The Phoenix Suns will face the Denver Nuggets in the second round. That will be a battle between two top-tier teams, and a featured matchup will be Nikola Jokic and Deandre Ayton. Both play the center position, and Ayton will have his hands full trying to guard the likely MVP of the season.
Nikola Jokic has recently praised Deandre Ayton and has claimed that the No. 1 overall pick from the 2018 NBA Draft guards him well. While it is hard to stop Nikola Jokic in general, it seems as though Ayton is one of the defenders who do a better job on the Serbian big man.
Nikola Jokic on Deandre Anton: “He guards me really well.”
Said he’s given him “trouble” in the past.
During one of their prior matchups, Jokic actually told him how much he likes their team because he said they’re a bunch of good dudes.
— Mike Singer (@msinger) June 5, 2021
Deandre Ayton will certainly be the best center Nikola Jokic has faced thus far in the playoffs. Aside from his defensive value, Deandre Ayton is currently averaging a double-double, with 15.8 PPG and 10.7 RPG, all while shooting a blistering 79.6% from the field. Those are elite numbers, and it seems that Nikola Jokic will have his hands full on the defensive end as well.
The Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets are both young teams who toppled franchises led by veteran superstars in the playoffs. The matchup between the two will certainly be exciting, and it remains to be seen how the Phoenix Suns and Deandre Ayton will be able to handle Nikola Jokic.
