Jokić: DeRozan's Playmaking Is Underrated
Nuggets star Nikola Jokić praised new teammate DeMar DeRozan's passing ability, saying Denver will find a way to blend his skills into their offense.
Nikola Jokić says DeMar DeRozan's ability to run an offence is being sold short.
The Nuggets centre spoke about his new team-mate at Denver's media day, focusing less on DeRozan's scoring and more on his feel for the game.
"We know he can score, but I think his playmaking skills are underrated too. I think we'll find a way to play together. Maybe he'll like playing with us and in our style of basketball. He'll figure out how he can help the team and what new ideas he can bring to our system," Jokić said.
DeRozan, a six-time All-Star, arrives in Denver as one of the most-discussed additions to the roster this off-season, joining a Nuggets side built around Jokić's own passing game. His reputation rests mainly on his mid-range scoring, built over stops in Toronto, San Antonio, Chicago and Sacramento, but Jokić's comments point to a different question facing Denver's coaching staff: how to fit DeRozan's decision-making into an offence already organised around the reigning MVP-calibre centre.
If the two find that balance, Denver gains a second read at the elbow alongside Jokić, rather than a scorer operating apart from the offence.
About this article
Prepared by the editorial team with the help of algorithms, based on the sources listed