Why LeBron James thinks Nikola Jokic is the best player in NBA… See more…
DENVER “One of the best players to ever play this game,” according to LeBron James, was Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic during the Lakers’ final practice before their playoff series starts on Saturday night.
“He takes care of everything.” The most significant factor, according to James, is that he alters his teammates’ perceptions of their own play. “The true measure of a great leader is their ability to motivate their teammates to perform at a level that they occasionally don’t even believe they are capable of.”
James said Jokic’s combination of size and force is tough to equal, but that’s a challenge the Lakers have to accept.
“There are a lot of guys who are physical but don’t possess the frame that Joker has as well. And he’s in great shape too,” James said.
“Being able to match that intensity throughout 48 minutes, or however you’re on the floor and he’s on the floor, you have to match that. He’s damn good. And you just try to make it tough.
He’s very good at everything. Offensively, he can do everything. You just try to make it tough on him.”
Stopping Jokic — or even slowing him — wasn’t really a focus for the Lakers on Friday as they arrived in Denver ahead of Game 1 (5:30 p.m. PDT, Channel 7).
“It’s a team defense just trying to contain guys, make it tough for them. Ball pressure. Mixing up pitches,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis said. “It’s not gonna be perfect all the time.
Obviously, they’re gonna make shots. But we gotta continue to play. We make a mistake, try to make a hard mistake. Just try not to give them anything easy.”
