Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic is still widely regarded as the best player in the NBA, but there is one aspect of the game he doesn’t quite excel at. Jokic has never been the greatest defender, and that’s often been brought up in the MVP debates involving him and Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander is viewed as a far better defender than Jokic, but former NBA head coach Stan Van Gundy doesn’t believe that is actually the case. During an appearance on The Zach Lowe Show, Van Gundy pushed back on the narrative that the Serb isn’t a good defender.
“First of all, I think Jokic’s defense is underrated,” Van Gundy said, via NBA Courtside. “I think that that knock should have gone out five years ago. He’s not [Victor] Wembanyama. He’s not Rudy Gobert, but he’s a solid defender. I mean, you watch him in pick-and-roll defense, people going at him, that’s not going to go. And you’re certainly not going at him one-on-one. He’s smart, his communication is excellent.”
Van Gundy made it clear he isn’t going as far as to call Jokic an All-Defensive level player. He just doesn’t consider him to be as bad a defender as his critics make him out to be.
Host Zach Lowe asked whether Van Gundy hadn’t seen slippage from Jokic on the defensive end since he returned from a 16-game absence due to a hyperextended left knee, but he hadn’t.
“I really don’t,” Van Gundy stated. “I was just going to say, I think I would put him on the same level defensively as I would put Shai. I think Shai is good off the ball. Shai never has to guard a high-level scorer… I’m not even saying he couldn’t, but they’ve got Lu Dort, they’ve got Cason Wallace, they’ve got Jalen Williams. He’s just never in that matchup. I’d put him on the same level. I think it’s super close.”
This might be the first time anyone has said out loud that Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander are at the same level defensively. The award voters have certainly not felt that way in recent years.
Gilgeous-Alexander has never made an All-Defensive team, but he did receive votes for DPOY in 2024 and 2025. Jokic has never gotten any, and it’s extremely unlikely he’ll ever get any. It’s hard to make any argument for him to get votes as well.
You can, though, make an argument for why Jokic should win MVP if he plays 65 games. The 31-year-old has averaged 27.8 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in 2025-26. He is leading the NBA in rebounds and assists, and has helped the Nuggets post a respectable 53-28 record.
Van Gundy is a voter and revealed on the show that Jokic is his MVP. He should get votes, but it’s unlikely he will win the award.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the clear favorite as of now. The Canadian has averaged 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in 2025-26.
Jokic’s numbers are better, but the Thunder have a league-best 64-17 record. They had the best record last season as well, and it played a big part in Gilgeous-Alexander winning MVP for the first time in his career. Expect a repeat this time around.
