Nikola Jokic ‘s never more fun than when he’s being a royal pain in the Tass.
Especially to Matthias Tass.
Remember Matthias? No? Blonde. 6-foot-10. Played college ball at Saint Mary’s. First-team All-WCC selection in 2022.
On Wednesday, Team Grading The Week (GTW) was happy to welcome Tass to the JPC — the Joker Posterization Club.
Just in case you’d forgotten — and nobody along the Front Range has — who the best player in the world is, Jokic opened up EuroBasket tournament play against Estonia with a nifty little reminder.
Jokic’s no-look shimmy pass — A
Which is where our man Matthias comes in. Did we mention he plays for Estonia? And that Estonia met Serbia in the tourney opener for both?
In the first period in Latvia, the Joker backed Tass from the wing into the paint. After that, we’re guessing things were just a blur for poor Matthias.
Jokic looked right, faked left, looked right again, then did a 180-degree turn to show Tass his belly.
He never showed him the ball, though.
Rather than go up with his right hand, the Nuggets star used his big mitt to zip a pass through two Estonian defenders. It was a rope that went clean through and into the waiting arms of an open shooter all the way out on the left wing. (Who then, unfortunately, missed the J.)
Cynics on “X” called it a travel. GTW thinks it should be called something else.
Heck of a start. Not a bad finish, either — Joker’s opening-game line was 18 points, four rebounds and six assists. And it should’ve been seven.
Stop what you’re doing, Nikola Jokic is playing basketball pic.twitter.com/rntyRxpZ1A
— NBA University (@NBA_University) August 27, 2025
Portugal provided Serbia’s second test on Friday. Naturally, Jokic cranked it up another notch.
Over 23 minutes, the Joker dropped 23 points, 10 boards, three dimes, two blocks and two steals. He drained 8 of 10 shots, including a two-handed dunk in the first half.
The only cloud in Jokic’s silver lining of a week was just before halftime Friday. Serbian teammate and Los Angeles Clippers wing Bojan Bogdanovic appeared to tweak his hamstring in the first half and didn’t play in the second half for precautionary reasons.
Big Val rocking Latvia, too — A
EuroBasket hasn’t just provided an insanely fun taster for Nuggets fans who can’t wait for the fall and winter. So far, it’s been an insanely fun tease, too.
Because the Nuggets’ backup center, Jonas Valanciunas, has been busy tearing up the floor with his native Lithuania
The 7-footer posted 19 points and five boards while making 8 of 9 shots in a rout of Montenegro. On Wednesday, Valanciunas lit up Great Britain for 18 points and nine rebounds.
Senzatela’s star falls from rotation — D
Besides Kris Bryant, is there any player more emblematic of the Rockies’ ability to Rockie — so-so player who fades away painfully on a contract too big for his talents — than pitcher Antonio Senzatela?
October 2021: The Rox sign Senzatela to a five-year, $50.5-million deal.
2022: Senzatela makes 19 starts, posts a 3-7 record and 5.07 ERA. And that’s the high-water mark.
2023: Two starts, 0-1 record, 4.70 ERA.
2024: Three starts, 0-1 record, 6.57 ERA.
2025: 23 starts, a 4-15 record, 7.15 ERA.
Rockies GM Bill Schmidt last week announced that the righty would be demoted to the bullpen for the final month of a ridiculously lost season. While we’re on the subject, GTW was curious: When is somebody going to do the humane thing and demote Schmidt?
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.