Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic has first 30-20-20 game in NBA history

 

                                            (Credit: Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images) 

On Friday night in a 149-141 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic became the first player in NBA history to have a 30-20-20 game (30 points, 20 rebounds, & 20 assists). Jokic actually slightly eclipsed that mark with 31 points, 21 rebounds, and 22 assists. Not to be ignored is the fact that he also had three steals and just four turnovers while shooting 13-22 (59.1%) from the field. Just an all-around brilliant performance that the NBA has never seen before. 

While he sometimes gets discounted a bit for not appearing to have out-of-this-world athleticism, Friday's performance reminded the basketball world that Nikola Jokic is truly an all-time great and one of the best big men in NBA history. As if leading the Denver Nuggets to an NBA championship didn't already hammer that home. We all knew Jokic was special, but still. One can't help but be in awe of what we saw. 

As far as which aspect of this performance is most impressive, the answer is simply all of it. In truth, any game with where you have 30+ points or 20+ rebounds or 20+ assists is a great night. But to do all three in one game? There's really no words that can perfectly capture just how special this was. All you can do is be in awe. 

I don't know where Jokic ranks among the NBA's greatest big men, but he's definitely in the conversation with guys like Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Arvydas Sabonis, and Bill Russell. In many ways, he's kind of giving the NBA a heavy dose of what it would have been like to play against Sabonis in his prime. Due to being behind the Iron Curtain, Sabonis didn't get to play in the NBA until he started to enter the twilight years of his pro career, but Jokic has been able to play at the peak of his abilities and carry the torch that Sabonis never fully got to carry. 

It's really special that we get to watch Nikola Jokic in real-time. I'm sure when his career is over, we'll look back and feel like we didn't appreciate him enough. He really is the kind of guy that might only come around once, so we better appreciate him while we still can. 

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Skyhook Sunday: Joel Embiid is looking like the real deal

                                          (Credit: YouTube. Click here for video) 

Philadelphia 76ers fans have been told to "trust the process", which means to trust that even though their team traded away all their good players and tanked, they should still believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. After initially appearing like another wasted draft pick, it appears as though the 76ers have hit pay dirt with Joel Embiid, who is averaging 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game while also shooting 79.2% from the foul line in his first season healthy.

The 76ers drafted Joel Embiid #3 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft but due to back issues and foot issues, Embiid had to sit out for his first two seasons. Naturally, comparisons to Greg Oden and Sam Bowie started to come forth as a result since they were also highly drafted big men that had NBA careers derailed by injury. Fortunately for Joel Embiid, he doesn't appear to be destined for the same fate as them. The 76ers are being cautious with him and monitoring his minutes, but so far all appears to be going well.

During the 2014 NBA Draft, a lot of people were saying that Joel Embiid could wind up being the best player in the whole draft. He was garnering comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon when he was coming out of Kansas, which might be the highest praise that any big man can receive. While he hasn't yet established himself as at the second coming of Hakeem Olajuwon, he is off to a great start considering how his first two seasons went in the NBA. He's gone from bust to boom during these past couple of months and is starting to look like the best player out of the 2014 NBA Draft class.

As far as the 76ers are concerned, they still have a ways to go, but the good news for them is that they appear to finally have their franchise player in Joel Embiid. He's delivering the goods and is on track to being the next elite center in the NBA. While the NBA is increasingly going more and more towards "small ball", quality big men are still valued at a premium. If Joel Embiid continues on the path he is currently on, there's no reason to not see the 76ers as serious contenders within a few seasons.

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Eurostep Sunday: The NBA Africa game was way more than just a game

     On Saturday, the NBA held its very first exhibition game on African soil in Johannesburg, South Africa. The two teams facing each other were "Team World" and "Team Africa". After getting down by a lot of points, "Team World", which was captained by Chris Paul, found a way to get the win by the final score of 101-97. Bradley Beal of the Wizards was the leading scorer for "Team World" with 18 points. 

     But given the fact that this was an exhibition game, anybody who focuses squarely on what happened on the hardwood misses the whole significance of this game. What makes this game significant is that it is the first NBA exhibition game to ever be played on African soil. After years of having to watch NBA games from afar and seeing their best players leave to play in the NBA, African fans finally had the NBA come to them. It was the biggest step the NBA has made to let African fans know that they are appreciated and valued. 

     During the summer of 2007, I had the opportunity to visit three African countries: South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. I went on several safaris, visited communities, and saw some of the most breathtaking wonders of nature, namely Victoria Falls. 

     While it is a continent with a lot of struggles and issues, Africa at the same time is a beautiful place with beautiful people. Everybody I met there was really kind, humble, and authentic to who they are. In a world where so many people are exactly the opposite, it was refreshing to be around people who radiated such positive qualities. 

     With that in mind, I am glad that the NBA is making an effort to reach out to the wonderful people of Africa. They are not a group of people who will take this kind of outreach for granted. There were so many fans who got the biggest kick out of seeing Hakeem Olajuwon do the "Dream Shake" on their home soil and when Dikembe Mutombo checked into the game, countless other fans were smiling as well. 

     It's amazing how much good 40 minutes of basketball can do and that's not including the days leading up to the game, which were filled with basketball camps for kids and other activities. All in all, the NBA Africa game was so much more than just a game. It served as a symbol of hope and optimism for a wonderful group of people. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news 

No More Excuses For Dwight Howard In Houston

These past couple of seasons, Dwight Howard has been the center of the NBA free agent world thanks to his indecisive and bizarre behavior. One minute he loves where he's at, the next minute he hates it. One minute he loves his coach, the next minute he wants him canned. All this time, Dwight Howard has viewed other people around him as the problem, and all this time we have somewhat given him the benefit of the doubt. He didn't have the right team around him in Orlando; Kobe Bryant was selfish and  Mike D'Antoni was incompetent in Los Angeles, etc. But now that he is a member of the Houston Rockets and is away from the circus of Los Angeles and has surrounded himself with better talent than he had in Orlando, it is time for Dwight Howard to look at himself in the mirror and demand that he makes his situation better and not other people. 

What I'm really saying is he needs to become a better basketball player. These past three seasons, we've seen his scoring average go from 22.9 to 20.6 to 17.1 points per game as well as his rebounding average go from 14.1 to 14.4 to 12.4. That means that his numbers in the 2009-10 season (18.3 points per game/ 13.2 rebounds per game) were actually better than they were this year (17.1 points per game/ 12.4 rebounds per game). In other words, he has regressed since that time, and he hasn't gotten any better. 

                                            image from ksat.com

Now while it may be true that Dwight Howard is still the best center in the NBA ahead of Roy Hibbert and Andrew Bynum, it is not true that being the best center is all that he is supposed to be. He is supposed to be the centerpiece and leader of championship teams like Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal. But so far, it doesn't look like he is capable of being that player thanks to his whining and lack of responsibility for his own actions. He instead looks like he's on the path to becoming one of the most squandered talents in NBA history. 

That being said, he is in a fresh place now in Houston, which is a place he chose to be in. He chose the Rockets and the Rockets welcomed him in to their fold, expecting him to be their leader over the coming decade. He has the pieces around him to win a title with James Harden, Jeremy Lin, and Chandler Parsons around him. Now all that needs to happen is he needs to step up and become the franchise changing center that many have thought him to be. Excuses and whiny behavior won't save him this time. It's time for him to produce and bring home the titles or just admit he isn't what he's all cracked up to be. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord