Overhead to Thrill vs. Trap in the Corner
There’s not a lot of context needed for the overhead pass to Will Barton. After the game, Thrill explained, “I knew he was going to throw that pass as soon as he picked up the ball. And exactly like that. I knew he was going to throw it behind his head. Once you start playing with guys, you know their tendencies. And I know Jok.” I know Jok too but he still surprises me and this pass caught me completely off-guard.
The trap in the corner pass does need some context. Jokic was en route to the fastest triple-double in NBA history. Not in modern NBA history. Not among centers. Among every player to ever play the game. Jokic was in his bag in this game and everything he did was pure gold.
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One handed slinger vs. Casual flip pass
When the slinger happened, I distinctly remember Vic Lombardi tweeting out, “That pass by Jokic just now made me swallow my tongue.” It was a perfect comment. We weren’t used to Jokic throwing never-been-done-before type passes so this was still a new feeling. Here is this 7-foot center from the 2nd round who was throwing the types of passes you wouldn’t even attempt in your local YMCA league. Little did we know that this was only the beginning.
The casual flip pass came in the preseason following Jokic’s breakout sophomore season and it was like finding an oasis in a desert. How did we go an entire offseason without him? And it’s not some run of the mill pass. Have you ever seen this pass before or since? Joker is an original, man.
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