“Nikola Jokic is one of my favorite players because of how patient he is”: John Collins aspires to master basketball cerebrally like the 2021 NBA MVP

JJ Redick asked the Hawks’ young star forward John Collins whose game he wants to emulate in the future. Pat came the answer – Nikola Jokic.

Nikola Jokic has been playing like a man possessed in the year of 2021. He used the first half of the calendar to seal his first MVP trophy through 7 seasons in the league. And about 40% of the 21-22 season in, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better performer than Jokic.

This man was mainly criticized for not being an active help defender, and for being too much of a sieve when it came to pick-and-roll defense and being a non-factor at stopping the lob play.

These are 3 aspects that Draymond Green pointed out as his defensive flaws in film study last year. Jokic, who’s always been looking to make his mark as a player, took that feedback to heart. And he’s made huge strides in all 3 aspects of that.

This year, the Joker is among the league’s better players even on the defensive side of the ball. Jokic is no Joel Embiid on that end, but he’s more than holding his own.

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What draws people to watch and admire the doughy Serbian 7-footer, however, isn’t his D. It’s the way he conducts the Denver Nuggets offense like a freestyling orchestra conductor. Collins definitely is a huge fan of the 26-year-old.

John Collins names LaMarcus Aldridge, Nikola Jokic among players he wants to emulate offensively

John Collins was the most recent guest with JJ Redick on the latter’s ‘The Old Man and the Three’ podcast. Collins is one of the league’s most expressive players and has never been shy at speaking his mind.

Putting Collins in an interview setting also helps NBA fans view him for his highly intelligent basketball mind. This became apparent when Redick asked Collins the one player whom he wants to emulate in the next 5 years. Collins didn’t even stop to think before answering with:

“One of my favorite players to watch is (Nikola) Jokic because of how patient he is. I’m not saying I wanna be Jokic, but I wanna play with patience. The way he approaches the game, that vibe, that patience, seeing things before they happen.”

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