Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is one of the best offensive players in the league, and he is widely considered to be the best passing center of all time. However, the biggest issue with him is defense, as he is clearly a poor player on that end of the floor.
Recently, a video of Nikola Jokic’s defense against the San Antonio Spurs went viral. Many people ended up roasting the center for his defense, and in some possessions, it looked as though Jokic didn’t even try to contest the Spurs’ shots. One fan stated that going at Jokic was like a “layup line” for Spurs players.
Layup line
— Thunder Run The West (@DubsThunder) March 11, 2023
Another fan stated that Jokic is not his MVP because of the defense that he plays.
https://twitter.com/TorontoDame/status/1634583368238080001
One account took a shot at MVP voters who have Nikola Jokic as the league MVP, claiming that they only read box scores.
Plays zero D. However the folks who vote on the MVP award don’t watch games and just read box scores.
— Smart T. Jones (@exhaustedBS) March 11, 2023
Some fans suggested that Nikola Jokic’s defense will be exposed in the playoffs.
This is what’s going to happen in the playoffs! Jokic going to get cooked!!
— Van (@vanman_1000) March 11, 2023
This is why the Nuggets might get busted in the 1st round, especially if they play the lakers lol
— MFFL (@FlaggNation) March 11, 2023
Other fans suggested that Joel Embiid’s MVP case is growing as a result of Jokic’s poor defense.
the case for embiid grows
— . (@SlasherSharpe) March 11, 2023
https://twitter.com/ykdvbeats/status/1634570096008994816
It is clear that this could be a concern for the Denver Nuggets when playoff time rolls around, as it is clearly possible to attack Nikola Jokic defensively even for the worst teams in the league. However, the offense the superstar brings is absolutely worth it, and we’ll see how far the Nuggets get in the playoffs this year.
As of right now, Nikola Jokic is averaging 24.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, and 10.0 APG for the Denver Nuggets. The superstar also has them as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, with a 46-21 record on the season. He is still an MVP-level player despite his defense, though it is clear he has a lot of work to do on that end of the floor.
Draymond Green’s Criticism Has Helped Nikola Jokic Improve On Defense
Though Nikola Jokic will likely never be an All-Defensive level center, he has made strides on that end despite him having weaknesses on that end. In fact, Draymond Green previously revealed that his criticism helped Jokic improve on that end of the floor.
“It was a whole segment. I went at Jokic’s defense,” said Green. “I’m like “If they’re ever going to be a good team, he’s the backline of the defense, he has to be good defensively”. I showed 4 clips… I was very critical of him.”
“He came up to me the following year, and he said something along the lines of like “I saw what you said about my defense or something.” You’re right or I appreciate it, something along those lines. He said I’ve gotten better… You have 100% gotten better. I been watching you this year.”
If Draymond Green is praising Nikola Jokic for his improvement on defense, it is clear that the center has made a tangible step there. However, it is clear that he still has a lot to work on in that area of basketball.
Hopefully, we see Nikola Jokic get better on the defensive end going forward. His impact would be even greater if he even became a neutral defender, and we’ll see what ends up happening.
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