“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
– Unknown
“Stick with what you’re good at.”
-Stephen King’s first publisher. And second… And…
Stephen King’s first novel Carrie was released in 1974, and was immediately hailed for its storytelling and horror. Even with the plaudits, it was not an immediate success. When the hardback version released, it only sold 13,000 copies. But the feedback around the book was so strong that King’s publisher, Doubleday, doubled down and sold the paperback rights for a then-astronomical amount. The paperback sales went a little better, to the tune of a million copies. Oh, I mean a million copies in its first year. Little Stevie King went from poor-and-struggling English teacher to successful horror novelist overnight.
I read my first King story 12 years after he published that first book, and have never been able to be around clowns since. It scared the hell out of me, and was the first book I quite literally couldn’t put down. I’d read it late at night after my family had fallen asleep, and would promise myself I’d finally go to bed when I got to a less scary part. Over 1,100 pages later, I never found one.
For his part, King chafed at the title of “horror novelist” from the beginning. By his second decade in the business, the rebellion was in full bloom. When his publishers tried to pigeonhole him in the early going, he would write under a pseudonym, simply to tell other stories that appealed to him. After 10 years, he published his first non-horror book under his own name, a fantasy novel called Eyes of the Dragon. Once the genre bug had bitten him, King’s wanderings exploded. 47 years and over 80 books later, King has written successful novels in the fields of horror, fantasy, suspense, mystery, romance, gothic, science fiction, and more. His book The Green Mile was the first serial novel written since Edgar Allen Poe. He embraced e-publishing before it was a thing, and has written strictly for television and screen. Stephen decided no one was going to tell him what he could and couldn’t be good at, and that drive has garnered him hundreds of awards for his writing from over 50 organizations, including the Hugo, Nebula, and O. Henry, as well as garnering him the National Medal of Arts and the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. The guy can, uh… write a little bit.
Jack of all trades? Damned straight. Master of… All? Sure seems like it.
When Nikola Jokic joined the Denver Nuggets in the 2015-16 season, he was one of the less-likely solutions the team was considering to solve its post-Melo quandaries. His first season saw him as a part of several schemes rookie head coach Michael Malone threw at the wall to see what would stick. Nikola started, came off the bench, played power forward, center, and point-something, deferred, led, and basically did whatever was needed to contribute to the team’s success.
By season’s end, you could see that his passing was already elite, his shooting touch was soft, his hands were solid, and his offensive court IQ was through the roof. His defense, footwork, mobility, and conditioning were lacking. People openly questioned if a guy who was so obviously good-hearted could be effective at the highest levels, let alone a leader. At best, his strongest proponents saw the ceiling and limitations to his game. Even so, he quickly became a fan favorite.
Coming into his second season, I was fortunate to have an in-depth chat with him to learn more about what made him tick, and was impressed by his humility, candor, and sensibilities. Moving around the world, learning a new language, and succeeding beyond your wildest dreams at a very young age presents a lot of unique and challenging opportunities. Jokic not only seemed unfazed, but to embrace the moment. He knew who he was, and was glad to be unique in more ways than his game. He saw the positives and negatives in his game and embraced the challenges of improving, even if the path to do so looked long and difficult.
Fast-forward to his sixth season, and Jokic is playing like a man possessed. His stats are at career highs across the board. With nearly a third of the season gone, he leads the league in nearly every advanced measurement category. He is currently at the forefront of the league’s MVP conversation, with even his biggest detractors admitting that he is one of the toughest opponents to face due to his multifaceted game. Whether it’s actually this season that he wins it or another, the Joker will be the lowest-drafted player to win the MVP by an order of magnitude. To date, the lowest-drafted players to win the award are Steve Nash and Giannis Antetokounmpo, both drafted in the 15th slot. Jokic’s 41st pick literally laps the field.
Those shiny early career positives have become the underpinnings of his genius. His passing abilities are amongst the league’s elite in any era. His vision and court IQ are Einsteinian. The soft shot, soft hands, and soft heart? All massive assets in an ever-expanding arsenal.
But possibly even more impressive is the work that Jokic has put in around the weaknesses he came in with. While he’ll never win a dunk contest with his athleticism, he’s put in the time and dedication to truly become an athlete. His defense has steadily improved due to his conditioning gains and court sensibilities. His desire for a close-knit team that shares first has become the bedrock on which the Nuggets identity is built. You want a fierce competitor? He is certainly that. But you want someone to stir the pot and be a jerk? He’s not having it. Jokic will nice you to death. He’s not glamorous, but he’s adored. Banking that has built up a lot of compound interest over six seasons, and suddenly Nikola has gone from ignored to esteemed.
Even more exciting for the Nuggets faithful, Jokic still has room to grow and an insatiable desire to do so. With the path he’s taking, that seems quite likely, with a game that will only get better with age. So many facets of his style of play give him an opportunity to have a lengthy career with a very slow decline. The idea that we might not have yet seen the best of Jokic is a tantalizing prospect indeed.
Jack of all trades? Hell yes. Master of all? Not quite yet, but damn, is he close. This Joker is certainly a card, has never been wild, and is dealing Nuggets Nation the best hand they’ve ever had.
