Nikola Jokic was a serious MVP contender this season after having won the award during the last two seasons. He has only gone up a level in the playoffs and is now ready to take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
One of the most unique players in NBA history, Nikola Jokic, runs the whole offense for Denver as a big man. His assist numbers and passing is incredible, and Jokic also scores extremely efficiently. The Los Angeles Lakers will have their hands full with him, but Kevin Garnett shared his strategy recently that he thinks might work to stop Jokic.
“Soon as you take it out, and you’re trailing, man I’m waiting on you. I’m at the free throw line at that end, waiting on you,” Kevin Garnett said on KG Certified. “And guess what, I’m going to bump you a little bit, we gonna run up together. Imma bump you a little bit, I’m going to smell your cologne, your hairspray.
“By the time we get to the three-point line, imma run back, because I got some responsibilities. As you go into the pick and roll, Boom! We’re gonna go into the pick and roll together. ‘Hey, go under us.’ The guard gonna come under, if I gotta show, imma show early. You cannot give him the same thing.
“Joker so smart, he’s letting you come down, he’s letting you initiate. He’s like a counter-punch. Bam! Then on the offensive end? Oh nah, we’re gonna run. Get down here first, imma be big, ‘Come on, give me the motherf***er here. Ah, I didn’t get it this time.’ I’m gonna be setting hard picks, rolling hard.”
Guarding Nikola Jokic seems like no easy task but I think I might have a shot at stopping him. What do yall think about my strategy? 😂https://t.co/2DvSiCZLiU pic.twitter.com/bVLinD12wO
— Kevin Garnett (@KevinGarnett5KG) May 16, 2023
Kevin Garnett is a former Defensive Player Of The Year as well as being selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times. He knows what he’s talking about when it comes to guarding elite big men. Having said that, though, even he would struggle to stop Jokic, although maybe his strategy could slow him down a little.
Nikola Jokic Is Too Unique To Plan Against In A Foolproof Manner
There are some elite defenders in today’s NBA, but they haven’t been able to plan against Nikola Jokic. His combination of scoring ability on all three levels and elite court vision and passing means a defender is always giving him an option. Garnett’s tactics would make it tough on Jokic, but it’s unlikely that this would throw him off his game.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, things might go better if they try to limit the rest and cut off his passing options. Jokic is an efficient scorer, but limiting him a little and then contesting hard might be the only way to slow him down. It’ll be interesting to see what strategy Darvin Ham and his team come up with apart from the already hilarious answer he gave, and if it is effective at all against Jokic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KovbUbLGUQE
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