Fansided

The Whiteboard: Let’s put a moratorium on talking about Nikola Jokic

By Ti Windisch

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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NBA Twitter has been debating Nikola Jokic’s merits for far too long already this offseason. Let’s take a timeout.

Nikola Jokic is a good basketball player. That’s the first and last statement regarding Nikola Jokic’s talent, skill, or ability I am going to make in this piece that’s sort of about the Denver Nuggets’ big man.

I’m not adding any more because there’s really nothing to say that hasn’t already been said, thousands of times, on Twitter and Reddit and wherever else diehard NBA fans gather to talk about their favorite league. Jokic has been compared to just about everybody, from Shaq to Joel Embiid to Andrea Bargnani. Whatever Jokic take could exist does exist, somewhere, whether it’s an article or a tweet or a podcast or a damn message in a bottle.

Enough is enough. Nikola Jokic is Nikola Jokic. Jokic is 23 years old, and he’s got a whole NBA career ahead of him. There can be plenty of conversation and even debate about the Serbian center when he’s actually playing basketball. Right now, he is not. Well, maybe he is, but he’s not playing in NBA games so it’s not all that important in this context.

Both fans of Jokic and his detractors must agree that this is getting tired, right? There can’t be new arguments being dug up at this point–there’s no new evidence that hasn’t been available for months. The Jokic debate isn’t over, it might never be, but can we call an armistice for now?

Let’s just take a little break from this to talk about, I dunno, anything else. The WNBA playoffs just started, that’s exciting! Workout photos are leaking, that could be fun. Baseball is on I think! Anything besides more Jokic talk will work, really.

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