Nikola Jokic‘s rise from the 2nd round to being widely considered one of the best players in the NBA is already a story for the ages. But little did one know that there was a possibility that the Golden State Warriors could have drafted the 2-time MVP to pair alongside Stephen Curry. Former GM, Bob Myers revealed that he regrets the decision to date.
Bob Myers was part of the commentating team during the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers playoff game today. While talking about how good Nikola Jokic has become, the former Golden State Warriors GM said this:
I'll tell you this, I'm going to make myself look bad. I don't even remember a conversation about Nikola Jokic. It's probably why I'm sitting here with you. Bob Myers commenting during Nuggets vs Lakers
He then added another analogy of Jokic before knocking himself by saying:
Jokic may be the hardest guy in the league to bother. Who passed on him in the draft?
Bob Myers commenting during Nuggets vs Lakers
Essentially, Myers mocked himself for not drafting Jokic back in 2014. It would have led to the Warriors being a super team.
Had Bob Myers and his personnel team drafted the now 2-time MVP, the Golden State Warriors would have become unbeatable. Imagine Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Jokic all on the same team.
However, it should be noted that Myers cannot be completely faulted. The Warriors were up and coming at the time and about to break free. On top of that, they did not have a draft pick that year. Add to that, the Serbian was not highly coveted at the time.
Nikola Jokic developed from an unknown 2nd round pick to one of the NBA’s best
When Nikola Jokic came into the league, few NBA executives knew about his game. They just saw him as another skilled European big man who is not athletic and cannot play defense. Even though he was a league MVP in the Eastern European ABA League, he was considered at best a solid bench player.
However, the Serbian worked on his game, his physical attributes, as well as his understanding of the game. Towards the end of his second year, all those efforts started to pay dividends . The Denver Nuggets decided to focus on building the team around him rather than other high draft picks who had disappointed them so far. The rest as all basketball fans know, is history.
Two league MVPs, the 1st championship in Denver Nuggets history, and a Finals MVP. This year he might win his 3rd MVP. If only Bob Myers had acted on drafting Jokic in 2014, it is possible that the Warriors would have more than the 4 championships they took home in the past 10 years.
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