NBA – Eliminated, Nikola Jokic unfiltered on his vacation schedule: “Lots of beer”.

Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif

Two years after his title triumph, Nikola Jokic was knocked out of the title race by the Thunder on Sunday. So it didn’t take him long to think about his off-season and how he wanted to spend it… with a very specific idea in mind.

This time, he couldn’t pull off a miracle. Nikola Jokic, who kept a relatively low profile during Game 7 between his Nuggets and the Thunder, was unable to prevent his team’s rout (93-125). Mark Daigneault had come up with a highly effective plan to limit his impact, sending Alex Caruso on a defensive mission. A choice that paid off for OKC and meant elimination for the Serb.

Nikola Jokic sets the tone for the start of the off-season

With his season now over, Jokic was understandably invited to give his assessment at a press conference. Assessment that he could have tried to qualify, knowing that Denver had to deal with Aaron Gordon, who was hampered by a hamstring injury during the infamous Game 7. However, the pivot-star made no excuses, preferring instead to describe the level of his franchise’s current roster as inadequate:

Nikola Jokic: Well, we didn’t manage to finish as champions this year, so obviously we can’t do it as it is. If we could have done it, we would have. I don’t attach any importance to this “what if…” stuff. We had the opportunity to get involved in the title race, but we didn’t go all the way, so I don’t think we can do it as it is.

The Joker followed up his flashy speech with a clear request to his managers for next year. The Nuggets’ needs seem obvious in his mind. But while he waits to see if his superiors will follow his recommendations, he will soon have to make a decision on a side issue. Eurobasket is just around the corner, and the Serbian national team is waiting to find out its dipsonibility.

When asked about this, the Paris Olympics bronze medallist preferred to play for time and be honest about his immediate concerns:

Nikola Jokic: I think the Olympic Games made me a better player, to be honest. (…) Now I’ll have to make a decision about Eurobasket this summer. I’ll have to discuss it with my coaches and some of the major players, if I can put it that way. We’ll see. In any case, over the next few days, there’s sure to be a lot of beer. (Laughs)

After seven months of hard work, the triple MVP needs to decompress, and that obviously involves a few well-drunk evenings. All in good time, then.