Nikola Jokic is one of the best big men in the game, but even he is subject to some major criticism.
For Jokic, the soft spot seems to be his lack of defensive effort, as he is widely considered a liability on that end of the floor.
But, as pointed out by league expert Matt Moore, stats prove Jokic excels when it comes to least one area on defense: the pick and roll.
Minimum 300 possessions as the big in pick and roll defense (61 players), Nikola Jokic has the 4th highest percentage of turnovers forced.
1. Wendell Carter Jr. (30.8%!)
2. Biz (21.8%)
3. Myles Turner (20.3%)
4. Jokic (20.2%)
5. Richaun Holmes (20%)
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) February 26, 2020
Jokic has 515 pick and rolls defended via Synergy. Only 14 players have guarded 500 or more pick and rolls, and Jokic allows the lowest points per possession of any of them.
Gobert is 4th, Embiid is 9th.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) February 26, 2020
Also note that this is INFURIATING to me as someone who openly laughed in the face of @Adam_Mares who said Jokic would be a good defender. I am LIVID>
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) February 26, 2020
Jokic is one of the best at stopping pick-and-roll plays, an extremely valuable asset to have as a big man.
And while the remaining aspects of his defense leave much to be desired, the numbers prove that he is more than capable of holding his own.
Plus, the Nuggets are doing just fine with hos he’s playing now. They’re 40-18 in the West, own the NBA’s 4th best record, and are poised for a deep playoff run. Meanwhile, Nikola is doing his thing — putting up 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 6.8 assists on 52% shooting.
