Nikola Jokic has to do a better job keeping his cool in heated moments
May 8, 2023, 7:27 AM
Nikola Jokic shouldn’t be suspended for Game 5. The Nuggets center got in a dust up with Suns fans, including the team’s owner, during Denver loss in Game 4. He was assessed a technical foul; the punishment should end there.
Will the league see it the same way? Only time will tell, but everyone in the Mile High City is on pins and needles today, waiting for a decision.
And that’s a problem.
Jokic can’t put himself in this position. It’s inexcusable that the two-time MVP is in jeopardy of not playing in a pivotal game.
He needs to own that fact. Everyone has to stop excusing his poor behavior.
Did Mat Ishbia instigate the situation by playing keep away with the basketball. Yep. Did the fans make contact with Jokic first? No doubt.
But that doesn’t excuse the big man for his actions. He still has to keep his head in that moment.
That’s difficult to do. It’s easy to say in writing, but harder to execute in reality. There’s no doubt.
But it’s not too much to ask that a player show restraint. And it certainly isn’t too demanding to expect a team’s best player, not to mention their highest paid, to avoid compromising situations.
If this was a one-off moment, it’d be easier to dismiss. But it’s not. For a third-straight year, Jokic has allowed his emotions to get the better of him during a playoff series.
Two years ago, he was ejected from Game 4 against the Suns for taking a swipe at Cameron Payne. It was a silly foul, committed 90 feet from the basket in plain sight.
That one was dismissed by everyone because the Nuggets were already toast. Sure, they could’ve won that game had Jokic not been booted, but they weren’t coming back from a 3-1 deficit anyway.
Last season, Jokic took exception to Jordan Poole bumping him during a timeout. He turned to charge the Warriors guard, only to be restrained by Draymond Green.
Once again, the lapse in judgment was excused. Jokic was frustrated because his undermanned team had no answers and he was getting zero help.
Perhaps those moments needed to garner more attention. Maybe making a bigger deal out of them then would’ve avoided today’s situation.
The Nuggets are title contenders. They have a stacked roster, one capable of beating anyone. But it all goes up in smoke if their MVP isn’t on the court.
Maybe Jokic dodges a bullet on this one. Hopefully, the league doesn’t let Ishbia’s childish behavior impact the series.
But even if that happens, it’s time to address the elephant in the room. Brushing Jokic’s hotheaded moments under the rug again will only ensure that they happen again.
He has to do a better job of controlling his emotions. Teams are going to try to get under his skin. Opposing fans are, too.
If the Nuggets are going to win a championship, their best player has to be able to keep his composure. Nikola Jokic has to rise above the fray.
***
