MINNEAPOLIS — Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic won his second-straight NBA MVP honor on Monday. An incredible accomplishment, especially when you consider that he was drafted No. 41 overall in 2014 NBA Draft.
Jokic winning his second consecutive MVP, and his similar build to Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns, it had the guys over at The Ron Johnson Show curious.
They both are big men that can score from anywhere, they play in the same division, they play each other often. Jokic averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game this season. Karl-Anthony Towns averaged 24.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game this past season.
Locked On Sports Minnesota executive producer Sam Ekstrom asks, what would KAT need to do to get in Jokic’s territory?
Locked On Sports Minnesota is a new podcast feed from the Locked On Podcast Network featuring multiple shows focused on all the biggest stories in Minnesota sports. Subscribe today on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts!
“The only thing they’re close in is points, in my opinion,” Ron Johnson said. “Jokic doubled him in assists. That’s a huge difference. If you look at where Jokic plays and is comfortable playing…Karl-Anthony Towns can shoot so he can play up there as well, but Jokic lives up there. He’s a passer. He’s one of the best passing big men. Instead of Karl Anthony-Towns trying to own trying to be the best shooting big man. Just be the best overall player. Pass the ball more.”
Johnson said it starts with the vision and that’s what KAT needs to work on to get closer to Jokic’s level.
“He has to get his vision. When you think about the double teams that start coming late in the game, he has to be able to see that open guy…Karl-Anthony Towns has to work on that and the vision. The vision is just being able to scan the room like Robocop and the moment you feel green, go, you can’t hesitate. Just go. You’re going to have some turnovers in that mode, but you’re going to get better and better at it. And, it’s going to force people to not be able to double you.”
Johnson said KAT also needs to turn into a winner. Someone who wills his team to win.
“One, KAT has to will his team to win. That’s kind of the key. Jokic plays on a team that you don’t say the Nuggets have a bunch of killers. Jokic doesn’t have that. KAT has that now with Anthony Edwards, so how does he improve it? You’ve got to start giving to your guy. Pick and pops, pick and drops, pick and rolls, you’ve got to do it all with him.”
Ekstorm said KAT needs to find a way to get more comfortable on all parts of the floor, attracting defenders to open up more assist opportunities.
“I just think he has to get more comfortable in the post,” Ekstrom said. “Jokic does a lot of his damage rebounding and passing from the block where he’s there to get offensive rebounds. And when he’s got the ball on the block, everyone kind of sucks down into the paint and he holds the ball up and throws it to the perimeter and opens up shooters. KAT doesn’t do a lot of that.”
Locked On Sports Minnesota is a new podcast feed from the Locked On Podcast Network featuring multiple shows focused on all the biggest stories in Minnesota sports. Subscribe today on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts!