraft" hahaha amazing description of Jokic's move. Great videos as well my friend.

Nikola is so relatable. He’s not the typical NBA Superstar narcissist. So fun to watch! 🎉 Love him!!

Great analysis! The dude was picked 41st in the draft and might be on the best 3-year stretch in NBA history! I will probably never be a Nuggets fan but would love to see Joker win it all this year. What an amazing player!

This aged well.

In a world where everything it’s about status and everyone talks about KD and Book thank you for making a Nuggets play video

As a die hard lakers fan, Nuggets have been leaving me shook all playoffs long. They just look scary on both ends of the floor. They have been out hustling every body basically clicking as a team in every basketball aspect; feels like I’m watching the future champs

Its embarrassing how little media talks about this guy.

The Lakers and the World are about to see the force that is Jokic

Man there are 3 teams that look like championship teams to me: Nuggets, Lakers, and Sixers. But the Nuggets look like much more than a contender. They have a core with many years left and all in their prime. They’re the start of a dynasty

Jokic is so incredibly fun to watch. And when Murray or MPJ are shooting well, the game is over before it begins. Jokic brings focus and wisdom, while Murray brings energy and fun. I'd say if Jokic is the brains of the team, Murray is the heart. I love being able to root for my home team again.

I watched this video a second time just to enjoy and capture the literary verbiage TB uses to describe certain frames, like these masterpieces: • (Jokic is) particularly aggressive, hunting his own shot, punishing teams reluctant to bring a double • He can wheel his way into a picturesque Dirk Nowitski fadeaway • He has magical ability to chisel and carve his way to the hoop • Inching closer one dribble at a time • Floating in swishes from short range at weird angles • Decelerating for a little rolling hook • Spinning into a nasty upfake to drop it into the cup • If you count these mulligans as a single scoring attempt • His historic passing repertoire • Fall asleep for just a nanosecond and it's over • Squeezes in an effortless layup pass • Joker sees a layup when everyone else sees congestion • That opens up a window for the red-hot Murray • He just waits for everyone to scurry out of the paint before pirouetting into this Nerf shot • He will immediately grind them under the basket • When you send help, he instantly cashes in • Jokic used his movement to his advantage, slicing off a screen that picks off Ayton • A playoff nightmare for defenses • If you even think about leaning, he'll keep it and toss in some running witchcraft • Teams don't want to switch that ball screen so Jokic can use that window to attack downhill • Denver ran this a few times earlier in the series so they could set up this gambit in Game 5 Crafty language is just another thing that sets apart these analytical TB vids from the rest of the pack. Just the best!

Amazing, most dominant offensive player i ever seen with Lebron and Curry

I love the way you explain these concepts that alot of fans, including me, miss.

Jokić is truly 1/1. 1st ballot hall of famer for sure even if he ended his career to horse race after this season. His story i guarantee will make a movie one day. Nobody expected a chubby 2 gallon coke drinking kid from serbia with no major teaching or anything. Sleeping during the draft and turning a deep 2nd round pick into for now a 2xMVP and so much more. His records and stats inckuding advanced stats have him near the top of every list eventhough he is a center. Even 2nd to only MJ on some lists! He takes what the game gives him & no more & shares the basketball because he believes it makes 2 people happy. The giver & getter. He plays at his own pace and doesnt let anyone or the game speed him up. Might not outjump anyone but always seems to be the first up and first up on the second jump/tip. Hes a winner. And i hope he gets a title. Because thats all he cares about. He would give it all up for a title. Or his game stats for a W. The most humble guy in the game and one of the sneakiest funny guys you'll ever meet. Great husband wearing his ring on his shoes every game and a great father after recently having a little girl. (Eventhoughommy does most of the work admittedly) Just wish nothing but the best for him as he is kind and works hard. Hope he gets what he deserves.

the chemistry on this nuggets team is top tier

last year he played basically alone against the champions and still couldn't be stopped

I think Joker’s size is an overlooked key to his passing and vision. Consider how someone of average NBA height sees a teammate sandwiched by opposing defenders. To the average player, they would see a very dense and crowded space. But Jokic’ height allows him to see the true distance between the players and squeeze the ball into lanes that otherwise seem well defended. You can think of it at its most extreme to test how depth perception changes based on vantage points (I.e. Birds Eye view vs. First Person).

Jokic and Steph might just be the two greatest offensive weapons of all time. The impact they create is truly amazing. They are essentially planetary bodies lol

Great analysis! I don't understand why the haters can't appreciate the greatness in this unorthodox big & playmaker. This is a once in a lifetime phenomenon when someone like this appears with amazing basketball IQ and touch breaking the conventional norms how players his size and speed should play. In some ways he is redefining basketball.

This team is so good with Jokic, it's crazy. I hope they win the championship. I feel like it has the right balance of "very methodical play" in the team but also have some of that "fuck it lets do it" with players MPJ

If the Nuggets do get a ring almost no commentator outside of Nuggets nation called it. 95% of them had us losing to PHX. Ben would be the one guy who deserve some credit for recognizing Denver's potential.

He's the best passer I've ever seen, regardless of era or position, and second only to Shaq in dominance in the post. His only weaknesses are defense and offensive rebounding, which he's not even bad at. I hope he wins a couple of championships so that we can start including him in discussions about the greatest big of all time

thank you so much ive been wanting this video since the start of the season... please don't sleep on him next year! still think yours is one the best pages for following deep analysis on basket great job!

I’m a lakers fan but one thing many of us are thinking is that this is the same nuggets team from 2020 which is a dumb assumption because this Nuggets team is all around better and better at both ends. I wouldn’t be surprised if nuggets win but we’ll wait and see

His feel for the game and understanding of his ability is unmatched right now. I would say he is like Luka in this aspect, but without any kind of ego holding him back as is sometimes the case for Doncic. While Luka would sometimes get frustrated and force plays, Jokic couldnt care less if he has 0 points and will just make the right play every single time. Gotta love the guy.

This is beautiful basketball. not the tired pick-and-roll or isolation the majority of the league does.

He really got an assist when Booker was talking to an official 😂

It's insane watching him play. And a lot of his mid-range shots don't even look like he's shooting, it just looks like he's making the ball go in the hoop.

I told my friends after the game let’s expect a Thinking Basketball jokic vid in the next 48h aha

Jokic is so crazy, he makes you actually giggle in some plays. You just laugh at HOW THE HELL THAT GUY DID THAT? He looks like a magician doing a show.

Nice!!! Love thinking basketball drops 😁😁

You forgot to mention that he played the entire first series with an injured shooting hand, and that his shooting percentages were a little lower because of that, although they are still amazing.

6:16 pure genius play. This reading above two positions ahead

Jokic deserved to get the MVP again this year… and now he’s probably going to get a ring in a year when he deserved the MVP even more than his previous 2. and he deserved those awards too!

"Catch with an advantage" perfect words to describe those plays

Fantastic video as always, Ben.

My reactions watching this play breakdowns of Jokic are: * "BRUH" * "HOW THE HELL CAN HE DO THAT?!!" and * laughs towards opponents' confused defense

Honestly no idea how AD is going to keep up with Jokic on the perimeter and defend the paint. Lakers' defensive scheme only works with AD anchoring in the paint but Nuggets have 5 shooters on the floor at all times with Jokic running point at times. Finna make AD look like Gobert

Jokic is a beast. I want my 2k player to do what Jokic Does. Honestly, I hope he wins a chip this year becasue I'll happily call that guy the best player in the world. Seeing him compete with Booker like that, and be significantly better than KD speaks volumes. He is so good in 2023 he might be the best. The defense doesn't seem too bad, I think the Curry pick n roll is his kryptonite. edit: thank you for mentioning his goated floater game. when it's playoff time every year that boy is a walking floater. I been saying this.

Jokic is the best player in the world and it's not close, AT ALL

You should be on ESPN and TNT, not those ridiculous analysts. Excellent video, true knowledge, pinpointing details that make all the difference.

Great vid Ben. Joker episodes are always the best.

Aside from the fact that I want my team to win tonight and not wanting to get ahead of myself and look ahead, I really want to see AD vs Jokic in a playoff setting. This warriors series has been incredible to watch from an Xs and Os standpoint, seeing such a great playmaker match up with arguably the best defender in the league right now would be a great duel

Softest hands I’ve ever seen by a HUUUUGE margin.

One of the best detailed video that explains the basketball savant that is Jokic! Been subscribe to this channel for years now!!

And he does all this with relentless consistency. Never seen him have a "bad game" even when his team loses. This is hard to overcome for an opponent in 7 games when the Nuggets are deep with role players that are athletic, have size, experience, and can shoot the lights out. I think only Golden State has a chance of stopping them from getting a title.

I'm low-key rooting for a Nuggets vs 76ers finals because it'll put the two best centers in the game head to head in an era when bigs are considered obsolete. It'll also be the best big man battle in my lifetime if not ever; Hakeem vs Shaq was before Shaq's prime and not close, and I wasn't alive for Russell vs Wilt. Maybe I'm missing some match-ups, but none other of this magnitude comes to mind.

it would be nice to have an analysis on what the Anthony Davis vs Nikola Jokic matchup would look like

Great video mate👏👍

Keep up the Jokic content!

MMAANN im just salivating ! finally after all these years we get a conf. final where the teams are led by big men and not guards and wings that run around shooting 3's. Two old school bigs that push their way to the paint MAANN its gonna be a fun series and im happy for whoever wins if Jokic leads this team to a finals birth great ! if AD leads this team to the finals great !

Excellent analysis. Beautiful.

the lakers gotta watch this video, also they could look at that reg szn game when the nugs played phily

I'm usually a "defensive player" kinda guy but jokic is prob my fav player to watch right now. He make playing bball look fun and easy.

6:28 perhaps my favorite jokic play you broke down. Jokic’s passing, iq, and offball movement all combined in one amazing play. Passing just so you can create a better shot for yourself is such an underrated bball skill.

this channel is on a different level🔥🔥

This is only channel on RU-vid that got my like before watching video...keep good work bro...

Jokic is so good compared to the league. His choice making on the court is really what puts him aside from the greatest players. I love his quick decision making and how he immediately reacts to the weaknesses of the defence. They don’t want to switch up little guys on him because he will just clear the paint with such a good 3 point shooting team. Bring a double team and his passing will make you regret. He plays smart and efficient basketball. Denver might not be the strongest defensive team but their offense will probably get them a title.

Excellent video premium narration

Excellent breakdown as always

We might soon get to see the best offensive big vs the best defensive big in Jokic vs AD.

He's just unstoppable at this point

I love your breakdowns!

Great Stuff..!

I can't help but laugh watching Jokic cook these boys in the post. The entire Suns and Wolves frontcourt's were getting this work. Good luck to the Lakers, I'm not sure how you guard this man.

I am from Greece and started watching NBA for giannis and stayed for jokic. This guy skillset and iq is on an other level. Let the haters hate but jokic already make history. The chips will come no doubt

Phenomenal breakdown.

He is amazing g. I never ever ever ever ever ever seen something like this.. Its like Ichiro back in 2000

As a nuggets fan just feels so amazing to have everyone see what we see on a day in day out basis. The neo reference in particular.

He's the best offensive player in the world and I don't really think it's that close

finally getting the appreciation he deserves now. and he’s got so much time in this league

Some of your best work

He's as of rn the best player in the league but casuals and even majority of fans don't wanna hear it

Fucking love that video, thank you for that, keep it up 🙏 more Jokic breakdowns during the rest of the playoff please.

great analysis as always