Game Thread GAME# 44: BLAZERS @ NUGGETS - JANUARY 13, 2019 - SUNDAY, 5:00 PM, NBCSNW

Jokic is the better passer and that’s about it. Jokic shoots threes but he’s not very efficient at it. Last years percentages look more like a fluke.

 

Jokic is easily the best big man passer in the league imo. Would I trade Nurk for him straight up? Yes I would, but this new aggressive around the rim Nurk is starting to sway me a bit. Plus I like Nurks personality more.

 

Having gone to the Game in Denver many times over the last 9 years, i've watched a number of tight games where the Blazers have either lead, or come back to make the game close. And in the game that featured a game stoppage due to a power outage, came back and finished the deal and win. The key in many of those games was finishing the game. If the Blazers continue to get quality bench play, they can return the favor, and give the Nuggets an "L" to take home after the game.

 

Jokic is slightly better at passing the ball, but is a more pure shooter from outside. Nurk is stronger, and has really nice footwork down low. Nurk is, BY FAR , a better defender, and is head and shoulders above the Joker as a shot blocker. It's offense vs. defense.

 

Nurk is a beast. Jokic is not. I like my center to be a badass so I take Nurk.

 

We're going to win this game. All of their strengths are countered by ours. I think Nurk will have a big game and I think Dame will score 30+. GO BLAZERS!!!

 

I think the starters are fairly even. The difference assuming both teams are on their games (no flukey terrible shooting night or incredibly hot shooting) will probably be the benches. The Blazers bench has looked good, but Denver's got quite a bit of firepower too.
I'm pretty excited about this game.

 

Poll results are ridiculous. Jokic has a legit shot as an all NBA first team player over guys like Davis and Embiid. Come on, now. We are like weeks removed from Nurk going like 1-16 against Gasol. Jokic is carrying that squad to the #1 record in the west.

 

He's on par with the likes of Walton and Sabonis. Transcendental talent. And people think Nurk is better than him? What

 

Media really does control the narrative. Not saying Jokic isn’t great, he is, but Nurkic is too and he deserves his respect. And these numbers are cumulative. I’d love to see how Nurk stacks up since we’ve been playing through him.

 

Media? I don't need the media to tell me Jokic is unequivocally the better player. Nurk has had a great run, but he's the third option on our team at best. Jokic is changing the way teams play defenses in Denver's attack. Nurk is the better defender but Jokic is the better player overall, and frankly, I don't think it's as close as the stats indicate.

 

I love what Nurks doing but Jokic is the star on his team and has done it all year at a high level. They’re fairly different players and if you wanted to argue that Nurkic is a better fit here than Jokic would be than maybe thats an interesting discussion but just overall who’s “better” thats Jokic.

 

Here’s Nurk vs Jokic the last fifteen games. I don’t know the specific date we started playing through Nurk but this is probably close enough.

 

Nurkic and the Blazers keep it up and he keeps being so efficient on offense and playing great defense maybe by the end of the year its the right time to have that conversation?

 

I adore Nurk, but could Nurkic be the best player on a number 1 team in the western conference which has had multiple long term injuries to 3 out of the 5 starting lineup players? Nah fam.

 

If Nurkic was on Denver instead of Jokic he’d be their best player. Murray isn’t even as good as CJ.