There is no doubt that Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is one of the best basketball players alive.
He has won the MVP trophy twice, two years in a row, and there are plenty of reasons for that.
Jokic is built like a big man but he performs like multiple different positions on the court.
He’s an athlete unlike any other.
Nikola Jokic: "I want to be the Tim Duncan of the Denver Nuggets, but I need to win a couple championships to be him."
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) September 26, 2022
But he wants to be a lot like someone who has come before him, one of the greatest NBA stars of all time.
Speaking to the press, Jokic said, “I want to be the Tim Duncan of the Denver Nuggets, but I need to win a couple championships to be him.”
Jokic is smart to model his play and his career off of Duncan but he’s right: if he wants to be a modern-day Duncan, he needs to win like him.
Denver’s Duncan
When it comes to size, both Jokic and Duncan are built in the same ways.
Additionally, they are both quite good at shooting the ball for someone of their stature and physicality.
But how will Jokic cross the championship threshold and win his first ring so he can be mentioned in conversation alongside Duncan?
This upcoming season will be his best chance yet.
After more than a year of them being away, both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr will be returning to the Nuggets for 2022-23.
This gives Jokic his strongest shot at postseason greatness.
He will not be carrying the team as much as he has over the last couple of seasons and that could really help the team make its way deep into the playoffs.
The Finals might still be slightly out of reach but the Nuggets could be getting a lot better.
NEXT: A Nuggets Superstar Is Promising Greatness
