“Jokic Is Simultaneously Coaching The Nuggets & Being The Best Player In The NBA” | Pat McAfee Show

“Jokic Is Simultaneously Coaching The Nuggets & Being The Best Player In The NBA” | Pat McAfee Show

They just ran into coach Joker and the boys. Yeah. And down the stretch they him losing his mind. Nija, need you to do this. And remember he said just the other night after game uh uh after the last game of the last series, he said uh I think the media is just paying attention to me coaching more on the sideline. I don’t think so, Joker. I I I think you’re being much more of a coach, much more involved, much more empowered after the coach Malone firing and the general manager firing. I love everything I’m seeing out of Denver. And I do wonder if uh there’s a chance that maybe those players were done with Malone. I think you might be right. And I do wonder if there was a chance those players were done with the building with what GM was doing. Hey, we’re a great team. We’ve won a championship. Maybe they didn’t like the way things were going. So the owner decides to get rid of coach and GM. I wonder if there was a players meeting that’s like, hey, they did what we want. Now it’s on us because how they’ve looked and how they’ve executed and how they’ve been playing. This Denver Nuggets team looks like they can win a ship. We talked to some basketball people. Q Rich says, “You fire your coach and GM a week and a half before the playoffs.” You’re basically saying, “This year we’re not going to win.” What if they said the complete opposite? What if there was a chance that there was gone with Joker and Gordon and Murray and Braun and the boys over there and Russell Westbrook who hucked up a sweet three at the end. Maybe we could have won that thing. Perfect form, great confidence. Maybe he makes that fall. But what if there was a chatter with the team and Joker and the boys said, “We’re good. We got this. We know what we got to do. We have enough maturity on this team. We have enough championship pedigree.” They go into Oklahoma City and at the end the foul and free throw and then foul and then free throw game. I hate Okay, the final two minutes of this game took 6 minutes and 48 seconds in the video that the NBA posted. It was down to 20 seconds with uh uh 20 seconds left with 5 minutes left on that video. And that’s because the fouling and the free throws and the fouling. They were able to foul Chad Homegrren. He misses. They get down the other end. Aaron Gordon drops a three in their eyeball and all of a sudden they go from losing game one in Oklahoma City with just seconds left to stealing one in Oklahoma City because the way they played the game. Debut, I love this Nuggets team and I like the fact that the players might have been challenged by the fact that we’re moving on from the coach and GM. This is your team now. Joker’s obviously taking control. I love how much ownership they’re taking. And if you run it back to the top fox with Joker on the sideline, the first thing I look at as a former player, obviously football, not basketball, but as a former player, uh, on the sideline, him talking to the guys looking like the coach, the players around, how bought in are there. How how how locked in are they to what he’s saying? Like that’s what I look at cuz we know a lot of guys can get in this moment and it’s like, okay, it’s for the cameras or it’s a time to be a leader, it’s time to say some [ __ ] on the sideline. But you can tell it’s legit just based on how the guys around him are looking at him. you know, the respect they have for him cuz he goes out there, he puts it on the line all regular season. He’ll put up 40 plus minutes. And he was dominant again last night. 42 points, 22 boards, and six assists. Like, it’s only three other guys in this league who’ve ever put up numbers like that. Shaq, Wilp, and Giannis. And usually when you’re on a list like that, it’s some pretty elite [ __ ] But it wasn’t just him. It was a full effort. I always talk about championship pedigree and talk about with the Warriors, talk about it with the Celtics. And you got to talk about it here with this squad, too. you go into a hostile environment where OKC obviously they dominated all year long. SGA probably be the MVP this year and those clips like we talked about Tatum and Brown not taking advantage of those matchups. If you go back to those uh Nuggets clips anytime Joker got a switch when it wasn’t a big body only Harkinstein’s probably the guy that can match up with them physically. He was backing guys down and putting them in the bucket. Absolutely dominating. Not only scoring, rebounding the ball and obviously getting other guys involved. You talk about Captain Clutch. I know it’s Brunson right now, but Aaron Gordon on his playoff run. We had to dunk tip back at the rim a couple games ago. And then obviously the big time three here to uh seal this one after Chad missed those free throws. Aaron Gordon actually knocked down two huge free throws down the stretch too. So just an all-around effort by this squad. I love this Nuggets. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I like that. I mean I don’t know anything about basketball. I don’t know anything about it. But you fire the coach and the GM that close to the playoffs and the players all buy in and continue to go. It’s like feels like the players might have been a part of this whole, hey, we don’t we’re done with this. We got this. We’re the ones that are on the court. And watching them have success after doing that. And obviously we’re a player show and we’re always going to see things through the players eyes. But like what Russell Westbrook has brought to that team obviously awesome. I mean obviously incredible. What a perfect spot for Russell Westbrook. You’re like the fourth, fifth, sixth, maybe even seventh guy on that team at any given point. Doesn’t need to have any pressure on him, but whenever we need energy, whenever we need defense, whenever we need a spark, Russell Westbrook comes in. Perfect, perfect role for him. Joker just being able to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, seemingly playing against children all the time. Awesome. And then you got obviously Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray. These guys have been there, done that, and have had success and they’re all bought in. And the fact that they were able to steal one with the free throw game at the end of it, I assume only makes them believe even firmer. What a shot. Even firmer that what they did was right and they are the right group for the job. I’m excited to watch this Nuggets team and I think they’re a problem. I I think they are an absolute problem. Last night I was flying home watching the like the run of that Nuggets Oklahoma City game as I was flying home from Omaha, Nebraska. Great to see the Corn Huskers there. Great to see the people there. Great chance to chitchat with Goth. We got a fight on Saturday in St. Louis. But as I was flying home, I was watching the run of the games. You know, it’s hard for me to sleep, so I’m able to keep up. And it’s just like Joker just controls that thing. You know, anytime he wants, he can control that thing. He just takes it over on the court, on the sideline, on the bench. And if he’s got somebody smaller than him, he’s backing that ass up and he’s moving you 10. There’s nothing Caruso can do there unless Caruso takes a fake fall. And old buddy that was supposed to be the big meat that was going to be a problem for him. It’s like Joker was laughing in this guy’s face basically the entire game. I understand that this Oklahoma City team is damn good. I understand this Oklahoma City team has had an incredible year, but man, it’s hard whenever we get to this playoff time, this prime time where I see this loaded team and with a more invested Joker playing, it’s like this team is going to be tough out. This is a tough out ju all of a sudden I like the Nuggets to I’m not saying it because I like the Pacers, but out of the West. I mean, the Nuggets The I expect obviously we expect I expect this to be a six, seven game. Yeah. I mean, I expect we expect OKC to bounce back and and respond, but this is cuz like you said, coming into it, I think before we went live, you were like, this wasn’t a big upset to me because looking in, you’re looking at, hey, Joker is probably the best player in the NBA. So, I don’t think that’s probably anymore, right? He is the best. In my opinion, he’s he’s best player in the NBA, but you know, SA will win MVP this year. Most valuable best player. We’ve had that conversation. Joker could win it. as an outside fan looking in, it’s like why why is he a nine-point underdog the team that he’s on? But OKC has been dominant. I think Greeny called them possibly one of the best teams ever. Oh yeah, he did. Yeah. Yeah. So, we’ll see. I I expect him to bounce back and this is their opportunity to kind of make a real name for themselves on the global stage. Uh Nuggets, if you do like them, they are not just to win the championship, but just to win this series up 10. They are plus 260 to win this series. Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, is a man who played in the NBA for 20 years. He’s a three-time sixman of the year. Formerly an eighth overall pick in the year 2000. Still young man. Still a young man. That feels like a long time ago. Could still play. Y2K. Quarter century. That’s a long time ago. This guy still got it, though. I’m watching highlights of him playing pickup basketball. I believe he’s coaching at this point. Obviously, he’s a Michigan alum. Ladies and gentlemen, Seattle guy Jamal Crawford. Yeah, Jamal. Mr. Crossover. Thank you for joining us. How you doing, brother? I’m great. Thanks for having me, y’all. I appreciate it. Okay, so I’m a football stoogge doofus. Okay, watch obviously the NBA more so in the playoffs and I watch the Pacers throughout the entire season. I try to keep track of everything going on, but not as dialed in until playoff time comes when every game but the Pacers games are on prime time. So with that being said, Joker in this team and we’ve talked about it ad nauseium because I think it’s a big deal. You fire your coach and GM that close to the playoffs. Is that a sentiment of players are done with these guys and they want to move on by themselves? Is that a sentiment of we’re going to mail it in for this year? Why do you think that decision was made? And do you think it is empowered Joker and the boys more so than ever before? Cuz I feel like that’s what we’re seeing from a Joker who’s more animated, more vocal, feels like he’s taken on a bigger leadership role publicly. Is that from the firing? And do you think that was the purpose of the firings that happened, Mr. crossover. I I think Joker’s always been that leader. I think we see it more now and he may step up his leadership more vocally and publicly because it is a younger coach and David Alderman, but you got to give props to Mike Malone as well because he set the tone for this team and he helped make this team a championship team. And sometimes when you’re a championship level team, when this time of season comes around, that’s when you you dig in, you’re like, “Okay, it’s time.” So, I’m not saying that’s why he got fired, but it could be a rallying cry they’re using to kind of bowl together because right now they look dangerous and Joker is the best player in the world for sure. Okay. So, you agree with our sentiment he’s the best player in the world. It feels like he can take over at any time. Legitimately feels like he can take over at any time. His assists are wonderful. Obviously, he can pull boards. He can shoot threes. He can back it down. He can do it all. And it feels like the boys around him know exactly what he wants from them. And you know, I I the NHL, we were talking to uh Biz from the Spit and Chicklets podcast and TNT’s coverage, and they were talking about these coaches getting 6.5, 7 million a year, and Biz was like, “Coaches in the NHL, like you can only do so much cuz it’s such a read and react type sport.” So, coaching matters, but not really as much as people might think in maybe some other sports. When it comes to basketball, and I’m saying Joker is currently coaching that team. Is that potentially true? And how much does coaching matter, especially in these playoff games, in these big spots? Coaching matters so much because that’s that’s when you can you can show the difference. Great players want to be coach. Yeah. Most of the time they can figure out the problem 99% of the times, but I said a couple years ago, Joker wasn’t playing against the player he’s playing against anyway. He’s playing against your coach. He’s so smart. The way he sees the game, he sees the game in reverse. And you can see OKC’s plan was to make him a score. And that’s probably the best way to try to play him because he’s a naturally unselfish. But now you throw that out the window because he goes gets 40, 20, six assists. There’s nothing he can’t do on the court. And I’m gonna take it a step further, Pat. I think he’s the one guy in this era who’s blended the old school of the ‘9s and this new generation. He can play bully ball. He can shoot threes. He can play on the perimeter. He can do anything on the court. And he does it with with such ease that it’s just he’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen in my life. And humility, too. Crossover. It’s like he’s such a humble guy, almost too humble in my eyes. I I I think we need a little bit more salts, a little bit more moxy out of that man. And I think we’re seeing that right now. And it’s not in like a flashy way. It’s in like a leadership way. If I’m not going to talk, who will talk on this team? And they all rally around him. Debut mentioned it whenever he was speaking to the team on the sideline. We showed in the video a couple times because he’s so demonstrative and it’s so awesome to watch Joker do this. Everybody in that huddle is looking at him. Everybody in the huddle is paying attention. And it’s not like a, oh, [ __ ] this guy. It’s like, no, what do you have to say, Joker? We got massive respect. And it’s because they’ve been to the mountaintop together before or you think it’s because everybody in there knows that they got the best player in the world on their team. I think it’s both. And the word you said, humility. He’s not somebody just going to talk cuz he got lips. He’s not going to just keep talking and talking, wants to hear. He’s going to talk when he has something to say and when he means it. And when he talks, he has everybody’s full attention. He’s he’s been the best player for a while now. I think now he reminds all of us that yeah, I’m the best player and the and the coldest part is it’s not like he’s trying to be. He’s not campaigning for it. He’s just doing it and leading his team. Yeah. Who’s the new face of the league? Who’s the new face of the league? It’s like, well, there’s this big Serbian guy. He might be the face, but he ain’t going to be the voice. And now he’s starting to talk a lot more. He’s not just talking cuz he has lips. Love that. Love that line. Going to start using it and acting like it’s mine. Debbut has a question for you, Mr. Crossover. Yes, sir. Uh Jamal, so you were three time six man of the year. So I want to ask you about the we we know the star players and the big, you know, faces of the league per se, but who’s that biggest X factor you think left in the playoffs? I know every team kind of has their own guy, whether it’s Russ or Derek Wright, P White, I’m sorry, whoever that is. Who’s the biggest X factor in your opinion left in the dance? Man, I’m I’m going to say Westbrook. Think about this. Three years ago, people tried to cancel Westbrook. Oh, he’s, you know, a vampire in the locker room. He’s this, he’s that. In all accounts I’ve ever talked to, all his teammates, they love him. He’s one of their favorite teammates. He brings life. He’s not the perfect player, but he’s a Hall of Famer. And he got moxy and he got heart. And he he just the big moments, the bigger the moments, the better Rush is. And and he’s bringing a whole different swagger. He’s that one X factor you can’t prepare for. He will get an offensive rebound. He’ll hit a big three. The Clippers try to go under, make him a shooter. He hits three threes in that game and takes him out and then hangs on the rim like he’s playing in summer league to get a technical to send a message like Russ is that so we love to see him do well. I absolutely love watching Russ just because you know so what he might not have the most pure jump shot so what he might fight a fan so what he might be a little fiery he is the same person all the time every time. every single time dog like he could play football obviously and this is a guy that could play football in the NFL if he chose to and you talk about sending a message right there him timing that up with the ref and just saying yeah so what now what we’re up 30 I don’t give a damn especially when the story was that Steve Balmer flew all bunch of Los Angeles Clippers fans into Denver so even more so I assume they love him in that locker room I assume Russell Westbrook is beloved there and what a perfect role for him a perfect spot for for him.

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