Nikola Jokic once joked that the Nuggets needed a clone of him to handle Minnesota’s big lineup in the playoffs.
On Sunday, Serbia could’ve used that clone against Team USA in their Paris Olympics opener. With Jokic playing, Serbia kept up with the Americans, but without him, they were outscored 29-3.
Game Breakdown:
A tweet highlighted this stark contrast: “WITH JOKIC | 81-81 WITHOUT JOKIC | 3-29.” Jokic scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out eight assists in just over 30 minutes of play. Despite his efforts, Serbia lost to Team USA 110-84.
Fans might feel surprised by how much Serbia struggled without Jokic on the court.
Jokic sat for less than ten minutes during the game. In that short time, Serbia was outscored by 26 points. His teammates like Bogdan Bogdanovic and Filip Petrusev couldn’t stop the bleeding when he rested.
Jokic’s performance reminds everyone why he’s considered one of the best players in basketball today. Even after winning his first NBA title last year, he seemed ready for another deep playoff run until running into trouble against Minnesota in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Fans often wonder how different things could be if key players stayed healthy or made better decisions during crucial moments.
Despite last year’s disappointing playoff exit where Denver blew a massive lead, they still have good chances to win next year’s NBA title because of Jokic’s talent. The team lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope but added Russell Westbrook during free agency.
What do you think about these changes?
