I mean that isn't hyperbolic. There is a good chance that he is literally the most talented passer to ever play basketball thus far lol. Gotta remember he's doing that when the game is at its current peak. There are a handful of other guys that were great but they might not look so good if they tried to play at the current NBAs level its impossible to say really but he's definitely at least in the running
I think a more accurate way to put it is that Nash/Magic may have been more skilled passers but Jokic is definitely the most effective passer ever. Being 7ft with a massive wingspan adds a lot of passing utility and he's using every bit of it
The thing about guys like Nash and Magic is that they had the benefit of a highly-effective dribble with which to force the defense around with. They could both open up extra angles using their handle and burst and force passes open that wouldn't be accessible otherwise. Jokic doesn't have that advantage, he's not a fast guy and his handle is functional but nothing more. He's basically just using raw passing skills and his length to hit assists, and yet he's still every bit the passer both of those guys were. It's insane to watch, really. He's just a genius.
Stockton, Nash, Magic, LeBron, Kidd and a few more are absolutely up there.. but to say that Jokic is the best is absolutely not an insane take at all.
I agree and would go a step further and say he firmly in conversation for the passing GOAT. I didn’t get to see Magic live but it’s hard for me to think of someone who has better highs, more highs and less lows.
Im gonna be honest this feels like Steve Nash erasure. Every single team that Nash played on between 2002-2008 is a top 50 offensive team all time by relative offensive rating, largely because of his passing and creation. Magic is the only other one who is even comparable in that regard in terms of seasons spent leading an all-time great offence as a pass-first player.
People dismiss Nash, especially in relation to his peers, but he's definitely one of the best passers of all time. His ability to run an offense is definitely up there. He wasn't some overrated loser who stole two MVPs. His low scoring averages don't do justice how incredible his ability to facilitate was. I saw a video saying there were eight or nine people that deserved MVP over him. Say what you will, but that's kinda a stretch. He elevated his team.
Ya people really undersell him because the PPG numbers were very low for a player who is supposed to be an offensive great, but those people didn't watch him or those Suns teams frankly. Guy was insane.
That said, while there's no chance 8-9 guys deserved it over Nash, I think those people do have a point that they aren't the most convincing MVPs lol. Particularly 2006 - Lebron dragging a shitty Cavs team to the 3rd seed averaging 31/7/7 in one of the lowest scoring NBA eras was insane.
So they don't call him Magic because he was so good at passing, they call him Magic because a writer saw a high school sophomore have a great game and it stuck
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u/xyzscorpion [DEN] Peyton Watson 5h ago
Not often that you’ll be seeing a preseason play on highlight reels for a decade 😮💨