Currently engaged in one of the best rides in the history of the NBA playoffs, in triple-double average, and this, at more than 30 points per game (!), Nikola Jokic hit hard again on Sunday evening.
So, obviously, there was no win at the end but the Joker did not disappoint with a daunting game with 41 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists in 42 minutes, for the sixth time in these playoffs at 42 minutes. or more on the boards.
Nikola Jokic, the marathon runner
After 37 minutes on average in the first round, then 38 in the second, Nikola Jokic turns 40 minutes and more from the conference finals stage. While continuing to dominate his world!
“He is an athlete in very good physical condition now”says Mike Malone on ESPN. “The guy can rack up the minutes while playing at a very high level. He passed that milestone. His dedication and seriousness allowed him to become a double MVP. »
However, like a Marc Gasol who has long dragged a chubby physique to the point of being nicknamed “The Big Burrito”, Nikola Jokic landed in the NBA with a good handful of extra pounds, and dietary habits far from normal. meet the expectations of a high-level athlete. His adolescent passion for very sweet sodas has been well documented…
But as the NBA’s marathon seasons progressed, with knee and ankle pain after some games, and in this case after a cruel elimination in the conference semifinals against Portland in 2019, after seven grueling rounds, Nikola Jokic will take his destiny into his own hands, aware that his lack of energy in Game 7 of the series was linked to his still imperfect physical condition.
Remember summer 2019…
The revolution takes place in the summer of 2019. Because when he returns to Denver in the fall of 2019, he is no longer the same man.
More slender, but also more muscular, with a dozen kilos less, the Serb no longer wants to relive the scenario of the last playoffs. After a discussion with the physical trainer of the Nuggets, Felipe Eichenberger in the heart of winter, Nikola Jokic realizes that he no longer has a choice. He must assume his MVP level!
“I told him he could be League MVP, and he got mad at me”laughs Felipe Eichenberger. “He was even rather hot, saying that he was not this type of player: I pass more than I score, I am not an individualist… But I told him to concentrate on the work to be done, not on what it means to be MVP. I knew he still wanted to do the job. »
And Nikola Jokic did it! No more sodas, beers and snacks when playing video games. He stuck to his new lifestyle. The only departure from the rule: orange juice and Mama Jokic’s small dishes.
“I told him to enjoy his mother’s cooking after games. We can’t stop him from eating his mom’s dishes! But once he got his mind [de perdre du poids], it was like that and not otherwise! »
A voracious appetite… for titles
Alongside his new, lighter diet, Nikola Jokic forces himself to bodybuilding sessions after each game in the regular season… but also in the playoffs. This substantive work is paying off today, with an ever more individually dominating “Joker”. But who still doesn’t want to pull the blanket on him.
“I never coached Tim Duncan but I always compare him to Duncan”breathes Mike Malone. “He’s just a superstar who has no ego and is almost embarrassed to get so much attention. He’s never there hitting his chest: look at me! He always talks about us, he thinks first of all about the team. »
Having become a veritable match-winning machine over the past three seasons, and a physical monster (as recently summed up Deandre Ayton), Nikola Jokic will only be visibly satisfied once he conquers the sacred mountain. His Western MVP trophy was just an appetizer for this competitor with a growing (sports) appetite.
“Honestly, I thought it was going to cause me stronger emotions. Yes, we won the game and I’m very happy about it. Yes, we wrote history, this, that… But next year, no one will remember us. If we win the title, then it will be different! »
| Nikola Jokic | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2015-16 | DEN | 80 | 22 | 51.2 | 33.3 | 81.1 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 7.0 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 10.0 |
| 2016-17 | DEN | 73 | 28 | 57.8 | 32.4 | 82.5 | 2.9 | 6.9 | 9.8 | 4.9 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 16.7 |
| 2017-18 | DEN | 75 | 33 | 49.9 | 39.6 | 85.0 | 2.6 | 8.1 | 10.7 | 6.1 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 18.5 |
| 2018-19 | DEN | 80 | 31 | 51.1 | 30.7 | 82.1 | 2.9 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 7.3 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 20.1 |
| 2019-20 | DEN | 73 | 32 | 52.8 | 31.4 | 81.7 | 2.3 | 7.5 | 9.7 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2020-21 ★ | DEN | 72 | 35 | 56.6 | 38.8 | 86.8 | 2.9 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 8.3 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 26.4 |
| 2021-22 ★ | DEN | 74 | 34 | 58.3 | 33.7 | 81.0 | 2.8 | 11.0 | 13.8 | 7.9 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 27.1 |
| 2022-23 | DEN | 69 | 34 | 63.2 | 38.3 | 82.2 | 2.4 | 9.4 | 11.8 | 9.8 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 24.5 |
| Total | 596 | 31 | 55.3 | 34.8 | 82.9 | 2.6 | 7.9 | 10.5 | 6.6 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 20.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
