Playing at Their Own Pace

I had the great pleasure of watching the Lakers-Bulls game the other night, and it's very obvious to the common NBA fan, but Luka Doncic is just incredible. He basically averages a 35-point triple double and can go for 45 on any given night, and it comes so easy to him. Watching him slow down the game and maneuver through defenses, often more comfortably with the primary defender on his back hip (which, as an aside, Payton Pritchard has also mastered), is a thing of beauty. Because he puts up ridiculous performances with ease on a nightly basis, we've grown used to it, and I simply won't have it anymore. Luka's a one-of-a-kind player, but it had me pondering which other select players around the league today have the intangible ability to get to their spots and slow down the game.

Cade Cunningham was the first player that came to mind. Cade came into the league as a relatively strong, big guard who struggled with efficiency initially, but once he put on some extra weight, there was nothing defenders could do to prevent him from getting where he wanted to go, when he wanted to. He has the tremendous ability of captaining Detroit's offense at his own pace every single game, even when he's shooting poorly. He differs from Luka in that he favors the mid-range jumper after sizing up his defender, whereas Luka loves his go-to stepback three following a surgical crossover. Another player who has the intangible is James Harden. Even at 36 years old, Harden's ability to comfortably step back from three or drive and loft one of his signature floaters is a thing of beauty. Harden's early years in Oklahoma City and Houston were highlighted by incredible athleticism and viral dunks, but he built up his game, adding an unstoppable size-up. Perhaps the most obvious of the bunch is Nikola Jokic. The ability to successfully slow down the game typically works in tandem with having an incredibly high basketball IQ, and Jokic might be the epitome of such a skillset. While not a guard, like the other three players mentioned, the Nuggets rely on Jokic to bring up the ball, pass, rebound, and basically run the entire offense. And he does it with unprecedented success.

While it's not all about numbers, it's no secret that each of the players previously mentioned also tends to hover around the top-five in assists-per-game. Maybe the most important aspect of having the ability to control the pace of the game is that it opens everything up for their teammates. Role players have way more time to scan the court and fill in spots based on what's unfolding in the half-court, often leading to better looks and easier buckets than teams trying to mimic the run-and-gun, quick-ball-movement offenses that have flooded the league since Steve Nash's Seven Seconds or Less Suns and the mid-to-late 2010s Warriors teams. While those types of offensive schemes still work, it takes a uniquely skilled roster to consistently succeed.

The league has always been teeming with incredibly athletic players, now more than ever, and it's refreshing as a fan to watch guys who might not be the fastest or jump the highest completely change the game we're so used to watching based on their pace of play. I love watching all types of players, and to say the guys mentioned above are well-known for their abilities would be a gross understatement, but I just love what they've done for the league. They consistently put up incredible stat lines on a nightly basis and control the game in ways I've never seen before, and I take it for granted. We shouldn't act like what they're doing is a normal feat, because we are going to really miss them when they're gone. They've set the stage for the next generation. Kon Knueppel and Dylan Harper are among the select few showing early signs of possessing the same intangible skills, and I'm really excited to see what they do for the game we know and love.