Nikola Jokic’s dominance against the Minnesota Timberwolves lately has been something to behold.
The three-time MVP is easily the biggest reason the reigning champion Denver Nuggets have flipped this second-round battle on its head while taking a 3-2 series lead. He has absolutely taken over, leading Anthony Edwards to just laugh about the Denver star’s greatness.
In the process of Jokic’s superb play against Minnesota, he’s doing something we rarely see from him: Throwing down uncharacteristic monster dunks whenever he sees an open lane. This isn’t to say Jokic isn’t capable of such feats. It’s that he’s much more known for being a polished, technical player than an outright acrobat.
Jokic discussed this recent dunking “discrepancy” in his press conference after Game 5. He made a hilarious joke about his capacity for monster dunks actually always being there:
"I'm a freak of nature." 😂
Jokic speaks on revealing his dunk package against the Timberwolves 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/iqK4Q8eZsz
— NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2024
What gold. The man’s comedic timing is unmatched.
Indeed, while Jokic is 100 percent joking, it feels kind of hard to deny his “freak of nature” sentiment. Few players in NBA history have made basketball look this easy on a night-to-night basis and in the biggest moments. Even fewer have consistently gone outside of their comfort zone –like with these Jokic dunks — and still excelled at the highest level.
But that’s precisely why Jokic is an all-time great and the unquestioned best player in the world. He’ll dunk … especially when you expect him not to.
