Huffing and puffing

[elementally morale]

25 points and 13 rebounds in the first half with 3 assists. Not nearly enough though for the Nuggets as the team is down 17.

[FultzNationRISE]

Aaron Gordon 0-8 while the bench collectively went 0-7 in the half.

That's the way basketball goes sometimes.

[elementally morale]

38/19/8

And he had a really bad game. Probably the worst of the season when he wasn't ejected or in foul trouble. On a normal night this would've been a 50/20 triple double.

An awful performance from the Nuggets as a team, too. Not looking championship caliber at all atm.

[Lebron23]

Baby Jokic defeated the adult Jokic

[elementally morale]

39/11/9

And no, it wasn't a very good game from him yet again. It was okay but nothing spectacular. At least he cut back on his 3 point attempts. He went 17/29 and 3 of his misses came off of impossible, end of the shotclock tries. There is room for improvement.

[Xiao Yao You]

but at least conditioning is something he can't improve!

[elementally morale]

He either huffed or puffed his way to 8 (eight) assists in the 1st (first) quarter. (6/3/8)

The Nuggets are a totally different team if Reggie Jackson doesn't slow them down. They are moving, running... good stuff.

[tontoz]

He either huffed or puffed his way to 8 (eight) assists in the 1st (first) quarter. (6/3/8)

The Nuggets are a totally different team if Reggie Jackson doesn't slow them down. They are moving, running... good stuff.



Let's give Reggie some credit for merking the clippers. He is fine as a scorer off the bench but obviously doesn't fit well with the starters.

[elementally morale]

Let's give Reggie some credit for merking the clippers. He is fine as a scorer off the bench but obviously doesn't fit well with the starters.

He is a better player than he is a fit on this team. On the second unit I'm okay with him. Wouldn't play him much alongside Jokic though. BTW, I think the Clippers would do better with Harden off the bench instead of Westbrook. Same reason.

[RRR3]

Is this thread mocking xiao?

[elementally morale]

Is this thread mocking xiao?

No. I just found huffing and puffing funny and as Jokic and Embiid are the two players I watch most, I dedicated one thread to Jokic. I'll post about him here, no need for a new thread every other night.

He has 17 and 7 with 12 assists and a block at the half.

[Xiao Yao You]

he can't quit me! :lol

[elementally morale]

Finished with 32/10/15 with 5 minutes left of the game. Lead was too big.

[Duffy Pratt]

Finished with 32/10/15 with 5 minutes left of the game. Lead was too big.

Defending a guy who was parked behind the arc was eating into his rebounding tonight. He huffed and puffed pretty well otherwise. If he keeps developing at this right, he might end up being pretty good at basketball.

[elementally morale]

Defending a guy who was parked behind the arc was eating into his rebounding tonight. He huffed and puffed pretty well otherwise. If he keeps developing at this right, he might end up being pretty good at basketball.

He had a game when he was in serious foul trouble for no reason and the next one when he was ejected for... very little reason. What ifs are bad but here is one anyway: In those two games he had

18/10/7
9/5/5

Let's pretend those two games never happen. He sits out or something. His averages would be: 30.9 / 13.9 / 9.6 which is very close to 31/14/10. And he is not playing out of this world for his standards, he is not at the level he was in the playoffs last year. Still, even with those two bad games included, I think he has the highest PER and highest fantasy points ever. I'm not a fan of those stats or any advanced stats for that matter... but here is a list of some of the things he leads the league in:

FG made
Rebounds
TDs
Win Shares
Box +/-
VORP
PER
FP

He is only 3rd in assists per game but the Nuggets missed tons of easy shots this year.

It will be interesting to see his peak year. I think we haven't seen it yet.

[Duffy Pratt]

He had a game when he was in serious foul trouble for no reason and the next one when he was ejected for... very little reason. What ifs are bad but here is one anyway: In those two games he had

18/10/7
9/5/5

Let's pretend those two games never happen. He sits out or something. His averages would be: 30.9 / 13.9 / 9.6 which is very close to 31/14/10. And he is not playing out of this world for his standards, he is not at the level he was in the playoffs last year. Still, even with those two bad games included, I think he has the highest PER and highest fantasy points ever. I'm not a fan of those stats or any advanced stats for that matter... but here is a list of some of the things he leads the league in:

FG made
Rebounds
TDs
Win Shares
Box +/-
VORP
PER
FP

He is only 3rd in assists per game but the Nuggets missed tons of easy shots this year.

It will be interesting to see his peak year. I think we haven't seen it yet.

Yeah, it’s pretty clear that he is still getting better. He’s much better on defense than he was, or maybe it’s that Malone has schemed the D away from his liabilities. His playmaking and rebounding are better than ever, while he is also looking to score more. Three point shot is a bit off.

So, we haven’t yet seen his peak, and I think that’s one of the things that keeps him interested. He probably doesn’t know how could he can get to be. And I suspect that once he starts to tail off in any significant way, he will retire.

[elementally morale]

Silent game. 21 points and 16 assists. First half was good, the 2nd not so much. Little effort put into defense and rebounding. It's a win so I'll take it.

[Duffy Pratt]

Silent game. 21 points and 16 assists. First half was good, the 2nd not so much. Little effort put into defense and rebounding. It's a win so I'll take it.

The foul discrepancy was embarrassing. It’s almost as if they needed to keep the game close because it’s on National TV.

I thought Joker was excellent down the stretch. It’s so clear that he’s running the team and that they are all on the same page. I would love to see these teams play with both at full strength. Right now, it’s unclear whether that’s ever going to happen.

[elementally morale]

Today's huffing and puffing proved to be insufficient.

36/13/14 along with 2 steals and 1 block with 0 turnovers and with a team leading +11. Tough loss.

He played excellent defense for a change. Probably his 2nd or 3rd best game for the season.

[tontoz]

Hard to win shooting 6-25 from 3, especially when the other team shoots 16-34. Surprised the game was that close.

[Duffy Pratt]

Well he’s now huffed and puffed to leading the league in total points, total rebounds, and total assists. Imagine what he could do if he got into shape.

[elementally morale]

Well he’s now huffed and puffed to leading the league in total points, total rebounds, and total assists. Imagine what he could do if he got into shape.

He could become an even better huffpuffer.

[Xiao Yao You]

Well he’s now huffed and puffed to leading the league in total points, total rebounds, and total assists. Imagine what he could do if he got into shape.

what do you mean? He's in peak physical condition!

[elementally morale]

what do you mean? He's in peak physical condition!

Yesterday he ran so fast on several occasions getting back on defense it was hard to believe it was him. He usually runs the floor pretty well for his size but the last game he showed some real speed. Huffs and puffs his way to triple doubles pretty often but it was a different huffpuffing yesterday.

[elementally morale]

This is actually an interesting stat:

https://scontent-vie1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/406802855_1855922731533447_867207266647449415_n.jp g?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c42490&_nc_ohc=5s0IeypOlAkAX8PO_Eh&_nc_ht=scontent-vie1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCU6LxfP8IRrBxiGDoc30KQCHZCvHjRUQ8uK9FXEuUs Hw&oe=6572E886

[elementally morale]

Huffing and puffing his way to 1 point for the team every 5.5 seconds of possession. Wow.

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?515246-This-deserves-a-thread&p=14858783#post14858783

[elementally morale]

This is the worst half of basketball I've seen Jokic play in the last 2 years.

[elementally morale]

This is the worst half of basketball I've seen Jokic play in the last 2 years.

Until now. The 2nd half is even worse. Looks like a total bum out there, LOL.

[SATAN]

Says it all about the Clippers. What an insane waste of talent lol.

[SATAN]

I didn't realize Jokic had put up 22/15/9

There's no way this is the worst game he's ever played.

[SATAN]

lol holy shit he just got swatted big time

[elementally morale]

Until now. The 2nd half is even worse. Looks like a total bum out there, LOL.

And he got a triple double.
If there ever was an undeserved TD, this one is it.

22 / 15 / 10 and it was as ugly as it gets. 9 of 32 of the field -- 23 missed shots. No, he was not fouled on most of them, just missed them. From everywhere.

The loss is on him, too. The only person from the starting five to have a non-positive +/-
Probably the worst game of his career.

[elementally morale]

I didn't realize Jokic had put up 22/15/9

There's no way this is the worst game he's ever played.

I've never seen a worse game from him. Haven't seen all his games but I saw at least two hundred.

[elementally morale]

Good huffpuffer.

+29 for the game.

31/11/7
3 steals, 2 blocks and 0 turnovers

12/17 from the field 2/2 from 3 and 5/5 from the line


I can finally say he has a future.

[Duffy Pratt]

He got an extra nice scratch on his right forearm.

Denver continues to lead the league in games played, back to backs played, and road games played. The tail end of their season is gonna be a whole lot easier.

[Duffy Pratt]

Huffed and puffed his way to his 11th triple double - 26, 14 and 10. On 11 of 11 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line (it’s horrible how he foul baits). Sat out the 4th quarter cause he was just so tired from all the huffing and puffing.

[elementally morale]

Huffed and puffed his way to his 11th triple double - 26, 14 and 10. On 11 of 11 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line (it’s horrible how he foul baits). Sat out the 4th quarter cause he was just so tired from all the huffing and puffing.

Having 3 or 4 Sombor doubles this season caused plenty of fatigue. Did he miss a game this season? Sitting out the 4th is his load management.

[Duffy Pratt]

Having 3 or 4 Sombor doubles this season caused plenty of fatigue. Did he miss a game this season? Sitting out the 4th is his load management.

He missed a game against the Clippers in last November with a sore back. Murray and Gordon were also out. Nuggets won by 9.

[Chuckbe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMoo7s3NH9w

[SATAN]

MVP Jokic with 34/9/10 and the buzzer beating 3. :bowdown:

Curry blowing an 18 point lead :roll:

[elementally morale]

This gamewinner was something else.

[Duffy Pratt]

MVP Jokic with 34/9/10 and the buzzer beating 3. :bowdown:

Curry blowing an 18 point lead :roll:

The guy couldn’t even get himself the triple double…. And he was clearly too gassed at the end of the game. If he got into shape he might be good.

[dunksby]

I was about to go take a shit to get ready for OT but Jokic had other plans!

[SATAN]

The guy couldn’t even get himself the triple double…. And he was clearly too gassed at the end of the game. If he got into shape he might be good.

He's no Jordan Clarkson that's for sure.

[SATAN]

wtf they just mentioned his shooting stats over the last 4 games...39 made and 5 missed. :biggums::biggums::biggums:

[elementally morale]

So. In the last 5 games:

47 shots made on 53 attempts. That is 6 missed shots in 5 games. 88.7% from the field. 4 out of 4 three pointers which is... like 100%. And since the 20th of December he missed 1 free throw. Made 36 or 37 something like that. It's hard playing a more efficient bunch of games.

He needs to get into shape though.

[Xiao Yao You]

So. In the last 5 games:

47 shots made on 53 attempts. That is 6 missed shots in 5 games. 88.7% from the field. 4 out of 4 three pointers which is... like 100%. And since the 20th of December he missed 1 free throw. Made 36 or 37 something like that. It's hard playing a more efficient bunch of games.

He needs to get into shape though.

Clearly not Jordan Clarkson.

Couldn't be in better shape

[elementally morale]

I missed the game. This is the 1st game this season I missed. By the box score:

Someone had 16 assists in 24 minutes? And took 3 shots? Looks like a serious stamina issue, LOL.

(If anyone saw the game: What happened?)

Edit: 5 blocks as well? In 24 minutes? Something is not right.

[Duffy Pratt]

I missed the game. This is the 1st game this season I missed. By the box score:

Someone had 16 assists in 24 minutes? And took 3 shots? Looks like a serious stamina issue, LOL.

(If anyone saw the game: What happened?)

Edit: 5 blocks as well? In 24 minutes? Something is not right.

It was one of those games where he simply refused to shoot. It happens from time to time, typically against weaker teams. And other guys were hitting their shots, hence the 16 assists by middle of the third.

Then Joker complained that he was pushed from behind by two hands, causing him to fumble a pass. Because he complained, the refs gave him a flopping T. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that one. If that was a flop, they should call about 100 in every game. It looked clear that Joker was going to get himself a second T, but D.Jordan pulled him away. Immediately thereafter, the refs called Joker for an off the ball foul for a push that was clearly less than how he had been pushed. It was his fourth, and strikes me as a deliberate call to force him to sit.

The bench took care of business, expanding the lead to 23, and he never had to come back in. (This sort of thing would never happen with Embid. He feasts on these awful teams, and then needs to nurse a minor injury when they face a tough team. Of all his missed games this season, only one has been against a sub-500 team.)

[elementally morale]

^^ Thank you. :cheers:

On the Embiid related observation: it is absolutely clear but on the one hand I don't want to sound like a hater and I actually want Embiid to succeed (and not doing this kind of thing would be a great start) and on the other hand in the playoffs there is no place to hide. If you don't play it's a bit worse than if you are playing subpar. We shall see what happens. If Nick Nurse can't make the 76ers to reach at least the Conference Finals, it's time to give up on Joel and arrive at the conclusion he simply doesn't have 'it'. The league would be a lot more interesting if he turned it around. I'd really like to see a 76ers-Nuggets Finals.

(On another note: Jokic was ejected in Detroit for I don't know what and if it happened again...)

[Duffy Pratt]

^^ Thank you. :cheers:

On the Embiid related observation: it is absolutely clear but on the one hand I don't want to sound like a hater and I actually want Embiid to succeed (and not doing this kind of thing would be a great start) and on the other hand in the playoffs there is no place to hide. If you don't play it's a bit worse than if you are playing subpar. We shall see what happens. If Nick Nurse can't make the 76ers to reach at least the Conference Finals, it's time to give up on Joel and arrive at the conclusion he simply doesn't have 'it'. The league would be a lot more interesting if he turned it around. I'd really like to see a 76ers-Nuggets Finals.

(On another note: Jokic was ejected in Detroit for I don't know what and if it happened again...)

Completely agree on Embid. It would be great if he started regularly playing the tougher competition and upped his game so that they could move on deeper in the playoffs. And yeah, I’d love to see a Denver/Philly matchup (more so than Boston, Milwaukee or Miami).

[elementally morale]

Completely agree on Embid. It would be great if he started regularly playing the tougher competition and upped his game so that they could move on deeper in the playoffs. And yeah, I’d love to see a Denver/Philly matchup (more so than Boston, Milwaukee or Miami).

DeAndre Jordan is still a lot better than his playing time would make you think. Out of curiosity, I'd experiment having him and Jokic in the lineup at the same time. It may lead to better defense if the other team has two bigs or one very good big. When I saw DeAndre play he didn't really disappoint.

[SATAN]

Some real nice passing tonight. Making it look easy.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHDxP6RmOc4

[elementally morale]

I'd rate today's performance: An efficient day at the office.

Triple double and the win. 11/17 from the field, 4/4 from the FT line, 10 rebounds, 14 assists.
He is shooting 73% in his last 5 games. 4 of 5 on 3 pointers and 23/25 from the line (80% and 92%, respectively.)

Not his best game still, but slowly returning to where he was to start the season which is insanity territory. One other thing worth mentioning: he missed only 1 game all year. That's what you want from your star player. Being the most valuable is also being available.

[elementally morale]

Sombor double today. 49th of his career. It's like the 6th or 7th this season. So it is either a triple double (of which he has 12) or a Sombor double every other night.

25/12/9 but came with 7 TOs. On the other hand: 12/13 from the field. I took a look at the last 9 games.

Since the 20th of December: 81% from the field, 85 of 105. 75% on 3 pointers, 6 of 8. 85% on FTs, 28 of 33. That is 'only' 20 ppg (179 points in 9 meetings) but on crazy efficiency. In this period he averaged 8.6 assists to go with the 20 points. He played 40 games out of 41.

[tontoz]

Jokic was struggling with his shooting to start the season but it looks like the change in the calendar has done him some good. This month his TS is 80.4%.:bowdown:

[elementally morale]

Jokic was struggling with his shooting to start the season but it looks like the change in the calendar has done him some good. This month his TS is 80.4%.:bowdown:

I know where you are coming from so just for a bit more clarity: At the start of the season he was great. In his 1st 10 games he was 120 of 198 at 60.6% His troubles started mid November and he had a series of awful games late November and especially early December. That's where his shooting averages went all the way down. He had a 4 game stretch when he went 6 of 29 from behind the 3 point line and two consecutive game where he was 18 of 58 from the field. A very uncharacteristic 32 and 26 shots in back to back games, and 7 and 8 three pointers attempted in consecutive games.

So he had a rough 3-4 week stretch with only a couple of good games shooting. Interestingly, when all that happened his assists and rebounding exceeded his season average. So even when he played bad he wasn't really bad.

[Xiao Yao You]

I'd say he's played himself into shape but I've been told he couldn't possibly be in better shape

[elementally morale]

I'd say he's played himself into shape but I've been told he couldn't possibly be in better shape

He seemed to be in good enough shape to start the season. You may have a point though because when Murray went down Jokic was still elite for a couple of games but fatigue definitely showed at the tail end of Jamal's absence. And in January he usage is clearly down, so he is visibly more efficient when doing less (it usually is the case with players who don't need the ball all the time to perform). He will never be in 'shape' like some other players or at least won't show it. His game is not really centered around athleticism, LOL. I guess that bad month could be more attributed to mental fatigue but of course I don't have the information so it is just guessing.

However, playing 40 games out of 41 with 25/12/9 on 58% shooting and 33 minutes per game is not bad conditioning. He can do what he does every night as far as his stamina is concerned. How many stars do we have on an 80 games played per season pace? I don't know the answer but it must be a really low number.

[elementally morale]

He had a 4 game stretch when he went 6 of 29 from behind the 3 point line and two consecutive game where he was 18 of 58 from the field. A very uncharacteristic 32 and 26 shots in back to back games, and 7 and 8 three pointers attempted in consecutive games.

I just deleted those 2 really bad shooting nights on high volume and those 4 games with the insane amount of threes. If those didn't exist, he would be at 61% shooting for the season and 40% on three pointers. Of course those games did exist, so it is just mental gymnastics but it clearly shows how much those few games count in terms of overall percentages and what you expect on a regular night. (10 made baskets on 60% FG, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, basically.)

[Duffy Pratt]

I just deleted those 2 really bad shooting nights on high volume and those 4 games with the insane amount of threes. If those didn't exist, he would be at 61% shooting for the season and 40% on three pointers. Of course those games did exist, so it is just mental gymnastics but it clearly shows how much those few games count in terms of overall percentages and what you expect on a regular night. (10 made baskets on 60% FG, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, basically.)

It’s funny that we care but Joker doesn’t seem to care one bit. If you simply eliminated the two BS ejections from his games played, it would boost his averages considerably. It’s also worth noting that yesterday he was forced to sit for six minutes because the little ref had it in for both him and Jordan. At least 2 of Joker’s first three fouls were horrible calls, and it was worse with Jordan.

Anyway, Joker had a few games where he seemed determined to hoist threes until he made one. He’s not doing that now. He seems back to taking whatever the game gives him. There have been a few times when it seems like he’s forcing the passing when he has open looks, but I much prefer that to forcing the shot that’s not really there.

[elementally morale]

Anyway, Joker had a few games where he seemed determined to hoist threes until he made one. He’s not doing that now. He seems back to taking whatever the game gives him. There have been a few times when it seems like he’s forcing the passing when he has open looks, but I much prefer that to forcing the shot that’s not really there.

When he took lots of threes most of the time he was wide open. Just missed. I think he got angry with himself and wanted to make the next one.. and the next... and missed everything. As for him forcing the passing: I don't mind when the team is up big. When he should shoot more is nobody is hitting and they are down. He can score at a higher efficiency than anyone else so he should take more shots. He makes 10 a game but that could easily be 13 if he took 5 more shots. Plus 2-3 more FTs on average. That is an added 8 points to the team total and off of those 'he passed instead' plays thy don't get more than 3 points on average. I think Denver would've 3-4 more wins (and 3-4 less losses, obv.) if Jokic had been more aggressive with his shots. This effect we see every playoffs when he starts doing more. As long as they do not have HCA in the reg. season I think he should be playing some playoff basketball here and there.

[elementally morale]

Not enough huffpuffing tonight. 25 points and 19 boards. Looks nice, wasn't that nice. 11 boards look nice on paper but in reality it felt more like 5-6 offensive boards. Collecting your own miss 2-3 times on several occasions is still only 2 points. 11/20 from the field was 11/18 until the last two minutes when the two deseperation three point attempts were made. One of the two could've gone in. Wouldn't have changed the result.

The Nuggets have to work on their offensive planning because if Jokic is stopped as a playmaker (as he was tonight) the don't have much left. In the 1st half they were hitting everything but as they cooled off they had no backup plan.

Jokic is rarely outplayed on the court: tonight he was. I hope he can return the favor 10 days from now when they face the 76ers again, that time in Denver.

It was a nice game but a game the team needs to learn from.

[elementally morale]

Better luck this time. Another Sombor double. 34/12/9. At one point he was 14/18 from the field but had to put up impossible shots late in the shotclock that missed. Still a respectable 64% from the field and 50% from 3 without a missed FT.

The game was close. The Nuggets were a two man team today. Murray and Jokic were great the others didn't really show up. Boston is very tough to beat. Neither Brown nor Tatum played really well and the team still almost won the game.

[Duffy Pratt]

Better luck this time. Another Sombor double. 34/12/9. At one point he was 14/18 from the field but had to put up impossible shots late in the shotclock that missed. Still a respectable 64% from the field and 50% from 3 without a missed FT.

The game was close. The Nuggets were a two man team today. Murray and Jokic were great the others didn't really show up. Boston is very tough to beat. Neither Brown nor Tatum played really well and the team still almost won the game.

They should be even better. When it came to the end, they didn’t have an offensive set they could rely on, so it was just Tatum in iso. That’s ok for the regular season ordinarily, but it will have problems in the playoffs. I don’t see why they could not be running a more sophisticated offense, but they seem content to stand around and hoist threes. On D, Horford and Porzingas can’t handle Joker. Horford was great against Embiid last year in playoffs. But I think Embiid may have improved his game enough to cause them real problems in a series. Will be interesting to see. Bam is also a problem for them.

[Duffy Pratt]

NJ Huffinpuff had a workmanlike 42, 12 and 8 on 15 of 20 from the field. Just another day at the office. The Wizards are very dreadful.

[elementally morale]

NJ Huffinpuff had a workmanlike 42, 12 and 8 on 15 of 20 from the field. Just another day at the office. The Wizards are very dreadful.

And he isn't playing for stats. What if he did? For a stretch of 15 games just for fun? We will never know.

[Xiao Yao You]

And he isn't playing for stats. What if he did? For a stretch of 15 games just for fun? We will never know.

glad he isn't playing for stats. That's the beauty of what he does. Other can have their triple doubles and empty stats and he'll continue to make winning plays

[elementally morale]

glad he isn't playing for stats. That's the beauty of what he does. Other can have their triple doubles and empty stats and he'll continue to make winning plays

I'm glad he isn't playing for stats but I'd like to see what happened if he did. No, what I've just said doesn't make any sense. A part of me wants him to show the 'rest of the world' that he could do this and that if he wanted. Yes, it'd ake him a worse player so I'd be happy with a stretch of games. Like when Bird decided to play a game when he took all te shots left handed. Why? He just wanted to show he could. When MJ shot a FT with his eyes closed. Something like that. Some 40/20 games, I don't know. Something just for showing off. And the other side of me wants none of that childish stuff.

[Xiao Yao You]

I'm glad he isn't playing for stats but I'd like to see what happened if he did. No, what I've just said doesn't make any sense. A part of me wants him to show the 'rest of the world' that he could do this and that if he wanted. Yes, it'd ake him a worse player so I'd be happy with a stretch of games. Like when Bird decided to play a game when he took all te shots left handed. Why? He just wanted to show he could. When MJ shot a FT with his eyes closed. Something like that. Some 40/20 games, I don't know. Something just for showing off. And the other side of me wants none of that childish stuff.

and MJ played pg and put up triple doubles nightly. I'm pretty convinced Jokic can do pretty much whatever he likes at the offensive end. No need to prove anything to me. What he does is more impressive than what the iso/triple double seekers do to me

[elementally morale]

End of the 3rd quarter against Portland in Denver. Triple double already but a huge one: 21 points 20 rebounds 10 assists. He should have like 15 assists again, the team is missing easy shots. Jokic is a +20 in the game on 8 of 11 shooting, 4/4 from the FT line and made a three pointer and has 2 blocks. It is a relatively close game so there is more to come.

Ayton played 20 minutes and has one (1) rebound. I'm not sure why Ayton is still in the league.

[elementally morale]

Finished with 27/22/12
Getting into shape. Slowly but surely.

[Duffy Pratt]

Finished with 27/22/12
Getting into shape. Slowly but surely.

Could easily have been 20 assists. With 2 blocks and a steal (though I thought he had more steals - seems like it’s tough to get credit for those). Also, the second quarter showed clearly just how much his presence helps to clog up the lane and deters drives. He is now very underrated as a defender.

And he picked up another huge scratch on his back. Does anyone else have these besides him and Curry?

[Duffy Pratt]

Subpar game tonight with 29 8 and 7 and 2 steals. Nuggets seem to think that they can coast for the first three quarters, and then turn it on in the fourth to secure a win. And mostly that’s worked for them, but it can be frustrating to watch.

At least Peyton Watson showed that he was in shape tonight. Amazing game for him, and he seems to be improving every game. Also nice to see Braun play well.

[elementally morale]

Subpar game tonight with 29 8 and 7 and 2 steals. Nuggets seem to think that they can coast for the first three quarters, and then turn it on in the fourth to secure a win. And mostly that’s worked for them, but it can be frustrating to watch.

At least Peyton Watson showed that he was in shape tonight. Amazing game for him, and he seems to be improving every game. Also nice to see Braun play well.

The Nuggets looked like a team that was resting and on vacation in the first 3 quarters. Jokic played okay but didn't seem motivated. I guess it's a win.

A very tough 3 game road trip is next. The Lakers fight for the playoffs, the Kings are a good team in general and Sabonis is not an easy matchup. And then on the way to play the Bucks again who most definitely want to prove something in the rematch. If the Nuggets want home-court this road trip is the key along with winning at least two times against the Wolves and beating the Clippers early April. And they still have to hope OKC is losing a few easy games. Dropping all 3 games against the Thunder was a blunder that may cost them dearly in the playoffs.

[elementally morale]

A quiet Sombor double against the Lakers who played some great defense. Huffing and puffing was alright but nothing really special. Six turnovers, half of which were dumb. 24/13/9 and only on 9 of 20 shooting. Of those 11 misses at least 3 but I think 4 were blocked shots. It was a quiet day at the office with season averages but also some pretty good defense both played and played against. I guess it's a win and not much else.

I think home court advantage will be important and the chance of having that in the West is being largely decided by this road trip the Nuggets are on. Two more away games: Sacramento and Milwaukee. Big games.

[Duffy Pratt]

Last night, he had a nearly perfect triple double with 21-19-15 on 10 for 10 shooting. Unfortunately, he was only 1 for 2 from the line. He needs to work on that to boost his efficiency. His true shooting was only 96.5%.

And in the all-star game he had the largest number of entertaining moments - the fake tomahawk jam; the failed dunk to close the game; complaining to the ref after Bam inbounded off his back; and the passing drill with Luka finishing with the no look dish to Shai. He was living up to his nickname.

[Duffy Pratt]

A quiet 29-15-14 on 12 of 17 shooting. But to be fair, it was the tail end of a back to back. Star of this game was MPJ. And Gillespie had a surprisingly good night as well.

[elementally morale]

Rolling into shape at the right time. By the playoffs he may be good.

[Xiao Yao You]

couldn't possibly be in better shape!

[elementally morale]

Third triple double in a row. 32/16/16 with 4 steals. 16 assists is quite a lot but he should've had 20+. Teammates were missing tons of wide open threes and at least 2 open layups. Anyway, it's a road win. I'll take it.

[Duffy Pratt]

Third triple double in a row. 32/16/16 with 4 steals. 16 assists is quite a lot but he should've had 20+. Teammates were missing tons of wide open threes and at least 2 open layups. Anyway, it's a road win. I'll take it.

Not just the third triple double ever, the first player ever to record 14+ rebounds and assists on three consecutive nights. Also, an excellent night for some Hotel.com commercials with him and PW. With the right plan, I’m pretty sure he could be marketable.

On the game, Nuggets played like crap for the first 20 minutes. Totally loose on D and giving up way too many Offensive rebounds. Then they stepped it up to end the half, and played playoff level ball for the first half of the third and for some stretches in the fourth.

Oh, and it’s great to see Braun playing with some confidence again.

[1987_Lakers]

Jokic should be winning his 4th straight MVP to be honest, shame voters felt bad for Embiid last season.

[Duffy Pratt]

Only 14 14 and 11 last night with 3 steals and a block. It’s his fourth consecutive triple double, all of them completed before the end of the third. This game, he had the luxury of sitting out the fourth. And this stat line doesn’t begin to show how dominant he was in the second and third quarters.

[elementally morale]

Really bad game. Uninspired play, lots of turnovers and missed potential (and very makeable) game winner. 25 and 16 on 8 of 18 but it was a lot worse than it looks.

[elementally morale]

I know it's against the Grizzlies but 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in the 1st quarter is a clear sign of someone starting to pull his sh!t together as far as getting into shape is concerned. No Aaron Gordon and no Jamal Murray but the Nuggets are up 16. It doesn't matter who Jokic plays with it seems.

[elementally morale]

Last game was a not-much-talked-about borderline triple double (26/18/16). Let's see the matchup against Wemby who went 42/20 the same night.

The game started with Jokic winning the jump ball. Then he missed almost all the three pointers he took (4 on the 1st quarter alone) but he was decent otherwise: 15 points and 8 rebounds in 12 minutes. Got one of his hesitation layups blocked by Wemby. The whole Q had the feeling of a pick-up game. The game is close but the Spurs are seriously undermanned and the Nuggets play down to the level of the competition unfortunately.

Jokic had 3 dunks in the 1st quarter. Before this game he had 12 or 13 all season. I doubt there is an NBA game in the Joker's career when he had 3 dunks in a quarter.

[SATAN]

What a game.

[SATAN]

Jesus Christ. What a block by Wemby. 9th for the game.

[elementally morale]

Jesus Christ. What a block by Wemby. 9th for the game.

He was really close to a quad double.

The game showed some awful shooting and some of those shots were ill advised. Two centers taking a combined 17 three pointers while making 3 of them is not something you want to see. Others were off as well: Jokic should have had 12 assists minimum but nothing went in. He finished with 42/16/6 but he didn't have as good a game as these stats suggest. I'll take the win.

[SATAN]

It's kinda funny how the league wants to step in and stop Jokic from drawing shooting fouls when the other team is trying to deliberately foul him in crunch time. Like, what can you do about it really? He was 100% in shooting motion during that last foul. It's cheap and some would say it "goes against the spirit of the game" (lol) but it's still a smart play.

[elementally morale]

It's kinda funny how the league wants to step in and stop Jokic from drawing shooting fouls when the other team is trying to deliberately foul him in crunch time. Like, what can you do about it really? He was 100% in shooting motion during that last foul. It's cheap and some would say it "goes against the spirit of the game" (lol) but it's still a smart play.

This one was not even cheap. When he is trying it with 20 seconds on the shot clock and under his own basket it's against the spirit of the game so to speak but when it's a close game with a few seconds left and he tries to take the shot (he tried taking this one) it's just a blown call. Okay he didn't want to take it desperately but it was a shooting foul.

How many of his shots were blocked by Wemby? At least 3. Maybe more. This is something he will have to learn to better deal with in the years to come. The Spurs will not be out of the playoffs for long.

[Duffy Pratt]

How many of his shots were blocked by Wemby? At least 3. Maybe more. This is something he will have to learn to better deal with in the years to come. The Spurs will not be out of the playoffs for long.

I suspect that's why we got three dunks in one quarter from him. He seemed, uncharacteristically, unaware of Wemby on the chase down block near the end of the game. I was surprised that he didn't dunk that one as well. Also, he used a little step-back jump hook twice in a row that worked quite well. Moreover, it seems like his sore wrist is having an impact on his outside shot, which is limiting what he can do against someone like Wemby.

It's pretty amazing how much Wemby's presence is altering teams' offenses. Right now, I have the feeling that teams are willing to attack him, boosting his blocked shot numbers, because they don't see the Spurs as a threat. When he gets a decent team around him, I expect his impact on the game to increase, even as his blocked shot numbers go down.

One last point: Joker's 42/16/6 on a relatively poor shooting night of 56% is simply ho-hum at this point. Greatness for him at this point is simply on another level than greatness for almost anyone else in the league (possible exceptions are Luka and Embiid).

[SATAN]

One last point: Joker's 42/16/6 on a relatively poor shooting night of 56%

:facepalm

[elementally morale]

One last point: Joker's 42/16/6 on a relatively poor shooting night of 56% is simply ho-hum at this point. Greatness for him at this point is simply on another level than greatness for almost anyone else in the league (possible exceptions are Luka and Embiid).

He is missing almost everything from outside the paint now. If his shot (wrist) doesn't improve soon we will see a lot more bullyball (traditional center play) from him. I think Wemby blocking him a few times was the result of Wemby not giving up on the play. Jokic got used to most centers giving up on the play after one or two fakes and good moves and he became a bit lazy. So it's a good wake-up call.

[elementally morale]

The two best defenders in the NBA are Gobert and Wemby. Both are big men. As is Jokic. After 42 points against the Spurs in a lesser performance he came up with 41 on 16-20 from the field against the Wolves in a great game. So in a week he scored 42 and 41 against the best defense available and he is not even known 'for his scoring'.

That's 83 points on 52 shots with 12 points coming off of FTs. So 71 points on 52 shots. Isn't that a 73.2 TS%? (No. The way TS% is calculated it's actually 69.2% but the way I calculated it makes more sense, I'd say.) Against the two best defenders while he is more of a playmaker than a true scorer. Being out of shape (or not) this is pretty good.

[FultzNationRISE]

The two best defenders in the NBA are Gobert and Wemby. Both are big men. As is Jokic. After 42 points against the Spurs in a lesser performance he came up with 41 on 16-20 from the field against the Wolves in a great game. So in a week he scored 42 and 41 against the best defense available and he is not even known 'for his scoring'.

That's 83 points on 52 shots with 12 points coming off of FTs. So 71 points on 52 shots. Isn't that a 73.2 TS%? (No. The way TS% is calculated it's actually 69.2% but the way I calculated it makes more sense, I'd say.) Against the two best defenders while he is more of a playmaker than a true scorer. Being out of shape (or not) this is pretty good.


To be fair those guys are known as the best team defenders, because of their range when protecting the rim against players coming from various angles. Theyre not known as man to man 'lockdown' defenders.

Someone like Draymond with a stouter base and more perimeter mobility is gonna fair better than those guys guarding Jokic one on one. Not that Jokic doesnt still get his points against Dray, but I think it takes more effort to do so and hes not quite as efficient.

[elementally morale]

To be fair those guys are known as the best team defenders, because of their range when protecting the rim against players coming from various angles. Theyre not known as man to man 'lockdown' defenders.

Someone like Draymond with a stouter base and more perimeter mobility is gonna fair better than those guys guarding Jokic one on one. Not that Jokic doesnt still get his points against Dray, but I think it takes more effort to do so and hes not quite as efficient.

Draymond uploaded a video of himself telling the world he could do nothing after a game they played this season. But he may still be the best option one on one. Not sure. You can't really guard Jokic. It's strange because he seems like someone you absolutely can contain but it's deceiving. Looks slow but last night he had at least 3 possessions he left Gobert wondering where he disappeared.

[Duffy Pratt]

Draymond uploaded a video of himself telling the world he could do nothing after a game they played this season. But he may still be the best option one on one. Not sure. You can't really guard Jokic. It's strange because he seems like someone you absolutely can contain but it's deceiving. Looks slow but last night he had at least 3 possessions he left Gobert wondering where he disappeared.

Bam has sometimes done a good job denying him the ball and frustrating Denver from getting into the offense. Nurcic seems to cause him some problems. Minnesota did better on him earlier in the year with Towns playing primary defense and Gobert helping on the weak side.

Last night, the best they managed was to take away Gordon from the Joker/Murray/Gordon triumvirate, thus forcing Joker to be a scorer. That kept the game close until the Denver D stepped up and they got to pick up the pace. (Braun and Watson were amazing last night, and very scary for the rest of the league if that is foreshadowing of the playoffs.)

[elementally morale]

Jokic played 41 and a half minutes, the most by far on either team. 27/20/10
The team was basically missing everything. If they make half of their wide open looks it's a 30/20/20 game. It wasn't, but if anyone says Jokic is out of shape I don't know what they are watching.

Miracle win. After having an awful game, Murray stepped up and won it in the last 90 seconds. On an all time great buzzer beater, too.

[Duffy Pratt]

Jokic played 41 and a half minutes, the most by far on either team. 27/20/10
The team was basically missing everything. If they make half of their wide open looks it's a 30/20/20 game. It wasn't, but if anyone says Jokic is out of shape I don't know what they are watching.

Miracle win. After having an awful game, Murray stepped up and won it in the last 90 seconds. On an all time great buzzer beater, too.

These last games looked like the basketball version of rope-a-dope. Both games, the Lakers came out ferociously and then faded as they got gassed. It’s at least partially true that Jokic helped turn these games through his superior conditioning.

What everyone is missing, however, is that all that has happened so far is that the Nuggets have held home court advantage. This game was incredible, and a blast to watch. But, as Kenny Smith likes to say, the series doesn’t start until there is an elimination game.

[elementally morale]

What everyone is missing, however, is that all that has happened so far is that the Nuggets have held home court advantage.

True. But I have a tough time imagining the Lakers playing better than this game after tonight's loss. And Denver was really bad until the last 4-5 minutes left in the 3rd. This seemed to be the Lakers best chance to build momentum. They almost have, but instead got their hearts broken. Will be very hard to snap out of it.

[Duffy Pratt]

True. But I have a tough time imagining the Lakers playing better than this game after tonight's loss. And Denver was really bad until the last 4-5 minutes left in the 3rd. This seemed to be the Lakers best chance to build momentum. They almost have, but instead got their hearts broken. Will be very hard to snap out of it.

The Lakers supposedly have championship DNA. They should be able to snap out of this and still play well, but I suspect you are probably right.

When I said everyone was missing my point, it’s clear at least that Malone knows better. Hopefully, the Nuggets don’t approach the Lakers like they have already got them beat. The one thing that has troubled me about the Nuggets this year is that they have rarely put teams away when they’ve had fairly big leads. I doubt that same laxness will carry over to series, but won’t know until I see it.

[elementally morale]

After the first series and first 5 games of the playoffs, against the Lakers and especially Anthony Davis:

28.2 points
16.2 rebounds
9.8 assists
59.1% from the field
92.6% from the FT line
EFF: 44.4

And he was not his usual self at times.

[Duffy Pratt]

After the first series and first 5 games of the playoffs, against the Lakers and especially Anthony Davis:

28.2 points
16.2 rebounds
9.8 assists
59.1% from the field
92.6% from the FT line
EFF: 44.4

And he was not his usual self at times.

Too many turnovers - seven in the last game. His team defense is excellent, but he was a liability here when they could truly iso him. I don’t see the latter against any of the likely future opponents. In each of the wins, Jokic took advantage of his superior condition. Just imagine what it would be like if he got in shape.

[White Hammer]

After the first series and first 5 games of the playoffs, against the Lakers and especially Anthony Davis:

28.2 points
16.2 rebounds
9.8 assists
59.1% from the field
92.6% from the FT line
EFF: 44.4

And he was not his usual self at times.

What an incredible line. Amazingly, Davis practically matched him (minus assists) with 28/16 of his own on 63%! You're right, he was not always his usual self. The 7 TO's tonight were really perplexing.

I can't wait to see what joker does against Minny next round.

[elementally morale]

Too many turnovers - seven in the last game. His team defense is excellent, but he was a liability here when they could truly iso him. I don’t see the latter against any of the likely future opponents. In each of the wins, Jokic took advantage of his superior condition. Just imagine what it would be like if he got in shape.

I agree he could've played better. As for the TOs, his series average is at 3.2 (not terrible). He was missing some easy shots so it easily could've been a 30/16/10 performance on 62% FG. It wasn't. However, that 44.4 EFF is something else. This here shows a HUGE gap:

https://www.nba.com/stats/leaders?SeasonType=Playoffs&StatCategory=EFF

[elementally morale]

What an incredible line. Amazingly, Davis practically matched him (minus assists) with 28/16 of his own on 63%! You're right, he was not always his usual self. The 7 TO's tonight were really perplexing.

I can't wait to see what joker does against Minny next round.

The real difference is that Jokic does his scoring on the sideline. He finishes the first halves of games with 5-7 attempts and 8-10 points. Then all of a sudden he is somehow near 30 by the end. And this was against very good defense. Not only AD was on him but Jokic was doubled and tripled many times. He is #1 in rebounds, #2 in assists and #8 in points in the playoffs so far. He is #1 in literally every advanced stat available.

[Micku]

Too many turnovers - seven in the last game. His team defense is excellent, but he was a liability here when they could truly iso him. I don’t see the latter against any of the likely future opponents. In each of the wins, Jokic took advantage of his superior condition. Just imagine what it would be like if he got in shape.

I think his defense was bad on the pick and rolls. When AD rolled, Murray had to help and that's easy buckets on AD.

But give credit to AD. His shot-making over Jokic was great. AD was taking it to him. Matching him when it comes to scoring.

And Jokic had a bad game in game 5 yet he had 25/20/9 on 57%.

Jokic had a bad defensive series. But even with his bad games, Jokic had insane stats. Crazy how I think he could get better.