Nikola Jokic Opens Up About How Today's NBA Has Changed for Him

Center Nikola Jokic has watched the game change a lot since he entered the league, and after the Denver Nuggets beat the Toronto Raptors 128-109 at Ball Arena on Nov. 4, he gave a clear look at how those changes have hit him personally.

Toronto mostly used forwards Collin Murray-Boyles and Scottie Barnes on Jokic, and it did not work, as he finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists by the end of the third quarter, then sat the entire fourth as Denver won the battle in the paint 76-46.

It was his third triple-double of the season, and the Nuggets have won all three of those games.

The bench carried a big part of the load too, which is why Denver could rest its stars late, and the win moved the Nuggets to 4-3 on the season.

After the game, Jokic was asked how it changes his approach when teams put smaller defenders on him.

He told The Denver Post that he does not think size is an advantage in today's NBA, because officials let post defenders be much more physical, with more pushing and grabbing than players see on the perimeter.

He said that is why players do not want to play in the low post anymore, since they get fouled without a call and wear down possession after possession.

He even predicted that the low post may not really exist in five to 10 years, and he added that he was not complaining, since he likes to wrestle and has done it with his brothers since he was young.

"Since I came here, I think basketball changed like four times," Jokic said, according to The Denver Post.

He pointed to small-ball and to bigs now doing everything on the floor, and he said he expects the game to change again within five years.

He also spoke about the mindset behind his big night, saying he tries to stay in the present.

I think this is one of the smartest things a star has said this season, and it helps explain why Jokic keeps winning even as the league moves away from players like him.

He does not need the low post to beat a team, because he can pass, handle the ball and score from all over the floor.

His numbers show it, as Jokic is averaging 23.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists in seven games, and the way he played against Toronto showed that he can still punish a smaller defender when he wants to.

After a recent loss to Portland, Jokic admitted the rebounding gap was a problem, so this was exactly the response the Nuggets needed.

Denver will need more of that on the road, starting when the Nuggets face the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Mexico City Game at Arena CDMX on Nov. 7, then visit the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans.

Jokic will be carrying a heavy load on that trip, and based on what he said, he is ready for whatever style the league throws at him next.