Can Jokic's defense survive in the playoffs? | Enhanced podcast

Is Nikola Jokic's defense a limiting factor in the playoffs? In this enhanced segment from the Thinking Basketball podcast, Cody and Ben break down the Nuggets defense around Jokic this year -- how they protect his weaknesses and play to his strengths -- and whether Denver can slow down opponents enough to win in the playoffs.
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Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
#ThinkingBasketball #podcast

[@pdx20]

Now this question has been answered..

[@green7woodtriangle883]

Not only did Jokic’s defense survive, i think it held its own against some great offensive players. For most of the playoffs he held guys like AD and Bam, to a lower FG%. He also had a fair share of steals, deflections, blocks, and offensive rebounds. A good amount of them were im clutch time too.

[@sebfinnigan1484]

KCP and Bruce Brown were the best two pickups the nuggets could've gotten for perimeter defense

[@t4d0W]

They need more. I may sound facetious about it but you need ALL the defensive wing help you can get to help Jokic and keep him out of bad match ups. It worked for Lebron/AD in the 2020 bubble playoffs even when they had AD playing the 4 and the 5 for a short while. In part because they length to throw in other positions to even out the match up.

[@Djoga100]

Jrue Holiday if came to Denver, that would be the best...

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

@@Djoga100 now why the fuck would the Bucks wanna trade Jrue Holiday?? I don’t think there’s anything the Nuggets could trade that would be worth it to the Bucks right now, they are title contenders and won’t give away their second best player

[@Djoga100]

@Super Mega Foxy Awesome Hot before he joined Bucks there were rumors that he's joining Denver...

[@sebfinnigan1484]

@@t4d0W I agree, IMO I think they need Zeke Nnaji and MPJ to take steps defensively and I think they’ll be set. Plus the matchups in the west aren’t that bad besides like 2 with the Pelicans with Zion. mavs with high p&r w Luka, or even the Warriors.

[@PaulGubalane]

Caruso would be a very good fit for the Nuggets. Great perimeter/point of attack defender, athletic cutter, and a respectable 3 ball shooter. He'll be like a bald AG when he gets traded to the Nuggets.

[@SimplyMalibu]

Caruso would be a good fit for any team in the league lol

[@yunan9610]

I mean they got Bruce Brown for similar role

[@verward]

@@SimplyMalibu tell that to the Lakers. Well they got pat bev now so it's all good, lol.

[@SimplyMalibu]

@@verward I'd take Caruso over Pat Bev but yeah, they both fill a similar type of niche

[@verward]

@@SimplyMalibu I think everyone would take Caruso over pet bev. Especially the fans loved him and he had good chemistry with people on the team.

[@ArthurMorgan-pq3oo]

No only he did survive, he destroyed bam and everyone guarding him and took home the larry o brien and the bill russell trophies at the same time.

[@hobowithagun24]

The amount receipts 🧾 in this comment section slandering Jokic is comical. I think archetype worshippers will learn a very hard lesson this year. Jokic is flipping the center position into the PG position.

[@cyruswang9354]

It’s crazy how accurate Ben was with his assessment tho, the nuggets defence couldn’t have both hyland and jokic, so they traded him for picks. Ben could Straight up be a GM.

[@RecapRico]

If the Denver Nuggets found a way to get Alex Caruso I'd be beyond happy. I need excuses to watch the Carushow but DeMar and Zach make my anxiety go insane

[@bjensen]

He'd be so perfect for them

[@Ohandori]

I always see you

[@renzbangcaya4744]

I love Caruso but I hate watching the Bulls,

[@mrShinglez]

Wrong he not going nowhere

[@futurehofer1564]

I dislike watching the Bulls because honestly they just feel discombobulated, like what are they doing lol

[@RomnysGonzalez]

People using the GSW Warriors as example forgetting that Jokic got MONTE MORRIS AND WILL BARTON as guard playing defense. Sure Jokic might not be a top 15 defender on the league, people tends to forget that having good guards in front of you is what makes the trick most of the times.

[@EndietheEnderman]

Nah, you need at least a center that is average at defence in the playoffs. It won’t work unless the team around him is really good at defence, which they’re not

[@latima123ify]

Do they have better guard defenders now?

[@Shiljamannn]

@@latima123ify yes, that is why KCP and Bruce Brown are on the team... Also Murray improved on defense....

[@Loris71734]

@@latima123ify KCP and Brown are both good defenders and Murray being back is also an upgrade over all their guards last year

[@Shiljamannn]

@@EndietheEnderman they are still geling as a team....Jokic is an average defender, he only lacks consistent rim defending, but in a system he works... Also he won't hustle on defense in the regular season so he doesn't get in the foul trouble. But we've seen Jokic make decisive defensive plays and blocks....

[@MikeTheNBAGuy]

Nuggets bigger issue is DeAndre Jordan being their only real backup big. He's absolutely murdering the Nuggets in his minutes and even 8min a game in the postseason could be enough to swing a series against another good team

[@aquatazer]

Zeke Nnaji has been playing well in the past couple games at the very least, so that’s something.

[@kailencitron6839]

Idk if it continues but zeke and cancar front court that has played for the past 3 weeks or so has been slightly winning their minutes, fueled mostly by their defense. Only problem is if the opponent wants to run a big bench, Nnaji gets completely bullied

[@exiledknight3961]

I think Nuggets are looking to add even more defenders.

[@anthonycelestin3559]

Based on Ben Taylor’s assessment of the Bull from the beginning of this video, it shows you how important Lonzo Ball defense was for the Bulls

[@hubertrapinat348]

Jokic is not a physically good defender, he's not athletic, but he's very smart. He knows which plays to contest and which one will put him in foul trouble. Where he should never ever be because they need him so much. He's also a very good team defender. You can see him directing his defense at all time, pointing shouting the rotations around. And more than that, the team itself is starting to have some cohesion on defense. Many nights in a row, they've held teams under their ppg averages because they have a clear system of who's helping the helper and who's helping the helper of the helper. Some rotations function very well together: kcp-Jok-Gordon--Murray-Brown is a very good one. I think they're net +16 in more than 200min, and that's mostly cause of their defense.

[@nobudget2547]

That looks like an argument to save jokic's defensive incompetency.

[@tudorcifor]

@@nobudget2547 if Jokic is such a bad defender yet his team is still winning and he has one of the highest plus minus in the league, does that not make him the best offensive player ever by a mile? And to think you can win when you are really bad at defense is crazy, yes he's not that athletic but defense is also iq, which he has plenty of.

[@racimegacar]

@@nobudget2547 when ut brain look just narrow angle, it's hard to explain...and another thing, watch Nuggets games...

[@Phat-rj3jo]

@@racimegacar lol yeah, Nuggets are +269 when Jokic is on the court and -199 when he is off the court. So can Jokic’s defense survive in the playoffs? All I know is the Nuggets won’t survive if Jokic not playing.

[@wellDamnJamz]

Playoffs are different but I feel you.

[@mxchael9931]

5 months later we got an answer to this question and the answer is yes, yes it had

[@kurosan0079]

It survived, while the offense demolishes the opposing team's defense.

[@familiasosa6379]

@@kurosan0079 Jokic also played well on defense tbh. He had tons of deflections and steals. it is ironic how Joel Embiid was the on who ended up getting exposed on the pick and roll defense in the playoffs lol

[@natsubhar2001]

​@@kurosan0079lol denver had top 3 defense in playoffs they did not just survive they thrived

[@aaronesquivel1504]

He'll hold his own as long as the team around him aren't traffic cones. Haters want to critique his shot blocking, but he's one of the best at steals and deflections.

[@Frozen_1Chosen]

Exactly. Anyone who says he’s a bad defender is not watching any Nuggets games. When he has competent guards playing good D around him it prevents him from being forced to switch onto speedy guards that most centers can’t guard 1 on 1.

[@joachimfoxwell]

That's not good defense, he still is a non factor protecting the rim, nigga value steals hellas for some reason

[@t4d0W]

Basically he's a on ball-off ball big on defense. He knows how to play on ball aspect (hedging on screens, playing the drop, etc.) but I bet you he also knows how cut off passing lanes considering the man has to create them for his team on a nightly basis. People don't realize defending screens is a team effort and the big is the easy scapegoat for underachieving on that end when the wings are traffic cones, can't communicate or rotate and can't keep up with the ball handler.

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

When your center is a bad rim protector, that is a major problem.

[@jamesmarshall6619]

as long as he can contest it'll be okay. Blocks are important but contesting consistently is more important. Ayton is not a good shot blocker but when he's locked in on defense, which is never consistent, he does a great job of contesting shots so if Jokic can just get better at contesting it'll make a huge difference.

[@kailencitron6839]

It wasn’t mentioned but Christian braun, the rook, is actually looking like the nuggets best defender this season. I’m his limited minutes, he has usually guarded the opponents best forward or guard, and has typically shut them down. What’s crazy is he doesn’t even get consistent minutes

[@maltohi]

For sure. He's on a tear this year as if he's got something to prove.

[@t4d0W]

Great video and supports the idea of playing high caliber playoff defense to consistently defend the screen is dependent on the pieces around you. Especially if you have a historic big whose a beyond positive on offense but has clear warts that can be covered on defense. Thing is you can't begin to cover those warts if those pieces around him are not up to task. Murray is passable as a perimeter defender due his size alone to be the 'smallest' guy on the team. MPJ is def a weak link when at some point teams will hunt him in mismatches to ultimately hunt for Jokic. And he's not as huge of a positive on offense to be a part of the closing five. If Jokic and the Nuggets want to push for the chip, they gotta get a gang of PROVEN versatile wings. At the very least in the case of the Bucks, they added one of the best ISO defenders in their squad to compliment the best help defender, a wing with length/size and a solid shot blocking big.

[@GTNover]

Look at that liability on defense make Devin Booker specifically say Jokic is makinf their pick and roll action hard. KD only shot 45% from the field on Denver. Jokicnis showing he is a very good defender, even if he has very bad laterally quickness qnd will get burnt 1 on 1 on isolation from the perimeter.

[@greatheightsu]

Just wanna say I love listening to guys talk basketball so much. Truly an oasis in the land of TV sportstalk drivel.

[@fhjunior6183]

Thanks for the vid

[@mmoan2]

Your dedication to basketball analysis is infectious. You should feed lines to Shaq on Inside the NBA.

[@jwashcuh938]

Need a jaren Jackson vid!!! What he’s doing is all time on the defensive side.

[@kennn30]

He's what really makes the Grizzlies scary to me, Ja is their star but Jaren is an elite rim protector and get it done on both ends.

[@judyclarkson5887]

@@kennn30 might be up there as the most elite on that aspect of the game. Him and Timelord,, Brook and Claxton join them this season but we still need to see more of them.

[@kennn30]

@@judyclarkson5887 You think Claxton deserves more respect for not being as bulky as the rest of them? He's pretty long but the fact he's doing that as undersized center is wild

[@argc]

The grizzlies stat recorder boosted his stats by like twice what he actually does at home so check that out. As a result of that Caesar's removed DPOY from their awards

[@jwashcuh938]

@@argc if u don’t watch the Grizz just say that, no need to use a twitter argument that got disproved in 24 hours

[@alvin081988]

That length factor will be crucial especially Joker is not a shot blocker and has a hard time with athletic guards but he can play defense like a guard with his quick hands

[@jacksonsantaniello7630]

most of the time in the playoffs he’ll defend well in the 2nd half. most games hes just trying to not get into foul trouble. hes not great but he can defend but doesn’t want to ever foul out

[@bigbrotherallstars43]

I need that Zion video now more than ever before 🥲

[@KnoxWheelerJr]

I feel like if you put a prime Duncan on a team with subpar defenders on the perimeter in this era, even he would have no answer for the postseason (and regular season) switch-hunting we see now.

[@CablixMoreWow]

He was one of the best defenders in the league

[@KnoxWheelerJr]

@@CablixMoreWow I agree. The thing is the switch-hunt schemes we see constantly today, especially in the playoffs, weren't as prominent then. On top of that, the way the lanes were clogged in that era meant his interior defense was focused on defending other bigs in the post, rather than protecting the rim from slashing wings & guards. Duncan's rim protection was more about staying in front of his man and denying their go-to moves & contesting (often blocking) shots. They did some testing on Jokic at an athletic research facility where they found his hand & foot coordination was the best they'd ever seen, which explains the rebounding. Considering Duncan also had some limited athleticism, I can't help but feel Jokic would have been a sort of Duncan-lite on that end in the early 2000s. Alas, there's no need to imagine hypotheticals when the current situation is what it is. I do think it'd be satisfying to see Denver counter the Jokic targets with him hunting guard-switches on the interior.

[@hazwanzaidan5387]

@@KnoxWheelerJr thats what i am saying... most big man are gonna get burned 1v1 with a guard on the perimeter... even in the history of NBA i can only say Hakeem,KG,Wilt, Giannis, can do it...

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

@@KnoxWheelerJr Duncan was actually a good rim protector though …. Jokic is terrible in that area.

[@KnoxWheelerJr]

@@Thanosdidtherighthing Bro did you not read what I wrote? Jokic is perfectly fine defending bigs in the post like Duncan did for most of his career. If the Spurs played all their games against five out offenses full of shooters, Tim Duncan would not have been stopping many wings & guards slashing & cutting to the basket. That's why the best rim protectors we see today are either athletic or just extremely long.

[@enzogialdi8647]

Hey, could you guys make a video on why the warriors are struggling so much in defense this year?

[@tommartyn524]

Nuggets is the team that should go hard for either pascal siakim or og annonoby. Id easily be willing to give up mpj for either one

[@fatesteyneit2990]

no team wants MPJ.. why would you pay for someone who is injury prone ?

[@tommartyn524]

@@fatesteyneit2990 they would have to include picks obviously but mpj still has some value. He’s a legit 25 ppg scorer when he’s healthy

[@krisskrosssss]

The asking price for Pascal is definitely another All Star or All NBA caliber player but for OG I think MPJ, 1x first round and 1x second round picks are good enough to trade. The Raptors would have to throw in Porter Jr and Birch to match the salaries so maybe 2x second round picks. I wouldn’t go more than that because Porter Jr and Birch are mainly out of the Raptors rotation anyways. So yeah OG, Birch, and Porter Jr for MPJ, 1x first round, and 2x second round seems fair to me.

[@krisskrosssss]

Getting OG would do wonders for them because they could throw in a small ball lineup with OG at the Center when resting Jokic since he’s played Center before and statistically he’s effectively guarded every position.

[@alvin081988]

Trading MPJ for Beal or Kuzma might be a good idea

[@vjekoslavprpic496]

i can't believe what i just hear,finally some1 understands problem Nuggets have with Bones,you guys are totally right about him,not only he doesn't understand defense,his effort is also a huge problem,smart teams will exspose him and MPJ a lot in playoffs,especcially if both play together,Bones in corner and MPJ along side him,huge advantage for attacking team.Hope you make another video where you expose Nuggets weaknesses and explain to basketball fans thru actions,great video but too short

[@henryviiifake8244]

Considering Hyland is only in his second season in the league, that comes off more as a coaching issue. He's got the physical attributes to be a lengthier Caruso on defense, but he's not being educated on how to best use those gifts and what to pay attention to on defense.

[@vjekoslavprpic496]

@@henryviiifake8244 it's about basketball IQ, effort which he lacks, for him is more important how people would react on his moves than to win a game, giving high 5 to crowd after scoring, staring at cam with no desire to go back in defense, just shows mentallity of player, if they fouled you ok, but, leaving your teammates for your show just proves he is bad

[@meekmill8042]

Bones is hell of player .. your complains is more on the coaching staff .. you coach to your player strengths and weaknesses period . Your writing him off as he's a bum

[@vjekoslavprpic496]

@@meekmill8042 well,if only Reed shooting worse than Bones in Nuggets squad and he is lazy to play defense,yup he is close to be a bum

[@PsychoWarper]

Man if yhe Nuggets got Caruso or OG that would be insane, I doubt they have the assests for OG but it would be awesome to see none the less.

[@kailencitron6839]

I’d do mpj for OG straight up 🤷‍♀️

[@sffan10]

If you replace MPJ with Bruce Brown you have 3 good wing defenders 2,3,4 next to Murray and Jokic. I think that defense will be good enough with the elite offense Jokic gives you. The real move long term is to move MPJ for an upgrade on defense at the 3.

[@distinctga5811]

Jokic is ranked one of the best defensive players in the league by practically every metric we have. The jump he made from 2 years ago to last year is why he got his second MVP. They had 3 highly payed players and 2 of them sat out for over a year. Denver was 15th in the league defensively last year despite missing these players and were better with Jokic on the floor (against starters) than when he was off the floor. This year they are an above average defense with Jokic on the floor, but horrible with him off the floor. They are also the best clutch defensive team in the league because the defensive stats aren't skewed by the bench and Jokic no longer has to worry about getting into foul trouble. Centers don't play great perimeter defense and avoid the switch whenever possible. Most PFs also do this, including Giannis. defender goes over the top and the big hedges, this is typical. Numbers don't lie

[@CarlosGutierrez-qw6pr]

Anthony Davis, according to metrics, is the best defensive player in the league. without AD the Lakers defensive is non-existent. Remember the 50 point quarter by the Mavs? Jokic is under him. What does Jokic do that makes him the next best defensive player in the league? Remember, AD has only played center this season

[@obukohwoogheneakpobo3011]

Numbers lie lmao I have eyes and the Warriors series happened Jokic non existent rim protection isn't gonna cut it I don't care what the metric is A good team beats the nuggets

[@tarunganesg9700]

he's a better rim protector but as a perimeter defender he is absolutely terrible. IDC what analytics said, what I saw in the playoffs in the last 2 years is that any team with great guards will absolutely torch the nuggets. The thing is if the nuggets get a better MPj and murray (or gordon and the bench playing at this level) I think their offense will keep them as a top finals contender no matter which team they face.

[@cramax4871]

@@obukohwoogheneakpobo3011 Maybe a good team beats last year Nuggets. Where campazzo, rivers, will barton were in the first unit regulary. Denver got way better on offense, and on defense. Totally different team.

[@t4d0W]

@@obukohwoogheneakpobo3011 The Warriors are beyond good. It was a bad match up from the start because the Warriors may not have strength at the 5, but practically kill the Nuggets at the 1~4. They got no wings to help limit Steph and the ball movement either with what lack of size/length the Nuggets had at the wings.

[@michaelconstantinemiranda2352]

AG has been so good for them in defense, he's been so unferrated defensively and they have bruce brown and kcp. Call me crazy, but as good as MPJ has been, I'd probably try to trade him now to the raptors for OG.

[@kennn30]

I still believe the backbone of all great playoff defenses need a great rim protector. In the paint the shots are still the most efficient shot to take even in the 3 point era, you need a guy that can really protect the rim. We've seen it in the last 5 Finals, 2018 KD/Draymond, 2019 Ibaka, 2020 AD, 2021 Giannis/Lopez and 2022 Draymond. Even some of the teams that lost had great rim protecters in Adebayo, Robert Williams, etc. Jokic is smart with passing lanes but not just not a rim protector, and with how bad he already gets exploited on the perimeter, being a liability on both parts is just not reliable for me come playoff time

[@gaizzz]

agreed

[@lazarperic4525]

🤭

[@shoepermanbutthman2188]

ooops... I think your assessment is wrong

[@SoloPerICommenti]

not so sure Lonzo/Caruso are in a different "stratosphere" vs KCP/Brown. Moreover, the Bulls had the likes of Lavine and DeRozan on the floor, talking about bad defenders

[@blacknetsmed]

Yes, if you actually look at Lonzo+Caruso defensive production they were in a different stratosphere as KCP and Brown. Bulls had Top 5 Defense when Ball and Caruso shared the court when they both left the court Bulls were bottom third in Defensive Rating.

[@t4d0W]

Lets just say this: When Lonzo/Caruso played as a pair last season (before Lonzo went down), their efforts were a big reason why the Bulls looked great from the get go. As the video related, their presence on the perimeter hid the limitations of having Vuc or DeRozan caught in the screen game. This season without Lonzo, the perimeter defense does not have that kinda bite even with Dosunmu providing depth.

[@bryanwendland235]

Nuggets defense is gonna surprise people in the playoffs, when the bench rotation is cut way down and the bench minutes are cut way down.

[@sffan10]

I would really like to see what Jokic looks like next to an elite defensive center like Jakob Poeltl. The Nuggets had success when they had to play Jokic and Mason Plumlee together due to injury. Jokic is such an excellent big to big passer I’ve very confident it would work offensively and Jakob can protect the rim when Jokic is playing the PnR aggressively on defense. Basically KAT/Rudy but with better players and not giving up 10 first round picks.

[@sffan10]

Also Poeltl even though he’s really good is still in the salary range where you can bench him if you need to just play 1 big and it won’t be a organizational crisis.

[@Sough]

3 videos recommended from this channel, all on the same player

[@jab1239]

Can you do a lob city clippers break down please?

[@e.b.6144]

Jokic is 7th in the league in deflections, not just among centers. 1st among centers in steals.

[@bryanwendland235]

Yeah, Jokic's defense really isn't the problem. The problem with the Nuggets in the playoffs since he first got there has always been the minutes he has to sit.

[@jamesjohnson1167]

Murray used to be a DPOy candidate before the injury now if he can get to above average he’ll be fine they have Brown KCP Aaron and Jamal MPJ has to improve on everyone that isn’t scoring offball he can’t do much outside of it

[@tannermurray2071]

What is closer to GOAT status- Jokic’s passing or Ben Taylor’s work?

[@batistabomb6997]

Ben Simmons shooting

[@koshivabhi1072]

@@batistabomb6997 aw hell nah 😭

[@villainousrum248]

Ben Taylor's meatriding

[@cosmo_lewis]

@@villainousrum248not Meatriding he has no bias

[@injusticeanywherethreatens265]

My loneliness!

[@idkanymore6634]

dude on the left never watched a nuggets game in his life

[@Titan2User]

I was thinking about how well this Defense could hold up against teams like the mavs and Celtics during post the season.

[@somersetbassett4580]

Mavs, Donic PnR with Jokic 40+ times. Eastern Conference Boston Celtics!? Doesn't matter 🤷🏻

[@henryviiifake8244]

Mavs and Nuggets are in a similar position in terms of what Luka and Jokic do for their respective teams (Luka focusing more on scoring himself and Jokic more in facilitating). The Mavs seem to be worse on defense overall, though.

[@hijisfriend9030]

@@henryviiifake8244 yeah, Mavs defense is horrendous. Also, Luka being one of the best defensive PG make me wonder wtf is going on there? How they can be so horrible without him.

[@ImGonnasayit]

Yeah the nuggets have size but as was highlighted MPJ is a target

[@henryviiifake8244]

Kind of comes down to whether the rest of the Nuggets are good enough on defense to cover for Jokic's lack of defense. I'm not convinced the Nuggets not named "Nikola" are good enough, consistently enough on defense to get them to the Finals. The defensive side of the floor is where players like Giannis, Embiid (when not injured), AD (when not injured), Kawhi (also when not injured) and Tatum make things a lot easier on their team in a playoff situation. The tradeoff is that Jokic's elite facilitating abilities do more than those other players to boost his teams' offense (e.g. Tatum, Giannis, Embiid and AD _must_ be one of the top scorers on their team to guarantee a win in the face of tough opposing defense. Jokic can "get away" with not needing to score as much himself to get his team in a great situation on offence; at that point its just a matter of being good _enough_ on defense to not lose).

[@racimegacar]

GSW seria wasn't that easy for them as it looks like, it could go easily to 7... with Burton, Morris and terrible Gordon in that time...Joker was alone! One more thing Nuggets defense (look last 10 games) becoming better and better, they figure it out as time is passing...in the time of playoff they will be top 10 defense of the league, offensively well u know that

[@kennn30]

Easily? I mean all the games were close but I think Jokic ran out of gas, he was doing everything and you could see how tired he looked in game 5

[@predragon6196]

This is best roster in Jokic era, its clearly championship worthy, however it has to many unknown variables because key players health issues and bench volatility They don't have a lot room to retool but I would try to swap MPJ and Bones for some more reliable guys even at cost of lower ceiling...bench scorers and stretch forwards are not that hard to find this days

[@hijisfriend9030]

@@fang9762 he indeed is. If he doesn't come up with a good defensive mindset this playoff. Expect the worst for the nuggets

[@bradhicks5558]

When Bones is leading second team, at least 2 of the Nuggets best 4 defenders need to be on the floor with him, 2 of either Brown, KCP, Gordon, or Braun. MPJ and Murray should not be staggering when Bones is playing. That second unit needs defense not offense.

[@urosmarjanovic663]

Thank you!!!

[@oldmansportsog2514]

Come along casuals, Jokic is a crazy Hybrid of Arvadis Sabonis mixed with some Tim Duncan, Lardy Bird, Dirk along with some Moses Malone the most underrated center of all time. He has parts of all those legends. He the real deal and he a very humble guy, easy to root for..nuggets play as a team. How can anyone who claims they love bball not love the team game? It's much more beautiful then ,Kyrie and KD and Harden and Embiid taking turns playing iso bball. The game has changed and teams that win play team bball. Even warriors have been the past few years.

[@judsondoncaster4795]

I stand by the fact Jokic is not a bad defender

[@barsbarsbarz]

he's definitely not bad, he's a good post defender, but the conversation is if he's a championship level anchor. last two seasons we saw GSW and PHX just attack him in switches. there's a limit to how good your defense will be with Jokic at your center and if they get bounced within the first two rounds of a wide open western conference then there's gonna be a real dilemma with his defense and there will probably be some trades.

[@joachimfoxwell]

Delusional asf

[@t4d0W]

@@barsbarsbarz I don't know what would prompt people to start a convo that Jokic is a champion level anchor considering the film he's given us the past 3-4 years. He may not be elite like versatile big defenders when he gotta get picked on mismatches. Which is fine because he's shown himself in many reps to be capable anyway. The conversation IMO that doesn't get brought up ENOUGH is the lack of help Jokic has on defense. And the kind of help needed so Jokic can push for a chip. Because contrary to what many may think, defending screens is a team effort on defense. And the donut hole teammates Jokic has makes it difficult for him to just be average on his role on a consistent basis.

[@rafael-sx5go]

@@t4d0W You were dead right

[@conner6943]

I feel like MPJ is starting to come around defensively he of course still has issues but he seems to be shuffling his feet better and just staying in front of guys when he really locks in

[@insertlastname]

Jokic can’t afford to foul out. He plays defense just fine and the teams defensive rating is better with him on the floor than not

[@jonathanharper1429]

Discussing the Nuggets point of attack defense from guards but not discussing Murray specifically is dancing on the periphery of the most relevant question for this version of the Jokic Nuggets. Jokic being the more visible component of the system to break down has done a lot to shield Murray from the genuine questions about whether or not he can navigate screens well enough for the Nuggets defense to tread water in the playoffs. If the answer to whether or not Murray is a good enough defender at the point of attack (or navigating screens in general if the opponent runs a lot of actions for shooters) is more or less that it depends on much he improves the Jokic led offense by providing resiliency to playoff game planning and intensity, then the really interesting question manifests. What percentage of bubble Murray justifies the defensive cost and is the probability for that version of Jamal Murray to actualize high enough to bet the remainder of the greatest offensive peak in NBA history?

[@t4d0W]

Yeah Murray's efforts vs screens is an ongoing matter for the playoffs but he kinda gets off the hook with his absurd offensive variance that he can provide. Plus if he's match up hunted, at 6'3" 215 he's not easy to push around in comparison to other light weight combo guards that playoff teams may have. So then the rest of the 3 players in the starting lineup have to offer much more on defensive end as well with PnR defense. Along with pre-switching, helping and what not.

[@benjihuynh2970]

God I love this channel

[@hi10ka82]

Bro where is the top 10 players of 2022 vid at

[@MarkG998]

Cody is correct here. As soon as the opposition involves MPJ and Jokic in pick n roll it's game over for the nuggets. You can spam that and what are they gonna do about it?

[@bryanwendland235]

Feels like that will take way too much set up and play right into the Nuggets hands when it comes to pace. If the Nuggets hard counter that by guarding the ball handler all the way up the court, the opposing team is going to have to get the ball across half court, run a pick to get the switch they want and then set the MPJ/Jokic PnR up. By the time they're finally in that set, there's not going to be more than 10 seconds on the shot clock and that's the kind of pace Denver loves to play at.

[@kaschmir3]

@@bryanwendland235 and who is gonna be the guy to full court press the whole game? Thats not a good strategy dude

[@MarkG998]

@@bryanwendland235 Nobody is going to do full court press in the playoffs. Jamal Murray and Hyland will get lost lol. Jokic already got exposed by the Warriors in the last playoffs. That's the blueprint for beating the Nuggets. Get Jokic in a pick n roll and he's useless.

[@blazefactor6849]

@@MarkG998 So, uhh... How'd that work out for them?

[@oldmansportsog2514]

Only casuals still bring up Jokic defense, which is actually way underrated cuz he smarts, gets a lot of deflections with his hands and the GSW narrative of Curry goes for the switch on Jokic is no different then when Curry does it to Ad,Embiid and every other center in NBA. I swear people either don't know hoops or they never watch nuggets

[@lukaslambs5780]

Jokic is I think not as bad a defender as people think. Can he be attacked with pick and roll? Yes. So can most centers.

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

He’s a bad rim protector though which doesn’t apply to most centers

[@JSauer21]

Yeah the starting 5 has been playing good defense. The bench has been one of the worst. Getting Jeff Green back will help but probably want to add another piece off the bench for insurance in the playoffs

[@milosjovicevic6083]

Bro Jeff is beyond atrocity Haha, he is super washed We are so much better without him Taking first place 😁 He just walks around like amateur and has 1 or 2 dunk but beside that he is zero at others area🙄 37 lol washed, hardly run let alone covering

[@Richbeans115]

The biggest issue with the bench is that the offense has been so bad they are never set on defense to begin with. And bones is a terrible defender. He dies on screens, constantly lost, and seems to put in low effort. A lot of ball watching. The other bench guys have been solid defenders when Jokic is on the floor, which makes me lean that way. The things about Jokic offense being so good, is that you get to be in set defense a lot more. Less live turnovers, less breakaways, less rebounds turning into fastbreak points. It is all connected.

[@bryanwendland235]

@@Richbeans115 THANK YOU. Holy shit how does no one who actually covers the NBA or the Nuggets realize how their straight up dumpster fire of an offensive scheme off the bench directly leads to how bad they are on defense? They have zero offensive identity when Jokic sits which naturally leads to a ton of run outs for the opposition.

[@t4d0W]

@@Richbeans115 Exactly! In the playoffs where you can use size/length to control messy games where buckets are to buy that is a HUGE plus. Playoff teams who have some consistency on offense AND have the personnel to play defense really get to execute better in close situations.

[@maclo4]

This topic surprised me cause when I checked the 538 Raptor defensive rating Jokic was at the top of the league. Obviously it's more complicated than just one stat but I wonder why Raptor has him rated so high

[@Gdfsandoz]

He's usually at the top in most defensive stats. Has been the last few years. He's a very smart defender. Uses positioning and his quick hands. He's a paint protector not a rim protector. He plays defense more like a guard than a center. It's very unorthodox so most people think he's an out right terrible defender

[@advancedapathy1531]

Jokic is actually good at protecting the paint and rebounding, it's outside the paint that he can be exposed. But that's usually only a problem against elite offensive teams that have perimeter players who can abuse Jokic if he switches or decides to stay deep and not come out. During the regular season, there's a lot of mediocre and bad offensive teams that can't take advantage of that consistently. Also, the fact that the Nuggets have no big man who can play defense when Jokic sits makes him look even better in +/-... Guys like DeAndre, Cousins, Bol Bol are all terrible defenders at this point. MPJ and Cancar aren't much better to perhaps help mitigate some of that from the PF position.

[@knep24]

Am I the only one who thinks MPJ is a really bad fit with Denver? When you have someone who raises the floor to an elite level like Jokic, a focus on defense is more important. A 6'7" point of attack defender seems like a better fit when contending for a championship.

[@Shiljamannn]

No one wants Ben Simmons in the playoffs... He has a weak mind... We've seen MPJ try on defense and do good things at least.... Also, Nuggets aren't much in demanding position. They can't just pick a guy, like Lakers for example... Ben would be good to be on the court while Jokic is on the bench to be a playmaker and at least slow down some of the other teams scoring for sure. Ben Simmons shouldn't play as a guardbut as a SF, where he can also make plays like LeBron did for most of his career...

[@cranevalley1]

Yes

[@andressandoval2904]

They Cancar and Brown to cover for Porter if need be.

[@andressandoval2904]

Don’t forget they also have that rookie Braun who is about 6’7 to play also.

[@andressandoval2904]

Personnel wise the Nuggets have the team. The only problems are is that they are still gelling in Denver and are young at a lot of positions.

[@user-bh6du7ng5v]

I think nuggets can trade MPJ for Kyle Kuzma, maybe with a first round pick. Mpj's D is kind of disaster.... He doesn't have basic defense rotation consciousness.

[@c_gordon8939]

Even the Bucks with Giannis and Lopez in the paint need Jrue Holiday to be the point of attack defender in order to win the finals

[@BadTakeRisan]

As an Embiid fan, I was very critical of Jokic's defense at first and while I still think he's a liability, I do think he'll be able to survive in the playoffs. Especially with MPJ and some other key player back this time.

[@t4d0W]

Its funny because Embiid in general doesn't get looked up as a liability on defense in the regular season. Yet in key match ups in the playoffs he's not exactly protecting the rim amazingly well or is a safe bet when he sees the rare giant killer guard who wants to hunt him in MUs (see Trae).

[@BadTakeRisan]

@@t4d0W Tbh he’s always hurt in the playoffs but I understand what you mean. Trae that year had a deadly floater and killed every team with it.

[@hijisfriend9030]

As Philly fans, you will know we needs someone like draymond rather than harden in our team. When Ben and Jimmy was around we only lost to another team with similar defense to us. Now, with only Embiid anchored the defense. We definitely get cooked by Heat and Celtics. Against the Bucks, they have the best rim protector and help defense and i don't think we can outperform them unless some miracle happened to us.

[@BadTakeRisan]

@@hijisfriend9030 We definitely beat the Heat if Embiid doesn’t break his face in the first round. We took them to 6 with Embiid missing 2 games and playing terrible when he came back due to injuries. While I agree we need better defenders on the perimeter, I don’t think the Heat series is a good example.

[@kennn30]

​@@hijisfriend9030Ya Idk if Harden and Maxey as your backcourt defense gonna hold up, Embiid isn't no Hakeem or anything. Maybe they should consider starting Melton over Maxey for defense and make Maxey a sixth man.

[@salezvr]

Jokic is first among centers in steals, which is more important than blocking because the ball remains in Denver's possession.

[@kunalmishra9463]

The crucial piece of info you’re conveniently ignoring about blocks is they implicitly correlate with something else, a lot of time - contests - which are not tracked and which matter far more to a defense than either of blocks or steals individually.

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

@@kunalmishra9463 His interior defense is bad

[@natsubhar2001]

​@@kunalmishra9463how about now😂😂

[@eddymwanza1378]

Safe to say it did

[@krisskrosssss]

Using Steph as an example to expose Jokic’s PnR defense is so hand picked imo because Steph is such an anomaly and there are no big men in the league right now that can effectively slow that down. One of the best mobile bigs in the game in Al Horford with Marcus Smart couldn’t even slow it down. Despite that Jokic does have holes in his PnR defense, but I just want people to stop using Curry as an example. Best way I’ve seen a team try to slow down the Curry PnR is the 2019 Raptors trapping him immediately.

[@milespq5561]

Any star perimeter player would light up Jokic. Plus he may need to get past the Warriors if he wants to win a championship this year so it is relevant

[@krisskrosssss]

@@milespq5561 Yeah for sure that’s why they should start taking notes from the Raptors and make Jokic trap players that are elite at pull up threes. Honestly giving up a pull up three is a win for the defense when it comes to most players because at the end of the day you forced a tough shot. But for people like Curry, Donovan Mitchell and others you can’t afford to give that up. In the Playoffs they just have to play Bruce Brown and other players that are good at navigating screens cause theyre most likely gonna hedge to hide Jokic. Sadly that means Bones will get his minutes significantly reduced.

[@futurehofer1564]

I wouldn't call Al Horford a mobile big at all lol

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

@@krisskrosssss Jokic is a TERRIBLE rim protector

[@krisskrosssss]

@@futurehofer1564 He definitely is, many label him as one like BBall Index and NBA University. He literally is the guy you send to guard Giannis and Zion.

[@seeerserious]

I seriously doubt it, but now with Bryant and his wingspan, if he gets his 20 mins per game, it might be doable.

[@kaschmir3]

The video title doesn't seem to fit what y'all are talking about during these 9 minutes.

[@bartekino]

Mpj for Isaac, fultz and a pick

[@hyogomarume8345]

Nuggets should go get Bol Bol for rim protection…

[@weksauce]

When you say, "big", and then list heights...wtf? Size in NBA is wingspan, hand size, and weight. Height's only relevance in basketball is in seeing over defenses.

[@M_Flex]

Jokic's defensive woes are so overstated, I get you don't have anything else to talk about but c'mon..

[@coupecortez773]

Crazy how the bulls dropped from everyones favorite team to watch to the most unbearable team to watch in just one season

[@jesustenes2]

It might be a stupid question, but how come Marc Gasol was a DPOY player and Jokic struggles so much ? They seem to have similar body types and athleticism (although Gasol was significantly taller), and Jokic sure isn't lacking in the IQ department.

[@andremiller1566]

Gasol was a legit strong defender but DPOY was bs.

[@SoloPerICommenti]

I think Gasol was more mobile in his prime, and in Toronto had less of a role so he could stay on the bench in a bad matchup. And his added lenght made him a better rim protector. Last thing, Jokic can't be in foul trouble, so he would be very conservative in his contesting shots at the rim

[@woobackwednesday2299]

Yeah, Jokic is the offensive engine so he also has to conserve some energy on the defensive end too. Not making excuses, just how it is

[@noahduncan126]

Gasol wasn’t significantly taller, Jokic is actually an inch taller going by listed height (although his wingspan is an inch shorter)

[@SoloPerICommenti]

@@noahduncan126 I don't know what they write, but seen both in person and Gasol is a couple of inches taller. Marc is really huge

[@undergroundclassics3130]

What about aaron Gordon?

[@hazwanzaidan5387]

Jokic also nullfies the opponents rim protector cause hes mostly playing at the perimeter....

[@05credito]

I think the Dirk comparison is a bit unfair given the fact that Jokic is better offensively than Dirk. By a reasonable margin.

[@calebk8518]

ben looks like a librarian

[@seymourtets]

i recently figured out that, going back 30+ years, every single championship team has had at least one DPOY-level talent playing significant minutes for them (the only one that's a bit iffy is 2006 heat, as they had 37 yr old gary payton and not quite prime d-wade). you can go down the line and there is always one significant piece of the team that is game-changing on the defensive end. i don't believe the nuggets have that player right now, and i don't think they will be able to win a chip until they get that player.

[@TheDonUrbas]

Gsw certainly didnt have such a player last championship

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

GSW had Draymond and 2006 Heat had older GP, all defensive Wade and all time great shot blocker Mourning. Mourning was averaging 2.7 blocks in 20 minutes per game that year

[@jdrmanmusiqking]

@@TheDonUrbas Bruh Wiggins was a defensive MONSTER in the playoffs last year... Maaaan lemme hit what every youre tokin on cause your memory is straight up GONE lol you've gotta be on the highest of high-grade

[@jdrmanmusiqking]

@@TheDonUrbas Gary Payton Jr was also that dude when Kerr actually gave him minutes

[@hijisfriend9030]

@@TheDonUrbas THEY HAD FUCKING DRAYMOND AND WIGGS BEING A MONSTER IN DEFENSE. Not only that, they also had GPII for some good perimeter defense

[@LukaLegend77]

Are the Bucks In Trouble? Title Window Closed? Find Out - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnqZd5ynepikY8U

[@SSJRome]

Everybody else around Jokic is gonna have to step it up defensively or it’s gonna be the same story.

[@yomomshouse100]

Exactly, jokic fans cry when u say this but defence at the rim is mandatory to win a championship.

[@SSJRome]

@@yomomshouse100 facts

[@futurehofer1564]

or maybe Jokic should also have to step it up defensively lol

[@SSJRome]

@@futurehofer1564 effort is all you can ask of him he does so much on the offensive end.

[@nicholaskatsikas4904]

@@yomomshouse100 I personally wouldn’t say it’s been mandatory. The warriors and cavaliers proved that wings and shooting are way more important in team construction than just having someone defend the paint. It’s a nice thing to have but it’s not nearly as important as having one or two wings who are so important in controlling the perimeter.

[@nestornarciso5268]

The question is,who can defend Nicola Jokic offence.

[@mintyy304]

embiid

[@NationOfChalcol]

The playoffs especially since 2017 should have already shown people that rim protection becomes neutralized in thr post season, especially if they are primarily drop bigs. If this easnt the case, Atlanta wouldnt have found cracks in Joel Embiids protection, Golden State with Robert Williams, Rudy Gobert repeatedly in the playoffs etc. It all comes down to perimeter resistance, which is why Will Barton and Monte Morris werent going to lapse resistance in Jordan Poole, Curry, and Thompson on top of being nowhere near as talented in the other end. Denver is bottom 10 in defense currently because their resolving bench issues. Their starting lineup is keeping them afloat with around a 101 defensive rating (Would rank best in the league by far). Thats why they started playing Nnaji and Cancar and all of a sudden a top 5 defense over the last 11 games.

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

-That Atlanta series had more to do with Ben Simmons not showing up on offense not Embid’s rim protection. - Tatum had a historically bad Finals series in 2022. That’s not the fault of the Celtics bigs. - Rudy Gobert gets exposed but the bigger problem is his offense not his defense. Because he can’t create his own shot and post up, teams can put 6’6-6’8 winds on him and not suffer any consequences where as if you do that to a Deandre Ayton, Joel Embid, etc they punish you for that

[@reallybruh3921]

Man that atlanta series was ben simmons never being able to space the floor for embiid, and never being aggressive

[@Davivd2]

After watching KCP in LA for 3 years I wouldn't count on him saving the Nuggets. When KCP is on he will give you 14 to 23 points per game, full court pressing defense, and a few steals. It's those nights where KCP doesn't show up that are bad. On those nights he gives you 5 points on 2 for 11 from the field and plays no defense at all.

[@bryanwendland235]

KCP is the main reason the Lakers made the finals in the bubble. And Mason Plumlee straight up not playing any defense at all on that AD game winner...

[@t4d0W]

@@bryanwendland235 KCP wasn't the only reason tho. The Lakers besides KCP had a gang of versatile wings they could throw at matchups and do the dirty work on defense while AD and Lebron help out. That is one thing I want the Nuggets to try emulate are get another rotation of 2-way wings to go with KCP and Aaron Gordon.

[@Darkcruzer23]

why is there a video on jokics defense but not luka?

[@astriddececco3005]

I agree Luka had the same issue as Jokic and the Suns went after Luka, and Mavs still won.

[@GTNover]

KCP is pretty close to Lonzo Ball as far as a perimeter defender. No way are they leagues apart.

[@constablekennedy7705]

Splash Team ….. 🏀

[@blankmedia01]

No his defense can't. But its more because he needs more players around him who are net positives on defense... MPJ needs to become more of a hussel player

[@abcgif9739]

As a lakers FAN give us NUGGETS in the playoffs

[@hobowithagun24]

Oh yeah?

[@shoepermanbutthman2188]

leflop and davis clown swept how does it feel that you are absolutely wrong?

[@natsubhar2001]

Lakers got cooked

[@tedlemoine5587]

If you go to fivethirtyeight he's statistically the top defender in the league. His defense has gotten much better, he's actually allowing less points & rebounds to opposing centers than Gobert or Evan Mobley

[@ytbasketball101]

Yeah but in the playoffs you need atleast one shot blocker

[@erichtorregoza]

I wonder why Lakers trade Kcp and keep THT.

[@fideliocgn]

Even their best perimeter defenders, who aren´t bad at all, are far from Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker, or even Thybulle level of defense. There´s no way they can actually limit players like Booker, KD, Curry or Morant in the Playoffs. And on the other side of the ball, they don´t have enough shot creation to outscore these guys. I would have to, I´d put my money on an early exit for the Nuggets.

[@lazarperic4525]

🤭

[@rafael-sx5go]

They did it in the end

[@shoepermanbutthman2188]

Heyyyy how does it feel to be wrong?

[@DrawQuick2014]

CAN WE GET AN UPDATE

[@AreYouFNQRAZII]

Sheesh lol

[@dqsmooth34]

I'd feel better about jokic defensively if he just puts his hands up and plays big defensively. Too many times he's caught swiping at the ball in attempts to get a crafty steal, when he should just be tall and big. He doesn't need to block shots, r doesn't have to have the quickest feet, just be big.

[@urosmarjanovic663]

As long he is main attacking force for Denver, you cannot expect him to be main defender. Especially in the playoff.

[@dqsmooth34]

@@urosmarjanovic663 never said I expected him to be the main defender. Her just needs to be big and wide, that's all

[@urosmarjanovic663]

@@dqsmooth34 No, what I meant was that he cannot be expected to perform in defence if he is main offence guy. It is not enough just to be big in today's NBA.

[@shoepermanbutthman2188]

well, you are wrong.. are you embarrassed now by this comment?

[@shoepermanbutthman2188]

I have a question.. did these dudes say something that they have to eat like a dog eating his own vomit or not?

[@omarmansour630]

what in the world in horizontal length ?

[@PK-ts8iz]

Wingspan

[@willhooke]

Someone who is tall with short arms blocks different areas than someone who is short with long arms Horizontal length is referring to armspan 🙂

[@omarmansour630]

Thanks guys. I was actually just trying to point out the oxymoron of referring to something as horizontal length as opposed to wigspan or reach

[@willhooke]

@@omarmansour630 yes sometimes our brains grab words when there's other words already available 😊 Sometimes to emphasise something

[@sportvideofootage]

Jokic is basketball genius no doubt. But that he was attacked by Suns 2021 guards and Warriors 2022 guards with pikenrool nobody can deny that. That will happen again,i dont care how smart 120kg center is,he still weights 120kg and dont move as fast as you need in todays basketball speeds and prepared opponnets in a serries gonna attack that. Nuggets must win with offence

[@milosjovicevic6083]

🙄 Do you guys really don' t know how much is different betwean Facu, Barton, Monte and this roster now🙄 He had freaking Rivers and Facu, Barton in front of him🙄 They are on the first place lol Last year they had very bad roster and so much bad defenders 🙄

[@sportvideofootage]

@@milosjovicevic6083 I dont care what nuggets have .They can have pippen and Kawhi Leonard.Teams still gonna force 120kg Jokic defend pikenrool like all other huge centers in playoofs. Like italy in eurobasket did to serbia too.Somehow Lucic,Kalinic wasnt helping and they considered very good defenders.

[@milosjovicevic6083]

@@sportvideofootage Bro stop it😃 Jokic was +11 against Italy Our coach was insanely dumb Jokic played only 28 min because our coach is 71 years old washed brain 🙄 Every center in the NBA is a weakness in space away from the racket. Except to some extent Adebayo and maybe a couple more. All others are weak at 10-15 feet. It does not depend so much on the centers but on the players who defend the outside - the perimeter. Denver had the worst defensive guards in the league for 2 years - Burton, Facu, Monte, etc. Denver's guards were helpless in defending the space in front of Jokic. Denver now has KCP and Brown, they defend the space in front of Jokic much better. That's why Denver is number one, man. And secondly, Denver's losses to GSW and Phoenix have the least to do with Jokic's defense. Denver simply had a much weaker roster. Jokic's second player was Burton lol who is not even in Washington rotation🙄 GSW didn't even sccored more than 15 points per game against Jokic directly🙄 Jokic already had Olimpic finale in Rio 2016 Western Conference finale 2020 He won against Leonard champion in 2019, he literary demolished champion in 2020 🙄

[@KingslayerSrb]

@@sportvideofootage didn't watch that game with Italy, haven't you?

[@bryanwendland235]

Nuggets starting guards in those series were Monte Morris and Will Barton lmfao. Basketball is a team game and you need the guard and the center playing well against those PnR's to be effective.

[@kristianpomida8259]

If only aaron gordon was an above average defender

[@stanmarsh8883]

wow bones looks lost out tthere

[@milespq5561]

I don’t buy that MPJ and Murray will help Jokic defensively. They’re both poor defenders even with their size. Brown, Gordon, and KCP will help, but their main three guys who will play heavy playoff minutes are not good defenders (Jokic, Murray, and MPJ). I could see them making it to the finals in a weak Western Conference, but I don’t see them beating the Celtics or Bucks in the final. Maybe the Nets if their defense is terrible too

[@blazefactor6849]

And then they swept the Lakers... and beat the Heat...