Sports
How Nikola Jokić channeled Larry Bird to become even more dominant
Nikola Jokić’s dramatic leap as a shooter this season isn’t directly linked to the Denver Nuggets’ playoffs semifinal loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last spring. But when one goes 2 for 14 from 3-point range over Games 6 and 7 as Jokić did, it certainly can be looked at as a turning point.
Jokić didn’t shoot the ball well enough. He knew it, and privately, it ate at him.
So one day during the offseason, Jokić went to his player development coach, Nuggets assistant Ogi Stojaković, and said almost every shot feels different to him. Did that lead Jokić to shoot 23 percent from 3-point range against Minnesota in that playoff series? Maybe, maybe not.
But Jokić is a perfectionist, a creature of routine. He felt something was obviously wrong with his shooting mechanics. And he wanted to fix it.
“I think it helps you so much when you are able to shoot the ball at a high level,” Jokić told The Athletic. “It helps you build. It gives you another thing that defenses have to respect on your game. If you can shoot the ball, teams are going to have to guard you differently, and that helps. It helps yourself, and it helps the team.”
Ultimately, Jokić wanted to become more difficult to guard, to keep adding to his game as all the great ones over the course of NBA history have. With Jokić now less than two months from his 30th birthday, longevity has become a focal point to him and those close to him.
“Once he came to me before the season, we talked about his shot and what we could do with it,” Stojaković told The Athletic. “We decided to try and put the ball closer to his body and eliminate negative motions. He tried it and felt good about that, and that’s helped a lot. From there, it was about general reps. What we want is for him to be more fresh for the playoffs, and what we are aiming for is longevity.”
Jokić has won three league MVP awards, spearheaded an NBA title run and established himself as the best passing center in history. But somehow, this season arguably has been the best version of Jokić we have seen. He’s averaging 30.7 points, 13 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game. And even with those numbers, the shooting numbers have metaphorically left Earth.
Jokić is shooting 49.2 percent from 3-point range this season. That would represent a career-high by leaps and bounds — his previous high was 39.6 percent in 2017-18 and he shot just 36 percent from 3-point range last year.
He’s always been a good shooter from distance, particularly for a big man. But this season, on volume, he’s become arguably the best shooter in the league. He and Stojaković did this with preseason repetition. Instead of using the time between the Olympics and the season to rest, Jokić came to Denver roughly a month before he normally would. And then, the two got into the gym daily and worked.
Jokić’s shot used to start lower, which means he had to put his legs more into the shot. The issue with that is Jokić takes so much contact during a game wrestling with opponents in the paint that the legs can go during the course of a game. By the end of a night, a lot of those 3-point attempts end up short and clang off the front of the rim.
Jokić now is starting his shooting motion higher, which means he uses less leg and more arm to get the shot off. The hitch that had been there previously is now gone. It looks a little like how all-time great Larry Bird used to shoot.
Nikola Jokić rebuilt his shot by starting his shooting motion higher up, relying more on arm strength. (Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
It’s worked. Jokić has been a more willing 3-point shooter this season. His volume — 4.6 attempts per game — is, by far, the highest of his career. If the numbers hold anywhere close to where they currently are, it could represent one of the greatest achievements of his career.
“What we like is that he’s taking less energy to shoot the ball,” Stojaković said. “He’s shooting the ball closer to his body. After the Olympic games, we realized that we needed to clean up his mechanics. He shoots it better now. It’s a cleaner shot, and it’s more confident.”
Jokić’s shot has become a bridge for what he’s done the entire season. Even as a good shooter in past seasons, opponents could at least hold out hope of not having to guard him the entire three levels of the floor. And ultimately, going back to the Minnesota series, that’s one of the things that allowed the Timberwolves to be somewhat successful in keeping him relatively in check.
But this season, there hasn’t been any recourse for opponents. He’s been as close to unguardable as any player in NBA history, and because of this, the Nuggets have been one of the best teams in the league offensively (fourth in offensive rating, 117.4).
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“I think there are a lot of factors into what he has been this season,” Stojaković said. “He played for the national team, and that was almost like playing an extra playoff series for him. Every possession and every game mattered, so there was good transfer for him. He came into the season in great shape, and he has continued that.
“But we have continually tried to keep adding things to his game. I think he’s been the best player in the world for the past five to seven years. What we want is to keep him happy and healthy. Every period of his career has had certain challenges. He’s a tactically better player than he has been, and now we are aiming to extend his longevity.”
If there is a negative to this, it’s that the Nuggets are relying on Jokić too heavily. He’s playing 36.9 minutes per game, which would be a career high by far (he’s twice logged 34.6 minutes per game over a season, including last year). It also could result in why his defensive performance hasn’t been as good.
But one reason the Nuggets have expressed strong interest in the trade market is that they want to find someone to help alleviate offensive pressure off Jokić. Denver’s goal is to be the last team standing, and that will always be the goal for the Nuggets as long as Jokić is playing at this level.
Currently, he’s playing at maybe his highest level ever, and it’s on Denver as an organization to maximize just how good a player he is. As for Jokić, he will keep fine-tuning to level up.
“His work ethic is through the roof,” Stojaković said. “That’s the reason he is who he is.”
(Photo illustration: Meech Robinson/The Athletic; photos: Patrick Smith/Getty Images; Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images; Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
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After a slow first round at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia on Thursday, pace of play was a point of emphasis at the PGA Championship on Friday.
However, when an official approached Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley, they became animated.
Thomas, a longtime Team USA Ryder Cup member, and Bradley, last year’s United States captain, were on the fourth hole when they were approached by an official in a cart, and the conversation quickly turned into finger-pointing.
Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley watch from the tenth green during the second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Thomas said after the round that he, Bradley and fellow USA Ryder Cupper Cameron Young, who won the Cadillac Championship earlier this month, were put on the clock, with the official telling them to pick up the pace. However, both Bradley and Thomas appeared to point at the group in front of them.
“We just didn’t really agree with it,” Thomas said, citing course conditions, high winds and tough pins. “We were behind. That wasn’t our issue… It’s just the fact that we weren’t holding up the group behind us.”
Thomas said they were caught up with the pace on the very next hole.
Justin Thomas plays his shot on the 15th tee during the second round of the PGA Championship in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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Thomas had a lengthy conversation with the official, while Bradley appeared to make his point short and sweet — though he was definitely not happy with the call.
It is a large PGA Championship field, with 156 golfers at the course and groups even starting their rounds on the back nine. The scores have also been rather high, with just 25 players below par at the time of publishing.
Aronimink also features a shared tee box on 1 and 10, holes 9 and 17 crossing paths, and a lengthy par-3 eighth hole that’s causing problems. Three par-3s are over 200 yards on the course, and there is also a 457-yard par 4 on the fourth.
Keegan Bradley prepares to putt on the 14th green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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As Chris Gotterup put it on Friday, “You’re not going to get any four-and-a-half hour rounds out here.”
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The Sparks are finally in the win column, but the outcome was in doubt late Friday night.
Behind double-digit scoring from all five starters, the Sparks had by far their best offensive showing of the season, shooting 63.8% during a 99-95 win over the expansion Toronto Tempo.
The Tempo didn’t make things easy, cutting the deficit to two points late and later trailing by just three with 31 seconds remaining and possession of the ball. Marina Mabrey missed a three-point attempt before late Tempo fouls gave the Sparks enough of a cushion to win.
Kelsey Plum nearly claimed a double-double with 27 points and nine assists, while Dearica Hamby had 19 points with seven rebounds and Nneka Ogwumike scored 20 points.
Erica Wheeler, who started in place of Ariel Atkins (concussion), scored 10 points with seven assists and was a plus-16 as the primary ball handler after starting the season two for 16 from the field. That freed up Plum to be in position to score, setting up a much more efficient Sparks offense.
Toronto was shorthanded in the frontcourt without starting center Temi Fagbenle (right shoulder), and the Sparks trio of bigs had a field day with 54 points in the paint.
The Sparks came out firing on Friday, opening with a 17-2 run.
The Tempo went on a 10-0 burst heading into the second quarter but the Sparks countered to maintain momentum and led 46-38 at halftime.
A Wheeler three-pointer early in the third quarter gave the Sparks a 20-point lead. The Tempo cut it to three midway through the fourth while Brittany Sykes (27 points, seven assists) sparked Toronto’s rally. The Tempo put up more shots than the Sparks, 70-58, largely because of a 10-2 offensive-rebounding gap.
Cameron Brink’s 10 points were the only ones provided by the Sparks’ bench, while the Tempo got 42 points from reserves.
Toronto was coming off its first win in franchise history on Wednesday when it defeated Seattle but struggled against a more complete offensive team in the Sparks.
In her return to Los Angeles after winning a national championship with UCLA this spring, Tempo rookie Kiki Rice netted 11 points.
Kate Martin made her Sparks debut as a developmental player with Atkins and Sania Feagin (lower left leg) unavailable and picked up one rebound in six minutes.
The Sparks will face Toronto again on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.
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The WNBA season has been in session for about a week, so it is far too early to make assumptions about teams. That doesn’t mean we won’t make them; it’s just too early to really believe it. I lost my first WNBA bet this season, so I’m hoping to avenge that loss here as the Sky take on the Mercury.
The Chicago Sky are one of the most poorly run franchises in basketball. They have had some great names on their team and only one championship to show for it.
Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner shoots over Indiana Fever guard Aerial Powers in the first half at PHX Arena. (Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images)
There really isn’t a clear indication of what is wrong with the franchise, but they’ve never been able to retain their talent. Aside from Kamilla Cardoso, I can’t name a player on this team that they’ve actually drafted. They just seem to get good players and then show them the door.
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Even though they’ve had questionable front office decisions, they seem to have put together a solid team for this season – something I didn’t expect before the season started.
They are 2-0, which is too early to really say they are a good team. I also want to reserve judgment until they face a team with a longer history than last year. The Portland Tempo played their first-ever game against the Sky, and Golden State was good last year, but still is in just their second season of existence.
The Phoenix Mercury are actually considered one of the best franchises in the league. I’m sure there are issues that people have reported, but for the most part, they have good facilities, and people want to play for their team. They made it all the way to the WNBA Finals last season before falling to the Las Vegas Aces. This year, they are looking to restart that journey and see if they can win the last game of the year.
Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper dribbles the ball in the second half at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2025. (Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images)
It will need to come with some better play than they’ve shown through three games this year. They are just 1-2 for the year with a 0-1 home record. The lone win was a blowout victory over the Aces (a clear revenge game if we’ve ever seen one). Then they lost the next two games against Golden State and Minnesota. Losing to the Lynx wouldn’t be a problem, but they didn’t have Napheesa Collier, who still has an ankle injury.
I expect the Mercury to make some adjustments for this game. They haven’t looked very crisp to begin the year, but they’ve been strong on offense, averaging 87 points per game.
The Sky are going to keep relying on their offense to do just enough and their defense to lock in. The Sky do have an edge on the interior, so they can get buckets fairly easily down low. I like the over 166.5 in this game.
Chicago Sky guard Skylar Diggins chases the ball during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on May 13, 2026. (Bob Kupbens/Imagn Images)
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I also think it is worth betting on Kahleah Copper to go over her point total. Copper had two rough games before she broke out in the last game. Now she has the same sight lines and can attack the bigs from the Sky with her athleticism. Since going to Phoenix, she has scored 29, 7, 16, 25 and 28 points in five games against them.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
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