Before shooting his first shot of the evening, Nikola Jokić opted to back Victor Wembanyama under the hoop. It only took Wembanyama a little while to stop it, which is how Jokić figured it out. He started going after the Spurs as they were moving, outpacing Wembanyama to the floater zone with a quick burst of speed for the grab. On defense, the Spurs star is a one-man wrecking team that is ready to cause havoc. Jokić exploited this by cutting anytime Wembanyama looked away. The idea that Jokić is out of shape has been replaced with the knowledge that he’s among the league’s best-conditioned big men. The large guy was a mover.
While Jokić put on a clinic, Wembanyama flashed his outrageous potential. The young Frenchman is special, and his time will come. But it’s not now. Now belongs to Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets.
Jamal Murray
Murray’s first four assists of the night went to Jokić. The first three looked similar, drawing Wembanyama’s attention before finding Jokić in space or on the move. In the second half, Murray picked up four more assists, each to a member of the surging second unit. That group is on a roll, and Murray deserves credit as the leader. He struggled from the field again, but that doesn’t paint the whole picture. His ten rebounds, eight assists, and four steals should be considered.
