Jokic + Valan: The strongest double tower in the league? Compared with the Rockets Thunder, what are the advantages of the Nuggets?

Let's first look at the timeline - one of the most dramatic operations in this year's NBA offseason is the Nuggets who must handle Valanciunas.

This matter almost turned bad at the beginning: after Valan was traded to the Nuggets, his agent did not discuss with the Nuggets, and went directly to negotiate a contract with Panasinaikos, Greece. Even Valan himself went to Athens and almost gave up his NBA contract and returned to Europe. As a result, the Nuggets became tough: "Want to leave? No way!" Not only did they make it clear that they would not let go, but they also converted his contract to full guarantee next season, which allowed them to keep them. On July 14, the Nuggets official social media finally posted a news that welcomed Valan, and this "retaining war" was finally settled.

But to be honest, the Nuggets are really not meant to be tempted to stay Valan - they suffered a big loss last season. One of the key issues in the semi-final tiebreaker lost to the Thunder was that the rotation was too thin, and there were basically 6.5 players in the whole game, and Jokic was so tired that he almost lost his strength. During this offseason, they first sent away Porter, who was in trouble in the playoffs, in exchange for Cameron Johnson; and signed back to former player Bruce Brown to make up for the striker; in the end, the top priority was to solve the "difficult" problem of the substitute center. Who was the Nuggets' substitute center before

? Saric, who could not play in the second half of the season, averaged 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, and only had a shooting percentage of 36.2%, and was invisible in the playoffs. Valan averaged 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists last season, with a shooting percentage of 55%. Compared with this data, the right one is right.

Now the question is: Can Jokic (211 cm) and Valan (211 cm) coexist?

Let's look at Jokic's "special attributes". For example, when the United States played against Serbia at the Paris Olympics, Jokic could turn around and jump shot from a small range when the inside was surrounded by an opponent's empty cut player; in the fourth quarter, he missed the throw, and his teammates at the basket firmly took the lead. What does this mean? Jokic's offensive route does not rely on "the inside must be empty". Even if Valan is inside, he can still play well.

Watch Serbia's warm-up match in France, Jokic faces the "long man wall" of Vinbanyama + Gobert. He should play hard at the basket or play hard, and he should pull the outside to shoot a three-pointer or shoot. In other words, Jokic can not only serve as a "technical No. 4" at a high position, but also can also help himself, and it is completely fine to partner with another big center.

What can Navalan make up for Jokic? His biggest advantage is the "solid basic skills of traditional centers": he can turn around and lean back when playing back, and his hook shot is very stable; he is not vague at the basket (such as receiving the defender's breakthrough and dunk); he has a correct headline in the middle distance (although he averages 0.7 three-pointers, but his free throw percentage is 87.9%, who dares to say that he has not shot?); the most important thing is that he is actively snatching offensive rebounds, and he has many opportunities for a second offense in averaging 7.7 rebounds last season.

Let's put it this way, when Jokic left the court, Valan could carry the game and help the team bite the score; when Jokic was on the court, Valan could be "blue-collared" or get double-teamed at the low post and pass the ball (such as his previous intermission and assists with Sabonis Jr.) If these two are on the court at the same time, the league can compete with them in height, including the Rockets (Adams + Shinkin + Capela Three Towers), the Thunder (Homgren + Harten), etc.

But we have to say something real - this pair of double towers is not without shortcomings. Jokic's defense has always been criticized, and Valan is a traditional stand-alone center forward with a slow pace and is easily named by small defenders for military training. Therefore, the Nuggets' regular play style in the new season is likely to be Jokic playing 5, Gordon playing 4, and Valan as a substitute. The double tower combination is more of a "secret weapon": when playing with strong inside teams like the Rockets and Thunder, they will use double towers to crush them when playing with teams with poor shooting and slow shooting. When encountering "small fast spirits" like the Suns and Mavericks, the double towers will have to be used instead.

But then again, this "secret weapon" is too important. If Valan hadn't, Jokic's substitute would have been in the second grade and did not play in a single game last season. He would have to play for 48 minutes in the playoffs. The lesson of being dragged down by the Thunder last season is still vivid in my mind. Now that Valan is with him, Jokic can rest for 10 minutes more, and his physical strength advantage will come out in the playoffs.

Finally, compare the inside of other teams in the Western Conference: the Rockets' three towers have heights but poor independent offense (Shen Jing is the template but the influence is not as good as Jokic, and Adams only knows how to protect the frame); the Thunder's two towers are weak in confrontation (Homgren is too thin); the Mavericks have Lefley + Wood + AD, but the tacit understanding is doubtful; the Clippers have Zubac + Lopez, but Daluo's age is there, and its diversity is not as strong as the Nuggets. Overall, the Nuggets' threat to the two towers on the offensive end can indeed rank among the top three in the West.

The forced melon is not necessarily sweet, but at least it quenches thirst. Valan had a lot of trouble and was able to stay with the Nuggets in the end, which was a good thing for both sides - Valan had a stable NBA contract and the Nuggets had a key puzzle to win the championship. In the Western Conference inside battle next season, the Nuggets' "Two Towers Card" is enough for other teams to have a headache.

You said, can this pair of double towers help the Nuggets return to the finals? I think the probability is not small.