r/nba • u/SliMShady55222 Supersonics • 11h ago
Cam Johnson explains Jokic as a teammate
https://streamable.com/dbpz59659
u/_NoodleDeity_ Bulls 11h ago
Absolutely unreal perception at a split second. 1 of 1 player.
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u/capeando 11h ago
Also him sliding for the pass is pretty clever.
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u/_NoodleDeity_ Bulls 11h ago
Correct, that tiny bit of sync-up is a credit to Johnson’s own understanding of positioning. These little plays and adjustments end up winning playoff games down the line.
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u/CitizenCue Warriors 9h ago
Yeah this dude seems pretty high BBIQ himself. Jokic may be on another level, but it takes a lot of intelligence to recognize and work with true genius.
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u/cortesoft [GSW] Chris Mullin 8h ago
There are obviously a few notable exceptions (that we can all probably name), but most NBA players have a way higher BBIQ than we give them credit for, and when they get paired with a passing savant like Jokic, most of them know how to take advantage of it.
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u/CitizenCue Warriors 7h ago
I think many would do it instinctively, but fewer than you’d think would be able to describe what specifically they were doing. Some of that is just communication skills, but a lot of it is being able to analyze what you yourself are doing and why.
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u/cortesoft [GSW] Chris Mullin 7h ago
Yeah, I am actually listening to him right now, and he is pretty impressive. Being able to do it and being able to talk about it are different skills, and he certainly has the communication skills.
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u/OkAutopilot NBA 6h ago edited 5h ago
Just to play devil's advocate, I think most people think of MPJ as a "low BBIQ player." Whether that is fair or not is another discussion, but, he's talked in good detail about playing with Jokic and about what he does on the court, when, how, certain plays, where to find space, etc., over the years he was there.
Cam is better at speaking than most players, he's succinct in how he speaks about stuff, but most NBA players are going to be able to explain what they were doing during a play, why, what they're seeing, etc., even if it's not "analyst" quality. Particularly ones who have been in the league for a number of years. Particularly off-ball guys and defenders who are getting paid off their ability to read the floor and find space to make plays.
Honestly if you're in film you're going to be asked any number of times, "what were you doing here", "what did you see here", "what should you be doing in this situation", etc. Guys get plenty of reps talking about what they're doing and what they need to do (and many more times hearing it) that it'd be really weird if they couldn't describe what is going on in the game. I'd say that the overwhelming amount of players who are good enough to make it to the NBA can do this, very few cannot, and would be the youngest guys.
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u/CitizenCue Warriors 3h ago
I’ll admit that like 95% of what I know about Cam is from this clip. But I watch a lot of basketball and basketball interviews, and do not agree that most players routinely break down things to the level of detail he is here. Like being able to cite an entirely separate play where Jokic held the ball a little extra to draw off Cam’a defender before passing out to the perimeter.
Maybe the whole NBA can recall and analyze like that, but they don’t. At least not publicly. They more frequently speak in platitudes and generalities.
Again, maybe that’s just a difference in communication skills. But being able to communicate a concept is at least one indication of knowledge about that concept. Maybe it’s a false indicator in Cam’s case, but it’s fairly reliable.
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u/inefekt Australia 4h ago
the notable exceptions probably have 100x the BBIQ of anyone here though....you don't make the NBA with the BBIQ of the average fan. It's all relative. We bag someone like Scalabrine but he is always used as an example of the gap between his skills and even D1 players. We can call him rubbish when compared to his NBA peers but he would utterly destroy you and anyone else in this sub on a basketball court. Same with those notable exceptions when it comes to analysing the game....you would very quickly come to discover that you are way out of your depth, even against those dudes.
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u/Instantcoffees Warriors 4h ago
Yeah, small but crucial adjustments like that make me admire the level these guys play at. I played 3 and D at a good level for a while, but I don't think that I would have figured out to make this adjustment here. Maybe playing with Jokic teaches you that, but still very smart and good presence of mind to do it.
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u/abris33 Nuggets 10h ago
It's something that other players pick up quick. Austin Rivers said that if you're not always ready for a pass from Jokic you will get hit in the face in practice. I'm sure it's similar here where he'll throw it to the corner and teammates have started shifting because of a couple times in practice where it went past them
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u/BlueHundred Knicks 10h ago
I think the absolute trust Jokic's teammates have in him is astounding. They just know that if they get open, the ball will find them.
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u/Inevitable_Bottle520 10h ago
Bird was like this. You must be young. I’ve always said that Jokic is a big Bird. That’s scary as crap. Yes, double entendres.
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u/Aff_Reddit 9h ago
Bird
Mate I dont think hes young, I think you're just old. Bird's prime was 40 years ago
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u/Inevitable_Bottle520 4h ago
Ha, perhaps. I’m only 55 though … and just like I was supposed to know about Wilt, the Big O, Jerry West, etc., these cats must know about Bird, Magic, Dr. J, etc!
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u/CrazyConnector Bulls 8h ago
I have a toddler in the house and saying Jokic is Big Bird just hit differently 😆
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u/Suspicious_Ideal_324 Celtics 6h ago
When I first showed my daughter Sesame Street she didn't know what to call Big Bird and called him "Sunflower Duck" 🥺
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u/pananana1 Pelicans 7h ago
What? You can watch full Celtics games on YouTube.
If you watch one, you MIGHT see one slightly fancy pass. The rest are just like easy bounce passes to his HOF centers.
Jokic does this insane shit constantly.
I think people are tricked by these passing highlight videos of bird that span his whole career and make it seem like he did it regularly.
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u/Inevitable_Bottle520 4h ago
Lazy ass take. Bird made special passes every game. Clearly you barely watched him.
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u/pananana1 Pelicans 4h ago
lol go find me any full length game on youtube and find me these special passes. i've watched like 8 and it doesn't happen.
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u/ThatGuyWithCoolHair Timberwolves 10h ago
This is gonna sound insane but it sorta reminds me of a pro gamer in a game like Rocket League, sounds dumb but to me it makes sense
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u/Diciestaking Mavericks 11h ago
Its always fun to be surprised how a player sounds when they talk. I did not expect cam to sound like this lol. Also his insight is actually really good here and explained well.
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u/eltristo66 9h ago
I was thinking the same thing. I hadn’t heard Cam
Johnson talk before and definitely didn’t expect High School science teacher52
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u/wahobely Raptors 8h ago
You should watch Cam's episode when JJ was still doing the pod. Their conversation was fantastic, probably the best episode, ball knowledge wise.
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u/ExplanationDense6024 8h ago
He's great at explaining things. I could see him being an effective coach.
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u/AbroadTiny7226 7h ago
He’s been on the Zach Lowe show before too. He’s a good interview. Seems like a good dude
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u/HealthyBuddy2944 11h ago
Yeah the stuff he says implies he thinks a lot, which is rare for an NBA player based on the way they typically talk
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u/smor729 10h ago
Hmmm ok buddy, but you are on thin ice with this one 😂
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u/bryanczarniack 9h ago
Hear that dog, someone’s a whistling!
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u/SenatorLesterGreen Bucks 6h ago
Professional athletes by and large are inarticulate morons. This is not controversial. Race is not a factor
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u/Difficult_Tackle9505 7h ago
But what he said it just the same thing all the other comments says, just from the other direction.
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u/CarelessCandle7732 11h ago
Not just a bucket, but demoralizing for the other team because of how little effort it seems to take for him
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u/BionicSix Lakers 10h ago
This is the thing, truly demoralizing, watching too many recent playoff battles with the Nuggets and my eye test is like "why the hell can't anyone stop him, he's slow, his shooting form sucks, and looks fat"...but he dominates, knows angles extremely well and is ridiculously efficient.
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u/nuggetsgonnanugg Nuggets 1h ago
Your eye test needs work if you're not seeing the things that make Jokic great
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u/CompostTheRich103 Supersonics 10h ago
Well, his shooting was atrocious in the post season--really since his knee injury. Hopefully he's worked on it.
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u/Effective_Newt6164 7h ago
So bummed cause before the injury he was having his best statistical year ever
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u/HealthyBuddy2944 11h ago
To just "expect" Jokic to make probably the craziest pass any of us have ever seen, is crazy beyond words
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u/MumrikDK 10h ago
I don't think his expectations had anything to do with the motion of the pass.
He is talking about the path being open and Jokic having seen it, not specifically about Jokic no-looking that shit behind his back.
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u/Huckleberry_Sin 9m ago
He’s not just the best passing big man I’ve ever seen but one of the best passers period. Always is controlling pace. Calm cool collected let’s things come to him and exploits whatever he’s given.
Then the level of difficulty isn’t the wild part. It’s the consistency at that level of passing that makes it so impressive.
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u/inefekt Australia 3h ago
Stojokovic made a very similar pass but perhaps even on a higher difficulty level than Jokic. Both are all time great passes but I think Peja here is a just a bit better as he is doing it with no hesitation or set up, while hitting his man on the run. Insane.
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u/analyzingnothing Nuggets 1h ago
The thing is, that’s a way wider margin of error. Hitting him in the hand is amazing, but it’s likely he was just putting the ball down the court and happened to get it exactly on target.
With Jokic, the only reason he’d make the pass is if he knew he’d hit a bullseye. If he’s off at all, the ball either goes out of bounds, gets picked off, or leaves the shooter without enough room to pull. Every part of it has to be 100% intentional.
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u/Botatoe5 11h ago
Cam’s well spoken and puts this in a simple yet effective manner. Appreciate the insights on Jokic’s greatness
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u/drawsony 10h ago
He really does a great job of breaking down that play. Cam Johnson anticipating the pass and having the awareness to slide over because of the angle, and Jokic trusting him enough to execute the pass in the first place. It’s beautiful basketball. Hopefully Denver can get more of this chemistry throughout the season.
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u/thedudefromsweden 8h ago
I love how he highlights a seemingly average pass, the one against Chicago, and explains what makes it great. Reminds me of Thinking basketballs video on Jokic passing.
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u/SliMShady55222 Supersonics 10h ago
yea you would never hear this kind of insight from Jokic himself. His English is too limited and he does not care for podcasts. Its really up to the teammates and coaches to elaborate on the small details that make Jokic great.
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u/CitizenCue Warriors 9h ago
He’s such a unique guy because I don’t know that he’d be all that different if he was fluent in English. He’s just not that interested in explaining himself.
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u/Ok_Temperature6503 76ers 8h ago
Was surprised at how well spoken this guy is, definitely different from hearing MPJ talk
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u/RanceSama3006 Nuggets 11h ago
If, and its a big if, Cam can genuinely continue down this path I feel like he's gonna be a great nugget (that we might not be able to afford soon)
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u/CompostTheRich103 Supersonics 10h ago
The Nuggets continue to signal they're content with 1 chip. It's a travesty.
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u/cahpahkah Nuggets 7h ago
Just like how Seattle continues to signal that its content with 0 teams, right?
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u/FaceWithAName Bulls 11h ago
Listening to professionals explain something while getting to watch it is always such a treat
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u/kenken2024 11h ago
Cam is a great fit in Denver.
A high IQ player to complement one of the highest IQ players in Joker.
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u/xPoltergeist 8h ago
Thats exactly what I got from this, both examples highlights Cams own BBIQ as well. He repositioned himself both times to receive the best pass possible, lol.
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u/Aliboomayuh 11h ago
Cam Johnson is correct, but there's something he didn't mention (or maybe he himself does'nt understand)
His his off-ball offensive winshares are astronomical. Almost 2k my career like.
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u/probablymade_thatup Bucks [MIL] Luke Kornet 9h ago
Where do you get that info from? Is it a publication available stat?
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u/GodWillPayForThis 11h ago
Does this mean jokic be firing off crazy passes like this in real games and not practicing it with his team mates, that's crazy. Also great explanation by this guy!
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u/abris33 Nuggets 10h ago
No he does this in practice. It's basically a rite of passage that we hear about new players getting hit in the head by a Jokic pass they weren't ready for in practice
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u/wagon_ear Bucks 9h ago
To make a football comparison, Jordy Nelson basically said that it's too bad fans can only watch Aaron Rodgers play during games, because for every unbelievable throw he makes in a game, he will have 10 of them from practice that week.
Now, does it mean Jokic drilled for that specific behind the back baseline pass? My guess is no, but I'm sure he has an absurd collection of great passes from practice that none of us will ever see.
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u/traditionalshallot 11h ago
Jokic makes it look so easy. There's only a handful of active players who can read and manipulate an nba defense in real time that quickly and Jokic is probably the best out of all them. Lebron, Luka, Cade... who else?
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u/Scotch_Blue 9h ago
it's a short list of like 6 players all-time that have comparable vision and passing ability to Jokic
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u/Mountain-Alarm-477 8h ago
I’ve seen him in person a couple times. They run everything through him.
He must make 100 decisions a game, and like 97 of them are perfect. It’s unreal to watch if you’ve played a lot of basketball.
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u/nikvlast 9h ago
much respect for Cam, well spoken, well explained and he was one of the few that was decent in the disastrous last game with Timberwolves.
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u/LateCheckIn Nuggets 9h ago
As my dad says, Jokic is usually not the best athlete on the court but he is always the best basketball player on the court
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u/MediocreJay41 Kings 10h ago
Shaun Livingston broke down some film back in his Brooklyn days with the same philosophical processing. He talked about NEVER playing his man at all & barely even playing his help. It was all about being that third defender once he was confident enough in his ability to get to his spots and score on anyone. The part that is overlooked is all the split second work being done from the high to mid post (Penny, Andre Miller, Mark Jackson, Jokic, Kidd, Magic, Cassell, etc) and in that damn short roll. Domas Sabonis (especially in Indy) was one of the better all time short roll players since that specific action requires nanoseconds of decision making and he rarely made the wrong play.
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u/organized_meat Timberwolves 11h ago
One of the greatest passers in the game and probably the best big man passer of all time.
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u/Maleficent-Cup-1134 10h ago
You can delete the probably. He’s possibly the greatest passer of all-time period. His being a big man actually gives him an advantage in the passing game because of the ridiculous angles he can get.
As a Steve Nash stan, I think he’s already surpassed Nash and the only real competition is Magic. Magic’s biggest edge is that he’s a better passer on fast breaks, while I think Jokic is the better half-court game passer.
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u/topazswissmas Toronto Huskies 10h ago
Jokic misses out on fast break passes cause he just yeets it down the court for an easy dunk/lay in anyway
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u/Hard_Thruster Raptors 9h ago
Jokic does more flashy passes but I think it's a huge disadvantage to be 6 feet on an NBA court and playing against long wingspan players.
I rate Nash and CP over Jokic because he's 7 feet tall and he can score at will.
Nash and CP couldn't score at will and needed to be doubled and tripled.
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u/SliMShady55222 Supersonics 8h ago
Nash was absolutely scoring at will in playoff games. They only reason he held back on scoring everytime because they specifically targeted him on defense because he was a known liability and they knew it would also drain his energy. Jokic is very much the same way. He can score almost every time 1v1 but he does not because its not efficient team basketball.
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u/dontpassgo 6h ago
It was a different time and he was very much of the pass first PG mold, just how he was taught the game. He said himself that he probably should have shot more and obviously would in today's game which changed right around the time he retired.
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u/Zarbua69 Knicks 9h ago
You told him to delete the probably and then added a possibly yourself 😂😂😂
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u/Maleficent-Cup-1134 8h ago
Uh can you read? He said “probably the best big man passer of all time.” I said he’s “possibly the greatest passer of all time period.” Those are different statements.
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u/Zarbua69 Knicks 8h ago
So tell him to delete the "big man" instead. Makes way more sense
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u/Maleficent-Cup-1134 8h ago
No offense, but are you autistic.
This is an insanely dumb thing to get hung up on lol.
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u/Zarbua69 Knicks 7h ago
you keep replying to me so you seem a lot more hung up on it than I am
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u/Maleficent-Cup-1134 6h ago
Did you know one of the symptoms of autistic people is that they always have to have the last word?
I would know, as an autist. Sounds like you are too.
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u/CollateralSandwich Celtics 7h ago
Sounds like Cam has a career in broadcasting ahead of him if he's interested.
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u/The_Assassin_Gower Pacers 6h ago
I love rewatching jokic highlights and seeing where he makes his decisions, incredible stuff
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u/JustdoitJules Nuggets 2h ago
He's why I fell back in love with the league. The ability to execute awkward movements so precisely while finding errors in ANY second of time and then punishing the other team for it.
Double up on him? Ok fuck you, here's a pass to the perimeter for an easy 3
Wanna cut me off at the POA? ok then ill barrel down and just toss it and have a cut / slash.
I fucking love Jokic
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u/IAmGrum Raptors 5h ago
Different sport and different era, but the way he talks about Jokic is the way NHL players talked about Wayne Gretzky. He had a completely unmatched ability to see the ice and the paths people were taking and feed crazy passes right onto sticks. Over sticks, through legs, off boards...it didn't matter.
It's wonderful to see players with that sort of skill in their prime.
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u/igotitnowokay Raptors 2h ago
I think Joker could punt a baby after that pass and we would still be glazing this pass, it’s that good
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u/th3vviTch 10h ago
Ran into this guy in the middle of the night on Bates st as a senior at Pitt, called out his name then gave him double bird cause he was transferring in-conference to UNC. He gave it right back. Happy for him for making the league and shit, but yeah, fuck that guy.
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u/frankcostanzasmove Knicks 10h ago
I used to run a youth basketball program in Brooklyn and one of the kids told me Cam was a block away at the farmers market. I sought him and out and asked if he’d come and say hi to the kids. He said he’d be right there.
He came by, talked to them and took pictures with the kids. We spoke a bit about the area and how he appreciated the community. Couldn’t have been nicer.
I will always share that story any time I can, seems like a real solid guy.