KAT is a ~Top 10 player, and has been for a while.
People may argue this, but go and compare Jokic’s career stats with KAT’s.
They’re almost identical, but Nikola is a better passer while KAT is the better (outside) shooter.
Except KAT was doing it sooner, while being drafted a year later. I digress.
Today Jokic is hailed as one of the greatest players to ever play, hands down the best passing Center, while KAT gets thrown into trade scenarios the entire year round… What a joke.
If the Wolves get the better seed, or better yet, the playoffs win,
I want ya’ll to know two things.
One, KAT is close to, if not equal to, if not better than, Jokic.
And two, the supporting cast is just as important as your big two or three.
Look up the last 5 champions. Nuggets, Warriors, Bucks, Lakers, Raptors.
In the biggest of these games, there’s guys like Aaron Gordon, Andrew Wiggins, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jrue Holiday or Fred VanFleet scoring like 10 more points than their average.
Almost like clockwork, the cast is, at times, as important as the stars.
Imagine having a 15 5 and 5 guy, and he’s your 4th best player. That’s Toni Kukoc.
That’s the 72-10 Bulls.
Look at Manu. Guy was like a 15ppg scorer his whole career. Every time the Spurs won a title, he scored ~27 or more in 1 or 2 games, each series. Yeah, of course Duncan, but when your 3rd best player keeps getting career highs in big games during the playoffs, your team will probably win championships.
When the Wolves win it all this year, KAT and Ant will be forefront,
but Jaden and Naz and Rudy will be equally as important, in their respective roles.
I fucking guarantee you, if Jaden and Naz average 14 apiece in the playoffs, we won’t even lose 2 games in a series.
Thanks for my reading my Ted Talk,
and you’re telling me to chill. this was my entire point. recency and trophy bias.
remember when murray was hurt a bunch of years and the nugs were getting swept?
was Jokic “one of the greatest” then?
Is he even the “best” player now? Or top 3 even?
When Anthony Davis won in 2020, they talked about him being a Top 3 player and the #1 two way player, just like they did Kawhi in 2018. Are either of those guys even top 10 now?
I’m not saying Jokic is destined for that path, but I am saying that if KAT and Ant and company win a ring or two,
KAT will go down as one of the greatest big men of all time, just like your boy Jokic.
Saying “he’s just some guy” up til this point is just about the dumbest thing a man could say, and I’d punch you in the face if you were my own little brother. lol