Miami Heat: Nikola Jokic Their Toughest Assignment Yet
By Isiah Curry
Ever since the Miami Heat opened the 2021-22 NBA season, they’ve looked very impressive and a 7-2 start only proves that.
After defeating the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, the Heat have won four of their first five home games and will look to carry that momentum forward and toward the Ball Arena, as the Denver Nuggets will be their next opponent.
Early in the season, the Heat have succeeded against a handful of teams that have featured at least one marquee player. That includes Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee and Kevin Durant of Brooklyn, both All-NBA talents and previous Most Valuable Player Award winners.
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However, the Heat will endure yet another defensive challenge — who may be just as, if not, a more difficult matchup — than the two stars mentioned above. That would be the reigning MVP and a marquee in his own right, Nikola Jokic.
As a seven foot offensive phenomenon, it isn’t unknown that Jokic’s status as a top distributing big man of today’s era has risen and being a walking highlight reel among most NBA centers doesn’t hurt either.
However, his game is often simplified to that aspect, as his uniqueness revolves around an ability to manipulate defenses and raise the trajectory of his teammates with his passing. However and as it must be said, he is also just a flat-out unguardable scorer.