Nikola Jokic is not "Unathletic" or "Out-of-Shape"

duh.
»Twitter: / marcdjiang
»Instagram: / marcdjiang

[@Hoops_Fan]

People calling Jokic out of shape is strange because that hasn't been the case since the bubble in 2020. He's also very durable. He plays high minutes and hardly ever gets hurt.

[@bastadimasta]

People confuse muscle definition with athleticism. Many top shape European players look like regular people when they stand next to African-American players.

[@donsnow8039]

I believe he even had 50+ minutes in one game against the Blazers in the 2019 playoffs

[@Sqeaky6969]

It hard to say he isn't out of shape on first glance tho everytime he runs it looks like he just got done running 10 miles and he moves like he's out of shape but I think because he's used to moving like that since he was pretty out of shape for a good chunk of his career

[@immrlonelyihavenobody4176]

@@donsnow8039 yeah he played the most minutes in a single post season game I’m pretty sure

[@adriant240]

@@bastadimasta It's mostly muscle definition, vertical jump, and explosive speed that people think of when thinking "athleticism", in particular muscle definition like veins popping out. And Jokic seems to be bellow average in all those but he seems to be above average in everything else. He looks to be strong enough despite first impressions. He definitely has the stamina as well. Maybe it's just African Americans who look extra bulky due to genetics. I'm trying to imagine how much better he could be if he could get in better shape and put on more muscle. Then again that might be a bad thing since maybe the extra body weight could be hard on his legs, but not sure about that. He's already close to 300lb. If you compare him to Braun, you can see how Braun has the extra muscle tone and definition. Braun is a lot faster of course, but that's also because he's smaller. I would consider Braun to be the ideal "fit".

[@PeterBarkerMusic]

How is bro dominating his way to a Finals appearance and people still saying he's out of shape 😭

[@v2hector260]

He's white, that's why😂

[@rafaellelinner6501]

Bro he’s literally in the NBA. Lmao idk where this notion is coming from that he isn’t in shape. Literally every NBA player has to be in shape. This take makes no fucking sense man.

[@TheHeadincharge]

@@v2hector260 People also still don’t realize that even a jacked white dude will look less toned than a comprable black guy simply because of how light reflects off the skin. That’s why all white body builders all put that bronze shit on their body.

[@mrboast2826]

Lol and also lot of muscular player like Zion are out of shape despite having good genetic...Same with Shaq , dude was built like a tank , look muscular but outshaped

[@RonnieMcNutt666]

​@@v2hector260 truth nba fans racist as hell

[@jamesonevers3262]

Also pointing out how athleticism isn't just running and Jumping is super important, Ben Taylor talks about this a lot because It is something that for example makes like Steph Curry awesome is the hand eye coordination and balance.

[@MDJiang]

yup

[@troliskimosko]

Not to mention stamina

[@DawnofIsai]

yeah perfect example is vs the Kings when they were trying to double him he was able to split the defense so easily because he saw a small opening and stumbled through while being able to control his dribble

[@jamesonevers3262]

@@troliskimosko stamina is huge, Curry might be the most insane athlete I have every seen, Jokic is also like a great endurance athlete and that is part of what makes him great, but Steph is maybe the best ever in terms of stamina

[@timmytheinventor4746]

Hand eye coordination is not athleticism.

[@dylancha3030]

Another aspect of athleticism is body control. A guy like Luka can control and contort his body in ways that allow him to finish at the rim despite not having explosive leaping ability. Joking also has this looseness when he does jump which allows him to find a “path of least resistance” to the rim despite his lack of vertical

[@hamoiq908]

Yeah that’s been my take, when watching jokic he always seems like he has like perfect body control and with that every movement he makes always seems to actually have a purpose

[@dumbassdude8372]

Jokic biggest weapon is his IQ. He is smart at finding his angles. All of his skills from soft touches to playmaking is because of his IQ. Nikola Jokic is a generational type of talent. You can learn how to shoot like close to the level of curry but being a jordan, Lebron, Shaq and Jokic are impossible unless you have the same build as them

[@czarlouiebarquilla4090]

JALEN BRUNSON ALSO

[@NdrsOrs]

Actually Luka gets very tired and Euro Cup proved that. He really needs to lose weight.

[@_WeDontKnow_]

i'd say that falls under coordination rather than athleticism i 100% disagree with the claim that he's out of shape. that's objectively incorrect, dude can produce for an entire game on the regular up in denver. but I think he's unathletic compared to an average NBA player, definitely compared to an average NBA superstar

[@draymondgreen6914]

A breath of fresh air knowing you’re back, almost everybody else is a casual, love you MDJ

[@joeyskywalker1322]

Casuals are who makes the NBA go round lol you think your basketball opinions are more valuable cause you a hardcore basketball fan stfu

[@4mazIngxXGamEr]

4:36 what's really funny is that Jokic has the most minutes played in an NBA playoff game with the 4OT Denver Portland Series back in 2019. If he was truly "out of shape" his performance during that game would have dipped. But it didn't.

[@lestonclark2398]

Hes not out of shape just not really athletic....

[@bonedamage]

Another upside to Jokic's less-than-average verticality: A billion % less injuries.

[@MDJiang]

True

[@kurosan0079]

Jokic is incredibly fit. Imagine playing and training in Denver almost every day. Guarantee, 99% of people can't do that.

[@joeyskywalker1322]

Who cares 🤷🏻‍♂️😊

[@qdakid7776]

Guarantee 100% of the nba can play in Denver

[@muhammadputera6593]

​@@joeyskywalker1322everybody who knows the game. You clearly don't. But that's okay, everyone starts somewhere :) try harder

[@Shiljamannn]

Remember that Ayton quote from the bench... "How big is Jokic... He can run, bro.".. Also, Jokic was beating Ayton in running box to box. I don't think people realize how much workload he does.... Jokic does bonus workout after every game, and most people don't know that... He was fatigued in the Lakers series in the bubble, and he was pissed about that and decided to take his cardio and workout to the next level, and he most certainly did.

[@dumbassdude8372]

To be fair beating Deandre Softon is not an accomplishment. But jokic cooks everyone, even draymond and JJJ

[@vrsimulo1234]

Yup

[@tbd7898]

Anyone who watched the 4OT game again the blazers in 2019 knows how great his stamina is 👹✅

[@jdunc3789]

Facts bro played an entire hour😭

[@MaddMan621]

This is what I was gonna say, youd think if he was out of shape he wouldnt be able to play 65 minutes lmao

[@Thicc4080]

and that was before he got really lean during 2020

[@uberneanderthal]

it's more than stamina. he hits the wall like everyone else, the difference is he just doesn't care. whether he's running on a full tank or an empty tank, his play remains steady. that's mental toughness.

[@hamoiq908]

The funny thing is that game actually made him get a lot more into shape

[@VoltaDoMar]

He's one of the hardest working players in the league and he's in excellent shape. People are idiots

[@vidicisthegoat5444]

Which people?

[@giorus]

@@vidicisthegoat5444 Most

[@benoyster999]

He’s not as athletic as other bigs though that’s a fact. Standing reach is not athleticism

[@bradtucker5859]

​@@benoyster999 is that when he's out running AD down the floor on the break or just when he's completely outplaying AD down in the block. People are just look at his body and judge based on his appearance and skin colour. They say the same things about Luka

[@vidicisthegoat5444]

@@benoyster999 Why is every player he plays against gassed by the end of the game. When he looks like he can do it again

[@arob8306]

Jokic’s athletic “weaknesses” is boiled down to his lack of true speed and bounce. Two athletic traits common in most of the superstars the league has seen. He’s also just an enigma on and off the court

[@MrREAPERsz]

This is what it boils down to. But he's a center, so I dont care. He gives a team so much on offense for me to care about his speed. You can't truly guard him.

[@someguy2972]

And despite teaching the league quite a few lessons the last few years it won't matter to Gilbert Arenas if he wins the championship and Finals MVP cuz white...

[@jonnyarnett]

Glad you're back to making videos! You were one of my favorite channels before you left. Your "Basketball before the NBA" video is still one of my favorites of all time. Great thoughts on Jokic btw.

[@ThePrufessa]

I'm watching your last upload next.

[@DontFollowZim]

I think that at times his movements appear awkward or uncoordinated too. He just moves differently to most other people, and that can make him "appear" unathletic, but just because he doesn't look as smooth, doesn't mean he is unathletic and I think he uses that seemingly awkward movement to his advantage because it's harder for people to predict how he is going to move. so he's that much harder to defend.

[@Uppercut_TV]

What a Solid and Thorough Breakdown! This was impressive AF! You literally made me see the Joker in a diff light. This was needed💯 Appreciate the Content Fam🙌🏽💯💯💯

[@MDJiang]

thanks

[@patrickarthurs8484]

He’s one of the most intelligent and skilled players in the league. He’ll have a long career because his play style is very sustainable.

[@ironialol]

buddy doesn't jump, buddy doesn't get hurt

[@antinapay]

As a commenter here said, Ben Taylor of thinkingbasketball categorized athleticism. Jokic is not fast twitch, explosive vertical or horizontal athletic. But he is elite in everything else. Coordination, flexibility, footwork, deceleration, stamina, durability. Thanks for the video.

[@nathanielstevens7150]

Welcome back MDJ!! We missed you man, glad to see that passion basketball rekindled 🫶🏽

[@natedogg890]

So glad to see you back man, it actually made my day

[@Treivax]

It's great to have you back! Your well-thought-out insights and perspectives were sorely missed during your absence.

[@1muggsy]

Man I’m glad your back on nba youtube, I missed your takes. Another great watch, keep pushing out fire content bro

[@DawnofIsai]

thank god you're back bringing in actual sensible takes back to the community. It's insane to me that ppl think he's out of shape. He's so strong and runs the fast break constantly compared to other centers and he's almost never injured which you can't be in shape when you're constantly in the rehab room trying to get back into shape lol. Bro played 60 minutes in a 4OT game. Look at his footwork and touch, he has great hands too, and like you said amazing hand eye coordination which is why he gets so many tip ins and deflections. It's also how he's able to get a hold of bad or awkward passes. And it's not just that he's a phenomenal passer, his vision is insane too. Overall he's so skilled and basically uses all his physical traits to his advantage. I also think him not jumping much when shooting helps him not get tired so easily. It's hard having to carry all that weight lol it's why I think embiid needs to stop throwing himself around it's just asking to get injured.

[@luizansounds]

also, his "fatty" look is for sure straight genetics, people from cold regions with slavic/baltic origins tend to store more fat to handle the cold, unlike other regions like western europe, america, and africa, you see that when he is running the fast break that his cardio is one of the best considering his height-weight-fat percentage

[@angahbg9089]

​@@luizansounds reminds me of fedor emalianeko,tyson fury and daniel cormier

[@luizansounds]

@@angahbg9089 there is a soccer's player here in Brazil called Patrick, forgot the surname and last name, if you saw him playing you would think *tf this fat dude is playing* to them run more than and with more intensity than everyone else. He is actually really strong with a thick ribcage and noticable superficial fat, enough to not make him look like he is more than everyone

[@akirakurusu4215]

Embiid needs to throw himself around in order to get so many trips to the line.

[@readmycomment3707]

Great video! Id like to see one on Jokic defensive skills as well. A lot of the same types on ESPN keep repeating "Jokic plays no D" yet the advanced stats seem to show otherwise. Shot deflections, contested shots made to miss, ect

[@PedroOliveira-jg5pr]

It’s great to gabe you back, man! Shoutout from Brasil!

[@colevacheron7312]

Glad to see you back

[@MDJiang]

Thanks

[@meihem.]

great video marc! really hope sports media starts to see athleticism as more than simply speed/vert

[@walstonstone4016]

Man I just love MDJ videos, quality contents is back

[@draven_kx7]

I’m so fkn happy you’re back!!! Missed your channel a ton! Best basketball channel on yt

[@emmanroncales5927]

Glad to watch your videos again. Hoping for more uploads.

[@fedelercari]

Glad your videos are back!!!!

[@cobypieros4960]

Seeing an MDJ video pop up on my timeline made my day. Loved your old videos. Hope you’ve been well man!

[@Un_known861]

Loving these videos, I’ve missed the NBA/Basketball content from you! ANY CONTENT IN GENERAL

[@qurie1071]

Ironically, I was scrolling few days ago to check if you are back. Glad to see you’ll be uploading again. I loved your content back then! Wishing you a good luck on this journey once again! We gotchu fam!

[@jakasmalakas]

Loving the return, just making sure i comment so it hwlps in the algorithms.

[@snail15]

im so glad ur back and that i stayed subbed

[@MyFavoriteSportsballTeam]

King back! Love the video, dude

[@jaker721]

You're keepin it real. good shit

[@jonathankim1690]

WELCOME BACK MDJ, missed the content brother

[@pwnedd11]

Really amazing points. I just subscribed!

[@UnknownFilipino]

Welcome back MDJ, I'm glad you're doing NBA analysis again. As usual, your takes are on point.

[@blackdragon7038]

I’m happy you’re back. I reckon you should have a podcast.

[@MDJiang]

yeah maybe, although I did that for a while I don’t like it as much

[@jpool710]

Another day with MDJ post is a happy day

[@taintedtapper]

well! the return of MDJ? (for the record, i saw your alt channels, sick content as always)

[@mylonevibe]

i’ve been waiting like four years for somebody to make this video 😂😂 thank you

[@Zanzibarbarian88]

I'm glad you're back

[@stefanturovic1274]

Subbed after 58 seconds of listening. Quality break down. Pozdrav iz Srbije(Hello from Serbia) 🇷🇸 🏀🤞🏻

[@DKtrek21]

His footwork is surprisingly fast despite his size. He kinda looks like Hakeem with those feet.

[@billiramone]

I took a break from NBA KZbin. I love that you're back!!

[@fojemo1661]

I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE BACK BRO!!!

[@cyberslash11]

Bro I just wanna say that I missed hearing you talk ball and I'm glad you're back

[@M16n27]

Thanks for coming back :)

[@Juan_rivera]

Good to see you back

[@shAAAAAAAAAAq]

I've waited literal years for you to come back. It's great to see you back on the grind MDJ!!!

[@rimimimimimimimim4170]

Bruh if even Dame says Jokic is definitely in shape, he’s running so much some of the most miles per game at his height in the playoffs, and he’s playing in Denver, where Dame said he gets into the third quarter and he’s exhausted then I don’t think he’s making things up

[@randygaschler9709]

Thank you for doing this. You are absolutely correct and this is actually easy to prove as you skillfully did.

[@eric31shaggs]

When they say "unathletic" what they mean is "his moves do not look cool" You have to admit that a double-pump dunk from Jordan is cooler than a half layup, half hook shot that Jokic does. His moves are similar to Bird or Stockton. He gets the job done and does not worry about looking cool and making the highlight reel.

[@kozart6709]

MDJ you should make a part 2 to your salary cap explanation vid with the new CBA coming in soon

[@russy9519]

Good that your back doing NBA videos!

[@fighterck6241]

MDJ I didn't realize that you were back!!

[@kesavaviswanadha7556]

ha I missed you so much dude it's crazy that I was literally a high school kid when you left and now I'm about to graduate college 😢 time flies, love your analysis! Also; I'm really into ML/statistical analysis, so if you want to discuss video ideas (I have some in mind), lmk!

[@Por-poI]

Bro you're back??? Glad to see you again!!

[@guillermopardo961]

I remember you said in one video how underrated Devin Booker athleticism is. You also said that in the future you would be doing a video explaining how athleticism in the NBA is measure. Well, finally is the day. Glad to have you back!

[@peterlu8950]

MORE - love your stuff dude

[@odysseas573]

What the hell, did you start uploading again? Congrats and great video as always!

[@tomerbendavid2288]

Dude this video is so good. You earned a subscriber

[@willjensen5595]

I don't think having a "good" standing reach is as much an aspect of athleticism as it is a trait that simply helpful for an nba player- like height more generally.

[@andrejk7059]

People genuinely think athelticism equals to running fast and jumping high, thank you for fucking clarifying this because nobody in the NBA sphere will, we need your videos bro

[@dutchrutter16]

So happy you’re back.

[@roq4212]

took a 3 yr break and came back w/ the same fire takes, letsgetit

[@josiahmorris5799]

Thank you. People used to say this about Steve Nash as well, but I have heard personal stories about Steve Nash being able to outperform anyone with his endurance, not to mention his quickness, hand-eye coordination, and slight of hand.

[@Valentin-ve6ms]

So happy you are back, Basketball needs you❤️

[@Hemfly]

Ppl jus call Jokic those things because he isn’t the typical looking “athletic guy” in the nba.

[@anujvij1997]

Never unsubbed because I knew you’d always be back LFGGGGG

[@jcarmelotsoi]

holy shit are you back for good? ive really missed your videos haha

[@Guukoh]

I'm so glad MDJ is back

[@ericglenn9984]

Im so happy your back talking ball

[@alvincreatives3974]

Glad you're back man! You, Andyhoops and Jxmyhighroller are the best NBA youtuber..

[@douglasmaina141]

Welcome back bro

[@dflowhoops]

No way Mark is back lets go

[@clerv2528]

Holy ish ur back😢

[@nikolakovac9445]

Great video man! Keep it up. Mainstream media has their narratives (just like in politics) because they are controlled, but what really matters is more and more and more people like you on youtube are speaking up against their narratives. And you guys are small, but you will overcome their millions of dollars “shows” when speaking the truth from the heart ❤️

[@dreamcreationmedia4000]

Thanks for doing this video.

[@anthonynorman7545]

Idk about standing reach being an athletic trait, but you're bang on about everything else.

[@darthrevanakc]

Thank you! I’ve been seeing this the whole time. Dude isn’t Allen Iverson fast, but I’ve seen him blow by players and even drive through contact including against Anthony Davis. Dude is a good athlete especially for his size. I think he puts a good pace on other teams especially in transition.

[@xrxez-mp5016]

My favorite nba creator is back?! Let's go!!!

[@carboy101]

I fucking love MDJ! Happy dude came back to his channel

[@DavidOmniscentSnake]

When you said you were stopping making videos I almost unsub because why would I be sub to a dead channel but I didn't because from time to time I like to rewatch some of your videos like the one about the hot hand (they are really interesting) so I'm glad you are back talking basketball. About Jokic it is rare nowadays to see any star caliber player play as much as he does besides I think he hasn't suffered any major injury so it is testimony to him being in shape.

[@TTAAllDay]

Man I missed your basketball videos

[@grb_electric2395]

Thank you for saying this

[@TehSCARGaming]

YOOO WHEN DID YOU COME BACK!!!! my year is made

[@elmarnigmatullin4490]

You're back 😊

[@watonemillion]

I agreed so much with everything you said that I'm gonna have to subscribe

[@the2dudes1]

I'm really high atm but apparently MDJ is back. Hell yeah

[@derekstaff]

Nice video. Great points. I think there is much to be said for the fact that muscle definition/low fat ratio isn’t the greatest indicator of health and strength. There are arguments that the ultra defined body so popular now may be less healthy and conditioned than a body that has muscle with some fat. Another aspect of athleticism I’ve been thinking about regarding Jokic is footwork. The man has incredible moves in the post because of his footwork, the spins and counters. Despite a body that arguably looks ungainly, the man is very graceful, sometimes looking like a dancer with his feet arms arms as he maneuvers for a floater or push shot or flip. Yes, that’s a skill, but like you pointed out with passing and hand-eye coordination, I think one can argue that this is probably boosted a great deal by innate, coordination, which is an athletic trait.

[@Mike-zw9zv]

Whoa he's back !🎉

[@gdubbya804]

Thanks for breaking it down like that .

[@JosiahDrew]

bro why did you go silent for 3 years i just found you a week ago and I love your stuff

[@bernardfinucane2061]

This reminds me of the scene in the (baseball) movie Moneyball, where all the scouts are talking about what the players look like instead of their stats.

[@edgarsnake2857]

Thanks for basing your observations on some facts and evidence. Many highly respected NBA commentators have been neglecting that part of their job.

[@mrjayfoggy]

How does someone's standing reach correlate to athleticism? It's a body trait, not an athletic trait.

[@bigbill327]

don't body traits strongly correlate with athleticism?

[@MDJiang]

I mean it’s part of their physical body. That should be considered part of athleticism.

[@ItsMeStrider]

@@MDJiang you're not athletic simply for being tall or having long arms and legs, in fact the oxford definition of athleticism makes a clear distinction between stature and athleticism. "ath·let·i·cism noun the physical qualities that are characteristic of athletes, such as strength, fitness, and agility. "what he lacks in stature, he more than makes up for with speed and athleticism"" Jokic is pretty strong and has very good hand-eye coordination, he's also very durable, all of which are athletic traits, but being tall or having long limbs doesn't count. The point people are making are related to other athletic traits that generally superstars have and nikola doesn't while still outdoing them on the court, such as running speed, overall agility, vertical jump etc. Nikola is not a "physical specimen" like MJ or Lebron but he's doing just fine without jumping high or running super fast.

[@dylancha3030]

@@ItsMeStrider I agree that those measurements alone just physical traits and not “athleticism” but coupled with the fact that Jokic has elite coordination makes it more impressive considering bigger athletes are typically much less graceful and coordinated. Being big on top of having athletic abilities such as coordination, speed, vertical, etc almost counts as double in my book.

[@ItsMeStrider]

@@dylancha3030 I'm just discussing the meanings here, jokic is very impressive, in fact I'd say he got robbed because he's easily this season's mvp. And yes him lacking in certain athletic traits does make it more impressive how dominant he is.