Getty Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker get into it during Game Four of their Western Conference semifinals series.
Indiana Pacers’ newest signing Bruce Brown has had a unique last few years in the NBA. He joined the Denver Nuggets last year during the free agency period and was an integral part of them winning their first title in franchise history in June. But before that, Brown was a key part of the Brooklyn Nets which featured the All-Star duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Durant and Irving may get more “oo0hs” and “ahhhs” from the fans, but Jokic has proven to be the type of player that can change the fortunes of a franchise. During a recent appearance on the Tidal League, Brown was asked the difference between playing with Jokic on the Nuggets and Irving and Durant on the Nets. Brown said the biggest difference is the Nuggets’ two-time MVP is “too unselfish”.
“Playing with Ky, James, and K, is very different than playing with Nikola,” Brown said during a recent appearance on the Tidal League. “I wouldn’t say Ky and [Durant] are [not] unselfish, but I feel like Nikola is too unselfish. He’s going to make the right play every single time.”
Bruce Brown Sounds Off on Nikola Jokic
Jokic is perhaps the most unorthodox superstar the league has ever seen. If you saw him on the street you probably would think he was a marketing executive or a bank teller and not a world-class athlete. Although Jokic is one of the most complete players in the NBA, he is not as athletic as guys like Durant or Irving. Because of this, he doesn’t have moves like a pull-up jumper in his arsenal. But Brown says that is one of the parts of Jokic’s game that makes him such as special player.
“K can shoot over two people, Ky can shoot over two people and score – Nikola is not going to do that. He gon’ pass it and believe that you going to make it,” Brown added.
“Every single time. There are multiple times this year where I’ve taken game-winning shots off of his pass, and he’s supposed to shoot it.”
Tracy McGrady Praises Kyrie Irving & Kevin Durant
Irving and Durant were undoubtedly one of the more unique pairings in the NBA during their time with the Nets. Durant is essentially a 7-foot point guard with his ability to score, handle the ball and make the correct pass when he is double-teamed. That coupled with Irving’s wizardry with the basketball, and his ability to drop buckets in bunches at any given moment, made them one of the NBA’s most feared duos.
Even with their lack of playoff success as a pair, NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady is placing them in the ranks of championship-winning duos such as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
“I have not seen a pair, a duo that skilled since Mike [Michael Jordan] and Pip [Scottie Pippen]. There is no other dynamic duo that compares to KD and Kyrie,” McGrady said during an episode of “Club Shay Shay” with Shannon Sharpe. “Even if you look at what LeBron and D-Wade were. Skill-wise they still weren’t touching them two boys. Even if I were to play with Grant Hill I still don’t know.”
Tracy McGrady says Kyrie & Kevin Durant are more skilled than LeBron and D-Wade & Jordan and Pippen 👀
“LeBron and D-Wade, skill-wise, are not touching KD and Kyrie.”