6 BECK E T T.COM
N
IKOLA JOKIC IS THE GREAT DIVIDER.
Naysayers think of him as nothing
more than a fl ashy passer who can
shoot threes. Jokic’s fans revere him
as one of the most unique big men to
ever step foot on the court. Which-
ever camp you belong in, or if you’re somewhere
in the middle, you have to marvel at the growth
of the Joker.
e Serbian’s basketball story began in the
Adriatic League, which consists of teams from
the former Yugoslavia. For the fi rst few seasons
at Mega Leks he was a minor contributor before
breaking out in the 2014-15 season.
A er being selected by the Denver Nuggets
with the 41st pick, the team chose to stash him
another season at Mega Leks. To put that into
context, other NBA players selected with the same
pick include sharpshooter Jodie Meeks, Notre
Dame’s Pat Connaughton and Atlanta Hawks
guard Tyler Dorsey. e history of the No. 41 pick
isn’t exactly littered with stars. In fact, many play-
ers picked that late in the dra never even play in
the NBA. Denver’s scouting staff deserves credit
for fi nding a superstar so late.
By the end of his fi nal season in the Adriatic
League he had secured the league MVP, averaging
the most rebounds (9.3) to go with 15.4 points
and 3.5 assists. Minnesota Timberwolves power
forward Dario Saric is another former winner of
the award.
e Nuggets had landed their foundational star
with a second rounder, but just how he would be
able to transition to the NBA was still a mystery.
e big man has made tremendous improvements
in the four years he’s been in the league. To un-
derstand that growth we need to delve into each
season as a whole.
GETTY IMAGES