Nikola Jokic is coming into the 2018-19 Denver Nuggets season with a different mentality than usual. Instead of being passive, Jokic is acknowledging that he needs to be more aggressive because his team needs him to do so. That change in his mental makeup has also led to Jokic setting a lofty goal for himself.
On day one of Nuggets training camp at San Diego State University, the Serbian Sensation alerted the media that he wants to be an All-Star selection this season.
“For me personally, I want to be an All-Star,” Jokic exclaimed without hesitation.
Normally, this is a very typical response on the first day of training camp when a player gets asked about their goals, but for Jokic — who is unselfish and altruistic to a fault — this was a welcomed alteration to his mindset entering his fourth NBA season. For the Nuggets to be the best they can be, Jokic will need to learn when to be passive and, more importantly, when to be aggressive.
In addition to his change in perspective, Jokic also knows that he cannot let up even for a second if he hopes to help Denver back to the playoffs for the first time in five years and also reach his goal of becoming an All-Star. While the saying ‘every possession matters’ is perceived as a cliche, for Jokic and the Nuggets, it has to become a way of life.
“Every practice, every game, every quarter, and every possession matters,” Jokic explained. “That is not just about me, but also about my teammates.”
The Nuggets are coming off back-to-back seasons in which they missed the playoffs by just one singular game. This year, Jokic knows how important every moment will be. So, with that being understood, Jokic is now coming into the new season with a different level of assertiveness and aggression. He is still the happy-go-lucky goofball with a savant-like offensive game, but this year he knows that he can, and should, force the issue whenever his team inevitably needs him to do so.
That is what makes Jokic such a polarizing player. His unselfishness is both his best trait and simultaneously what is holding him back from reaching even greater heights. Without his philanthropic style, there is no way that he could have ascended to NBA stardom. Now, Jokic will never reach his full potential if he is only thinking about making others around him better. At some point, Jokic will have to decide to put his foot down and carry his team when needed.
“Whatever is good for my team I am going to do,” Jokic explained. “So if that means being aggressive, I am going to do that. I showed myself that I can do that so if that is what I need to do, I am going to do that.”
It is the last sentence of Jokic’s quote that is the most important. Jokic is rapidly realizing that he cannot be stopped offensively when he puts his mind to it. He has every tool imaginable on that end of the floor and he is now willing to use each and every single one.
If Jokic is truly preparing to step into the role of carrying the Nuggets and proudly serving as the best player on the floor, it will lead to him accomplishing his goal of earning an All-Star selection and will almost assuredly get Denver back to the playoffs.
