THE LIST: The difference between passive and smart

“The List” is a brand new series that serves as a companion piece for the “Notebook” episodes of the Locked on Nuggets podcast and the DNVR Nuggets podcast. In this edition, I share some notes on the win over the New York Knicks on Thursday.

1. The first play of the game, the Nuggets ran a set that I hadn’t seen before. It looks a lot like the C Corner series that I’ve gone over in detail for What Makes This Play Great but it had one key difference. Jamal Murray and Paul Millsap are lifted up a lot higher toward the level of the foul line. This allows for more spacing at the basket and a quicker exit for Murray to release toward the three-point line.

2. Three interesting notes on one play.

3. It’s not just that Jokic has incredible vision. His passing is a combination of several different skills that come together to create passes like the one below. First off, Jokic knows that he is going to Will Barton before his third dribble. He sees that the two back side defenders are out of position to run out toward the three-point line so Jokic already knows his target.

Then he starts to set the trap. He bangs against the post defender one last time and goes into a pass that begins as a shooting motion before releasing into a one-handed pass. The back side defenders can’t tell that it’s a pass until it’s too late. This timing might seem insignificant but this is the type of rhythm and timing that Jokic uses to add quarter seconds of time for open shooters to get their shot off.

4. Juancho Hernangomez is an A+ weak side cutter and floor spacer. Example number 18274.

5. Here is a great example of Jokic appearing passive but actually just reading the court and signaling for a better option out of a switch.

6. Very next possession, he is the one with the mismatch and Jokic suddenly becomes “aggressive.”

7. Jokic wasn’t happy about this missed read by Jamal Murray.

8. Jokic in his bag is so fun to watch.