NBA MVP Nikola Jokic On Mavs' Luka Doncic: 'He's A One-Man Army'
SALT LAKE CITY — While Luka Doncic has yet to receive the NBA MVP award, he has stamped his inclusion among the league's top players. The soon-to-be 24-year-old has broken countless records already and is coming off a season that featured leading his team to the Western Conference Finals.
The Dallas Mavericks superstar has earned three consecutive All-NBA First-Team nods and appears to be on his way to earning the honor for the fourth time. He's averaging 33.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.1 assists while being among the league's most efficient players.
When Doncic's peers discuss his impact on the game of basketball, it comes with a high degree of respect. Nikola Jokic, who is a two-time reigning NBA MVP, described Doncic as being a "one-man army" with there being "no good matchup" to guard him.
"He's a one-man army. He's the guy who can destroy you. Who can really man manipulate the game the right way. There is no good matchup for him. If he has a smaller guy, he's gonna post him up. If he has a bigger guy, he's gonna go by him. He has a deadly step-back."
Jokic explained further: "He has a really, really, really, big basketball IQ. He has a really good view, seeing the floor really on a different level. Basketball-wise, he's a really, really unique player. And the personal, he's a really good guy. Like a guy you can hang out with."
Jokic clearly has a close relationship with Doncic. They spend some time together off the court together and their answers to media questions pertaining to each other certainly reflect as such. When asked if he had to pick a non-teammate to win a championship, Jokic was quick to pick Doncic.
"Luka, of course," Jokic said. "Really good friend. That's about it."
Jokic's Denver Nuggets faced off against Doncic's Mavs in their final game before the NBA All-Star break, resulting in "The Joker" coming away winning, 118,109. Doncic finished with 37 points, four rebounds, and nine assists, in a game that Kyrie Irving was unable to play. Jokic racked up 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.
"With a guy like Jokic, they're probably the favorite," Doncic said of Jokic's Nuggets squad. "It's so hard to play against him. So, when you have a guy like Jokic on your team, you're the favorite, always."
It's difficult not to envision how intriguing it would be for Jokic and Doncic to eventually play with each other. The logistics of how that would unfold are complicated and aren't worth the digression. Having two of the NBA's elite passer that can still put up huge scoring totals is fascinating to think about, especially when factoring in they could both be involved in two-man game actions and attack on their own against mismatches.
Jokic appears to be well on his way to winning a third consecutive MVP award. With Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back from injuries, Jokic has been able to lead the Nuggets to a Western Conference leading 41-18 record, while averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 10.1 assists on .632/.391/.822 shooting splits.
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