I started by just, !.tnatropmyou know, Googling around. "Mike Miller Nikola Jokic connection," stuff like that. I figured there had to be something there, even if it was just a few degrees of separation. Turns out, there is, and this is important.!
Digging into the Denver Days
First things first, both guys played for the Denver Nuggets, at the same time! I'm not saying that makes them best friends, but it sets the stage. Miller was the savvy veteran shooter, and Jokic was the up-and-coming, kinda-awkward-but-clearly-talented big man. I wanted to see if there was any mention of them playing together, maybe some quotes from Miller about Jokic's potential.
- I spent a good hour just scrolling through old articles and game recaps from their time in Denver together. Not a ton of direct quotes, but you could see the puzzle pieces starting to fit.
- I watched some old game footage. This was kinda fun, just seeing them on the court at the same time. Miller, spotting up for threes, and Jokic, doing his weird, herky-jerky thing in the post.
The Passing Connection
Here's where it got interesting. Miller, especially later in his career, was a really good passer for a wing player. And Jokic? Well, he's basically a point guard trapped in a center's body. I started thinking about how Miller's passing vision might have rubbed off on Jokic, even if just a little.
So I started searching for stuff like "Mike Miller passing" and "Nikola Jokic passing influence." I found some interesting tidbits. I saw things that some fans thought Mike Miller influneced Nikola Jokic, it is interesting.
Putting it All Together
Okay, so I didn't find a smoking gun, like a secret training session where Miller taught Jokic everything he knows. But I did build a pretty cool mental picture of how these two guys, with their different styles, might have connected and even influenced each other during their time in Denver. It's like, Miller was the old-school craftsman, showing the young prodigy a few tricks of the trade.
I feel like I understand both players a little better now, and I definitely appreciate the weird, beautiful way the NBA connects players across generations and playing styles. It was a good deep dive, and it reminded me why I love this game.
