Nikola Jokić recorded his fifth straight triple-double to lead the Denver Nuggets to a win over the Sacramento Kings. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to Jokić’s 70 foot buzzer beater and box score, the Lakers ability to be good or bad depending on the night, and the biggest name snubbed as an All Star starter. Then, the Athletic’s Joe Vardon joins the show from Paris to talk about the awesome Victor Wembanyama show, the hum of the arena, and possible NBA expansion to Europe.Host: Dave DuFourWith: Es Baraheni & Joe VardonExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson MoodySubmit your questions to The Athletic NBA Daily mailbag: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5939460/2024/11/25/nba-podcast-mailbag-athletic-daily/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chapter 1: What did Nikola Jokic achieve in the latest game?
Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for January 24th, 2025. Coming up, Nikola Jokic, still the best player in the world. The Lakers just totally demolished their rivals, the Celtics. And we got Joe Varden to stay up late in Paris because he went to watch Wimby. Bonjour and bienvenue, everybody. Hey, good morning, everybody. Good morning, S. He told me to throw some French in there. Bonjour.
There we go. Make it easy.
We've got a big French theme. No, not really. We just talked to Joe Varden, but that'll be after the break. That Paris game is pretty fun, man. I really like that court. You know, it's funny. They didn't go too garish with it like we've gotten used to with like the NBA Cup courts. You know, the little design inside the three-point line was nice.
Sleek design.
I liked it.
I liked it. Nice presentation.
It was cool. Yeah, it was. The lighting was nice. I don't know. We could go on and on. Yeah. The French do it right, I guess. Someone there is going to win a nice award for the lighting. Speaking of awards, Nikola Jokic, I think, is still making a very strong case for MVP. I know that we have even said here maybe that Shea Gildress Alexander has wrapped up. He scored 54 last night.
Of course, two nights ago, they lost last night. not that that means he's not the front runner for MVP but in stark contrast the Nuggets won and Nikola Jokic puts up 35 points 22 rebounds 17 assists numbers that we haven't seen since Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1969 which it was funny enough like you could basically make that Nicola Jokic's middle name, like not since Will Chamberlain did it.
True. Yeah. I mean, like it's almost every single time. I feel like Adam Maris might've made that joke, but the moment of this game, In a game where Jokic just does all kinds of crazy things. He hit a shot to end the third quarter at the buzzer. And I went and checked ass and we talked about this before the show. We checked the footage. The play-by-play data gives him credit for 66 feet.
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Chapter 2: How did the Lakers perform against the Celtics?
Well, that's what the Spurs used to do, right? Like, I mean, the Spurs didn't shoot many, but they got these great looks. And, I mean, obviously we've talked a lot about Boston and how they settle for okay looks quite often, right? And Jokic just doesn't. You know, he's not – it's funny because he'll often go full, you know, quarters without taking a shot.
I think there was a game a couple weeks ago where the first 10 minutes – And they had a 15 point lead and he didn't take a shot. So, you know, he's not like this guy who's always out there looking for his own shot, but this season he's done it more often than maybe at any point in his career took 19 in this game, but only three threes. Yeah.
That's the, that's the margin of error you have when you have the best player in the world. Like, yeah. If you think about the conversations we were having about the Nuggets the first couple months of the season where it's like, where do they figure this stuff out? How are they supposed to get a rotation? Is this going to lead to the end of the Nuggets dynasty?
A lot of people were talking about that. The window was closed. The window is closed, exactly. But when you have the best player in the world, he is able to create a margin of error for you to figure it out.
And I think between some of the injuries and them playing some of their younger guys more minutes in Strother, in Peyton Watson, those guys figuring it out next to Jokic, Aaron Gordon coming off of the bench and sacrificing and being like, okay, I'll just be a bench player for you guys if that's needed. Russell Westbrook stepping into his own. And now...
Jamal Murray is playing really, really good basketball, too. So he's afforded them the time to figure things out around him. And that's why he's the best player in the world, man.
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Chapter 3: What makes the Lakers such a confusing team?
Yeah. The Russ move to the starting lineup kind of has overshadowed Jamal Murray's resurgence. You know, we talked a little bit like. this season about him looking like he's had to play himself back into shape. And now he looks like he's in shape. Like some of these step backs that he likes to get to the mid Rangers that were coming up flat in the games.
Like he's actually hitting those now and it just opens up the floor for everyone. But it is amazing what they're able to do with Russ and Christian Brown. I think like we're, we're, We talk a lot about the offense with this team, but I think some of the defensive disruption that these guys are able to pull off.
I mean, there's a couple of sequences where they're jumping passes, you know, in the backcourt even and applying pressure. So that has also been kind of a difference for them.
Yeah, totally. No, I think they're just finding different ways to win on both ends. And you mentioned the defense. Like, I think that's a huge part of what they had to figure out identity wise, what they would be. I'm just curious, like, how much further can Yoke take this team? Because they're creeping up the Western Conference standings. They're a game and a half out of second in the West.
If I'm OKC and OKC is having an incredible season, I mean, we've we've talked about it a lot. Right. I think OKC is a very, very good team championship contender. Marcus Thompson talked about the pressure on OKC to win this year.
I think Denver adds to that pressure because now it's this is a team that is formidable, has the best player in the world and is also playing some of its best basketball at the right time.
It has the experience, right? Yeah. They've done it before. They've been there before. They know what it takes. I'm working on some Nuggets takes over the next few weeks. I just think this team is back in a big way. I've got a question for you. Yeah. How many rings would Nikola Jokic need to be in your top 10?
Wow, top 10. Okay. All time. If you ask certain people, he's already there. I'll just say that. But I think I think he needs I think he needs like one or two more to be solidified unanimously as a top 10 player in the world. Well, all time. So I think two more would solidify it for most people.
But I think if you look at the last five or six seasons of Nikola Jokic's career, it's one of the best peaks in NBA history. And when you look and compare his peak to other peaks, It's up there with some – I mean, name a name.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of All-Star selections?
Chapter 5: How is Jokic's performance affecting the MVP race?
I liked it. Nice presentation.
It was cool. Yeah, it was. The lighting was nice. I don't know. We could go on and on. Yeah. The French do it right, I guess. Someone there is going to win a nice award for the lighting. Speaking of awards, Nikola Jokic, I think, is still making a very strong case for MVP. I know that we have even said here maybe that Shea Gildress Alexander has wrapped up. He scored 54 last night.
Of course, two nights ago, they lost last night. not that that means he's not the front runner for MVP but in stark contrast the Nuggets won and Nikola Jokic puts up 35 points 22 rebounds 17 assists numbers that we haven't seen since Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1969 which it was funny enough like you could basically make that Nicola Jokic's middle name, like not since Will Chamberlain did it.
True. Yeah. I mean, like it's almost every single time. I feel like Adam Maris might've made that joke, but the moment of this game, In a game where Jokic just does all kinds of crazy things. He hit a shot to end the third quarter at the buzzer. And I went and checked ass and we talked about this before the show. We checked the footage. The play-by-play data gives him credit for 66 feet.
And we think it's at least 70 feet. It feels like it's 70. So we're waiting on the Hawkeye or the Raptor or whatever the camera technology it is that they're using this year to tell us. But man, another ridiculous game for Jokic.
He's so absurd, man. I think that's the only way to talk about Jokic. It's just that it's absurd watching him on the court do what he does every single day. And not even bat an eye. It's just dominance. Every single time he's on the floor, the Nuggets win their minutes by a million thousand when you look at the numbers.
And I think one of the crazier things about it is that it's all within the flow of the game. He's not...
chucking up shots he's not trying to force things he's just out there playing basketball and doing it in a way that gets him those numbers whether that's rebounding whether that's passing whether that's scoring the ball he's shooting at a career high from three this year too which is a massive part of what they need from him it's like oh the nuggets are one of the worst three-point rate teams in the league okay i'll just be a 45 three-point shooter yeah no problem
Well, that's what the Spurs used to do, right? Like, I mean, the Spurs didn't shoot many, but they got these great looks. And, I mean, obviously we've talked a lot about Boston and how they settle for okay looks quite often, right? And Jokic just doesn't. You know, he's not – it's funny because he'll often go full, you know, quarters without taking a shot.
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Chapter 6: What should we expect from the Nuggets moving forward?
I think Denver adds to that pressure because now it's this is a team that is formidable, has the best player in the world and is also playing some of its best basketball at the right time.
It has the experience, right? Yeah. They've done it before. They've been there before. They know what it takes. I'm working on some Nuggets takes over the next few weeks. I just think this team is back in a big way. I've got a question for you. Yeah. How many rings would Nikola Jokic need to be in your top 10?
Wow, top 10. Okay. All time. If you ask certain people, he's already there. I'll just say that. But I think I think he needs I think he needs like one or two more to be solidified unanimously as a top 10 player in the world. Well, all time. So I think two more would solidify it for most people.
But I think if you look at the last five or six seasons of Nikola Jokic's career, it's one of the best peaks in NBA history. And when you look and compare his peak to other peaks, It's up there with some – I mean, name a name.
Chapter 7: Can the Lakers compete for a championship?
It's at least a conversation. It's at least a conversation. No matter the name for any stretch of time. I mean, again, he's basically put up the best season ever for five years in a row. To the point where you have to start – I mean, there's – I don't know. Do you trust the stats? I don't know. The stats match the eye test with him. Yeah, I'm not ready to say he's top 10 ever.
But, man, if he wins four rings, it's not going to be a hard conversation. Yeah.
uh it's it's been rivalry week all week s i'm not sure if you're aware i know because like some of these games haven't had the luster you know the pacers and spurs having this french game you know i think also throws things off a little bit because we've been really focused on that um but the lakers and celtics met and by the way it was delayed because the bucks and And heat were delayed.
The Bucs were delayed getting out of New Orleans because of all the weather. You know, it's snowing in the south. And so the start of that game was delayed, which the Bucs won. So Lakers game was delayed a little bit. Two blowouts.
Yeah, I had to find it.
So, yeah, we got a bunch of blowouts, which shout out to Zena for calling this the other day. We're in blowout zone. But the Lakers, hey, they looked really good against the Celtics. And, you know, a lot of people can try to throw this away and say, well, the Celtics are a little bagged up. Second, I have a back-to-back. You know, I think outside of all that, the Lakers just looked –
good right just in and of themselves the lakers are easily one of the most confusing teams in the nba if you were to watch this game you'd think well you know what anthony davis is right they are one or two piece away from contending for a championship but then you go and watch a game where they lose against the dallas mavericks without luca and kairi and you're like okay that maybe they're not the
a team that is one or two pieces away from the championship. I think they're inconsistent, which maybe lends to the fact that they are a couple pieces away from being a really good team. But when they have performances like they do tonight, it shows you that there's something there. And I think some of the guys on the team know that like A.D.
talking and saying, hey, I would like to play the four more and I would like some reinforcements this season. J.J. Redick mentioning the same thing. I wonder if that's applying some pressure to get something done over the next couple of weeks. I don't know what that thing is. Right. Or how they pull it off or how they pull it off.
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