Does Jokic's genius actually make him a good defender?

How good is Nikola Jokic on defense now? This detailed film breakdown & scouting report explores how Jokic uses his basketball IQ and genius in 2024 to overcome his defensive shortcomings, and whether he's still a liability on defense for the Denver Nuggets.
Podcast: open.spotify.c...
Support at Patreon: / thinkingbasketball
Book: www.amazon.com...
Website: www.thinkingba...
Twitter: @elgee35
Find additional Thinking Basketball content on the NBA App, the More Thinking Basketball channel and the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
www.pbpstats.com @bballport
www.basketball...
stats.nba.com
-----
Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
Music by csus (instrumental)
#ThinkingBasketball

[@domingow.17]

The sneaky genius of Denver is that they turn the game into a 2 point shootout for the most part. They trust their offensive execution at the rim and midrange (with selective 3 point shots) while daring opponents to do the same. Usually when they lose it's when the opponent either gets too many 2nd chance and/or transition points

[@kingjasko]

this is why luka is such a bad matchup for them, u either take away luka by doubling him and giving dallas a lot of 4v3 and likely empty 3s for role players or u let luka outplay u almost every single time :DD

[@kennn30]

​@@kingjaskoU can say the exact same thing for Jokic...

[@xavierb9061]

Nuggets beat no 50 win teams last year. Remember when eliminated.

[@kennn30]

@xavierb9061 It's not the Nuggets fault they and Memphis were the only 50 win teams last season. Either way, Jokic himself matched up against Rudy, AD and Bam and outplayed them, no one can guard him

[@domingow.17]

@xavierb9061 the path is definitely tougher this year for them no doubt

[@thecanmanification]

Dude it’s crazy, his understanding of spacing and gravity makes it so he can give minimal effort but still do high level team defender

[@maap8998]

Doesn’t look like it but he does make a lot of effort

[@Rooski245]

Lol except he’s not a high level defender at any level

[@TiredOfthisstuff]

​@@Rooski245source : eye test

[@zacharydegraeve5264]

@@Rooski245he’s well above average. And I’ll take that considering he’s one of the best offensive engines of all time

[@shelovet0mmy]

I think u missed that they said a high level TEAM defender. He’s good enough to where the scheme they run become highly effective. They’re 3rd in clutch D and 8th in defense overall with him as the ancor

[@nigelee]

In the modern NBA, rim protection and switchability are the most sought after abilities for defensive bigs. That’s why Davis, Bam, Draymond, JJJ and Mobley are considered elite defenders. Jokic is awful at both, so he’s often seen as a poor defender. Thing is, he’s good to great at everything else. He’s a voracious rebounder, immovable in the post, he’s got great hands, and as this video highlights, his effort levels and reading of the game are superb. He reminds me a lot of Marc Gasol, who couldn’t jump either, but had such impeccable positioning it looked like he was teleporting around the court, putting out fires everywhere.

[@RomnysGonzalez]

Is because switching and blocks are the most visually appealing and easier ways to identify a good defender. If you see a big containing a guard you can easily notice without having to watch replays or metrics or experters telling you about it. You can see it directly and understand it

[@phillipg1331]

That is the best and most flattering comparison anyone has ever made for him. I appreciate that.

[@nigelee]

@@phillipg1331 Jokic isn't as good defensively as Marc, who was as much a savant on defense as Nikola is on offense. But Marc's refusal to take on more responsibility to score, even when his teammates and coaches begged him to, was incredibly frustrating, especially with his strength and touch. He could have been a prototype Joker. Thankfully Nikola doesn't have that problem.

[@bmsuperstar1]

​@@nigeleeWe already had a prototype Joker. Several of them, in fact.

[@jpethereal]

@@nigelee Joker reminds me a mixture of Marc and Zack together.

[@tonydeveyra4611]

Every aspect of Jokic game is an example of work smarter, not harder. Right down to the way he burns game clock while inbounding the ball while the nuggets are leading.

[@harb1ng3r82]

He’s just so active and his sense of timing and positioning is so good, it feels like he always has a hand in a passing lane or a his body in place to stop a guy from getting a head of steam to the basket. That one game in the finals last year where he got a couple of steals and like three late shot clock kicks to stop an entry bounce pass to a big was very eye-opening.

[@qwuzzy]

it's pretty absurd and speaks to his skill how he's VERY often in the right place at the right time

[@Zemlja_je_ravna]

One season he had like 3 or 4 winning blocks, 4th quarter is when he really shines in defense because he is not afraid of fouling.

[@Doobajig]

Jokic is just built different fr

[@Sparky6string]

Even more from the neck up than down.

[@bronzeandsteel3344]

​@@Sparky6string good line 👉🧠👈

[@bojanpalink5471]

He is built like Al Bundy coming from night shift in shoe store

[@Tryc3]

ong

[@t4d0W]

@@bojanpalink5471 credit to Jokic but he never scored 4 TDs in a single game of HS football.

[@surenick3460]

Their strategy seems to be predicated on Jokic not getting in foul trouble or injured/worn down on unnecessary jumps, which clearly the bigger risk to the Nuggets than him allowing league average offense. Compared to Joel there is a question, especially with injuries, of if that extra vertical protection is worth the tradeoff.

[@akirakurusu4215]

Don't have the numbers or anything, but the amount of times Embiid falls in a season might be more than Jokic...in his entire career.

[@ExplodingPoteto]

​@@akirakurusu4215you dont have to bring out nos. I think from the time he debut in the league they taught him how to properly fall to avoid stress on his injury prone body. L

[@jkelley94]

@@ExplodingPotetoEmbiid also smartly minimizes stress on his body by avoiding long playoff runs

[@ExplodingPoteto]

@@jkelley94 🤣🤣🤣

[@LazarTheMaster]

​@@ExplodingPoteto So no other player in league history was taught how to "properly" fall besides embiid? Bro must have a crazy good team...

[@michaelbietsch2864]

THANK YOU. Trying to argue with people who act like he's a trash defender because he doesn't block shots is obnoxious. I would add though, that in the clutch, Jokic becomes less worried about fouling out and becomes a SHOCKINGLY good rim protector (obviously not Gobert levels, or anything like that, but WELL above average, in fact, he led the league in game saving blocked shots 2 years ago)

[@adrianiii3125]

Ikrr. It's always almost a lost conversation already when people narrow down NJ's defense as if he's an utter trash player overall. Not fitting the "standard" center archetype with the vertical, shot blocking, divine athleticism, among others easily are the haters' main argument to throw in. In addition, people are quick to discredit him as a player, pointing out that he has such good teammates and system "to cover up" his flaws - to the point it's sarcasm instead of a compliment. It's just discouraging that the antagonism (especially as seen around 70+% of the comments here) towards NJ is so intense, and cannot just appreciate the player he is

[@Rooski245]

He is a bad defender. They’re using that as criticism because delusional fans think he’s damn near top 10, which he’s not (and it’s not close). That requires effort on both sides of the ball.

[@RomnysGonzalez]

In the clutch he also become a terrific switcher on guards and containing them. Jokic defense on 4th quarters is extremely good because all his flaws that are being mention on this video disappear and turn it up into a good ball container on switchers.

[@RomnysGonzalez]

@@Rooski245 ?. How effort on the offensive side of the ball make you better o bad defender? That makes absolutely no sense mate. The video itself point up he's not a bad defender that at worst he's an average defender and at his regular level he is an above average defender. Did you even watched the video?

[@libenhagos9335]

@@RomnysGonzalez actually generally speaking players that have to carry a large offensive load end up too tired to perform well defensively. Luka and Harden are the prime examples of what I mean

[@akaallenpain852]

As a heat fan in the finals we learned how overblown his defensive deficiencies were … I’d been hearing the whole season how much of a weak defender he is not really watching the nuggets all season it was soul crushing to see how true that wasn’t ..

[@theoteddy9665]

fax over feelings, I like that👏respect

[@Mellow_Yellow13]

As a Laker fan I learned that first hand last WCF. And unfortunately getting a repeat lesson right now. The other lesson was being impressed with high motor.

[@uriel7940]

I got flamed on TikTok by some people for defending Jokic saying he is a “smart” defender. This video makes me feel better.

[@bmsuperstar1]

Whenever someone calls Jokić a bad defender, I know for a FACT that that person knows jack sh!t about basketball.

[@DragonsFrogs]

Being “flamed on TikTok” should be a good indication that you’re right anyway

[@ChuckwaldMartin]

@@DragonsFrogs being on tik tok is a bad look though

[@skyrie1524]

Being in tiktok already makes you a below average person overall.

[@roberttallafer2299]

He used to be a bad defender if you look back 3+years ago. Hes gotten significantly better since.

[@realone296]

He is a GREAT defender, leads all bigs in deflections, great at rebounding, PNR defense, comunication, run the most miles etc...Nuggets are ALWAYS top 5-10 defense with him ON the floor... Defense is more than just blocks!

[@tropickman]

Jokic ranks 4th in NBA in defensive rating 2nd in defensive rebounds 1st in defensive box +/- 2nd in defensive win shares 7th in steals per game 30th in blocks per game Defense is so much more than just blocking.

[@jrpajarillo2402]

Glad someone pays attention to details about defense. Everyone talks about blocks when it comes to defense because of the impact and swag it brings when it happens. Jokic uses his brain to defend and that what makes him special.

[@acheeblessyou]

i swear jokic blocks more shots at the end of games than most 'shot-blocker' centers. i think he saves up his energy / lulls his defenders into thinking that they can shoot a certain way over/around him so that when it matters most, he can get those blocks.

[@berlin4103]

He doesn't block shots too early in the game coz if he gets in foul trouble denver is cooked but with few mins left in the game well that's another story where he elevates both his offense and defense simultaneously. 😮

[@No-xo1kx]

Leonard and Drexler used to do the same thing but for steals in clutch situations. But I’ve never seen a Center do it for blocking shots. Crazy observation

[@vlesmeries]

That would be an interesting stat to find out. What is Joker's defensive stats the last 5 min of the 4th quarter in a close game.

[@Zemlja_je_ravna]

He just must play careful to avoid getting fouls, game is over without him. But in the 4th in the clutch, defense gets much better.

[@Authorman2]

@@Zemlja_je_ravna Part of his careful defense too is positioning for the rebound chance. Much better chance to block out if you aren't flying by in the air on a vertical contest. He even makes it an even better rebound chance with players scrambling back to stop any fly routes that Jokic might throw quick and giving the Nuggets fewer opps crashing the boards. That and with smaller unicorn style big men trending in the league, he is a brick wall to most big men on the boards.

[@pesky19]

this is what great motor on defense actually looks like, unfortunately most fans thinks it looks like westbrook or AI

[@t4d0W]

Its reminiscent to me of Bird's off ball/on ball defense. It looks like he hangs about in half court but he's just tracking the ball and having a good idea where the play will end up. And he'll consistently be in great position for a defensive play or even a defensive gamble. Size also helped as well helped out for rebounding situations especially when his other 2 front court teammates were also good at getting the ball.

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

How about now ?

[@pesky19]

@@Thanosdidtherighthing still the same, 2 games doesn't change the overall ability

[@flygoon420]

Jokic never jumps to block shots, always keep him well positioned for defensive rebounds and transition pushes, I saw it multiple times during tonight's Lakers Nuggets game, AD would fall down trying to draw contact, Jokic grabs the rebound and immediately dribbles down the court for the 4 on 5

[@panaceiasuberes6464]

5:30 "And its a no-look steal"... guess he's the one averaging more of those per season, isn't him?

[@lukyluk_py]

Isn't he* i know most ppl don't care, just tryinna help

[@alexhussinger3550]

He's 13th in steals per game this season, and that actually puts him above players like Wemby and AD (Though obviously they have over triple and twice his blocks per game respectively). He's also something like 6th in total steals, since he almost never gets injured or misses games.

[@OkagaCalifornia]

It's so fun watching him play.

[@porozil4068]

An underrated part of Jokic's game is that he is so dominant and physical on offense, that it puts a ton of wear and tear on his opponents, which helps him on defense, cause opposing centers and bigs just missing easy shots.

[@danielday3374]

That’s why only a guy like Embiid stands a legit chance against him head to head. He’s the only current centre who can match him in size, strength and skill for an entire game.

[@noconsent]

Great breakdown. The 12.4 rebounds a game, 9.5 of them being dreb, the 1.9 steals a game, and 0.9 blocks show a player putting in the effort on the defensive side. And if you are using your basketball IQ you set yourself up in the position to get steals in the passing lane, and to get rebounds off of misses. Definitely lacking a bit in the block department. But I dunno if I want the big man jumping around for blocks after seeing what happens to Embiid. What he does works so might as well work around that and just make up for his lack of blocks elsewhere.

[@Jcikokalol]

Yep, he will have a much longer prime because of his physical limitations.

[@JAQm31ster]

After watching him vs the Lakers and the Wolves, Jokic is an absolute cone on defense.

[@TheSlinkerDog]

It shouldn't even be a question that he is now above-average as a big man defender. No one should be arguing he's an elite defender, but as you have shown very well, he makes a positive difference on defense. The best stat for that is the Nuggets have equivalent to the 3rd best defensive rating with him on the floor and the 15th best defensive rating while he sits.

[@thecaude]

Great one! I missed a bit more commentary on his rebounding though. This guy's hands look like magnets sometimes, he might not snatch it inmediately but he always manages to tip it in his direction to finally get possesion of the ball.

[@dosquats]

Yo TB! Thanks for the amazing content this year. Looking forward to the playoffs - something about this year has been so competitive and talented! I'll be there for the poddies too.

[@feesh6597]

Alot of people think that defense is always about blocking the shot, while it does help that you have good shot blocking ability, it's only half of defense. The other half is about making the shots harder to make, and it's a really underrated skill for centers to learn.

[@leungsz]

Which is why Wemby is going to be DPOY for years to come. He may never lead the league in blocks per game again, and that will be because dudes won't even dare to shoot against him. Now THAT'S defending at its finest.

[@loftyguy11]

Fantastic video. Gonna look at his defense in a completely new light now.

[@lukedunlap8003]

Great analysis! Idk if you take requests but a Trayce Jackson-Davis video would be really cool. He’s had an interesting rookie year even though he went low in the draft

[@MoonIronTR]

Jokic glazing at finest

[@berryesseen]

It's like a chess game. I'm sure he is thinking like "what would I do if I were him in the offense" and then just takes the best option from who he is defending. His timing, hand activity and anticipation are well above an average defender.

[@TheZare96]

One night I had a nightmare, I dreamt about "Athletic" Jokic, and Jordan and Clinton conspiring his assassination..😂😂😂

[@monke-mk5]

Lmao

[@aquamarine56]

😂😂😂😂

[@RHENLeyFelipe]

He can read the floor,he is not just good defender,he is a smart defender!

[@joshualove8817]

Great breakdown! That hustle is contagious, thats leading by example!

[@smittywerbenjagermanjensen320]

If you check this season’s stat leaders on basketball reference, Jokic is towards the top of a few defensive advanced stats. I think he’s even #1 for one of them

[@Rooski245]

Dude really came to a comment section making stuff up. Insanity.

[@RomnysGonzalez]

@@Rooski245 The guy is telling the true. If we look at the stat leaders and i'm not a blind believer of stats. Jokic is #2 on Defensive Win Shares, #1 on Defensive Box Plus Minus, 4th on defensive rating, 8 on total steals. The original comment is completely right and what he said are straight up FACTS. Do this mean he's a All NBA defender? Depends who you ask and how much they believe on stats as the sole metric to qualify if a player is a good defender base on them

[@tropickman]

Jokic ranks 4th in NBA in defensive rating 2nd in defensive rebounds 1st in defensive box +/- 2nd in defensive win shares 7th in steals per game 30th in blocks per game Defense is so much more than just blocking.

[@phillipg1331]

​@@Rooski245go check the website. There's many other websites that show his prowess. Why are you so offended by his greatness?

[@kobewankenobi8926]

@@tropickmanDefensive box plus-minus is not a good measure of his defense. Assists are given weight in the defensive box plus-minus calculation, because generally players (especially centers) who are good passers are also good defenders. Jokic is an absolute outlier for center assists and so causes his estimate to be inflated. Likewise, defensive win shares is not great either. Defensive win shares is basically just player defensive rating multiplied by minutes played. Lineups with Jokic on the floor play good defense and he plays a lot of minutes so his defensive win shares will be high. This does not necessarily mean that Jokic is a good defender though! The best measure of any player defense is multi year RAPM, which suggests Jokic is a good but not great defender.

[@azandamjweni8797]

YALL WERE SAYING????

[@MohamedLamkhizni]

If you Lakers or Wolves crying fangirl keep crying

[@nolangoeken3141]

Maybe even bigger than all of these things is that Jokic is such an elite game manager on offense. It's easier to score on a fast break against the best defensive team than in halfcourt against the worse defensive team, and it's hard to get out in transition if you're constantly having to take the ball out of the basket. Part of being a game manager is that even empty possessions are likely to occur while Denver is set up so it can get back in transition. Jokic already has a very good assist:turnover ratio, and as a center who will pick up some offensive fouls setting moving screens or fighting for position in the post/on the offensive glass, the turnovers he does commit are less likely to be live-ball ones that lead to opponent fast breaks. He is the #1 player in the league at creating a quality shot for his team, and as a player who is wired to always fo the 'right' pass rather than one that will result in an assist for him, this doesn't fully show up in the box score. The sum total of this might just be a couple fewer fast break opportunities per game for the opposing team, but that really adds up with how much more efficient transition offense is than halfcourt offense.

[@PrinceAristotle]

Jokic is treating the game like cold war where intelligence matter rather than actual defense by playing espionage against the play of opposing opponent.

[@bembrysburner3068]

His rebounding is another underrated part of his defense. The 23 seconds of defense you just played doesn't matter of the offense gets the rebound, so I think that's a really important skill he possesses as well.

[@jcmmmmmm]

But mainstream talking heads say "jokic is a poor defender"

[@IamDoomed15]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2bVoKSlrbFlp9ksi=-z17vjlDc__j6JYk I'm sure

[@0401412740]

So defensively rating and defense awareness 99 but block rating 50 and steals rating 90?

[@phillipg1331]

Block rating 89 but vertical 70

[@TheVegoran]

His physical limitations keep him from being a great defender but Denver's schemes and personnel + Jokic's great IQ and effort makes up for it. I think his stamina is a really underrated part of his game, he manages to conserve energy on offense while still being incredibly effective, which then allows him to be active on defense even later on. Effort is such a big part of defense and the Joker always tries his best. I want Luka to take that next step in this regard, he improved his defense this year but he still has many plays where he's lazy

[@xfanatick7972]

I absolutely agree. As for Luka we can already see how good he can be defensively after the trade deadline. If he tries it’s was never a problem. Now he has a good supporting cast with a great second option. Just like Jokic and Murray

[@Qub3rs]

Just adding to Jokic's stamina, people forget that he was a former water polo player, so his lungs were always active under pressing and Denver's playing a mile above sea level, so the team's used to playing high level basketball with less oxygen, Jokic included. These things can really make athlete's lungs/bodies more efficient with the oxygen it can get.

[@tutoy2toy665]

​@@xfanatick7972harden too back in okc he is okay on defense until he got on rockets he became lazy.

[@xfanatick7972]

@@tutoy2toy665 exactly! Defense is always about effort and players tend to become lazy on Defense if they spent to much energy on offence

[@phillipg1331]

Great defense is not limited to athletic defense.

[@Galaxis_Gunner]

Great Video as Always 💯 Much love from Germany ❤️🇩🇪

[@zigguratjones6458]

Much love from Germany 🇩🇪

[@SincerelyYoursWill]

Interesting take and video. Definitely made me look forward to seeing the game from a different lens when the Lakers play Denver tonight in Game 2. My thoughts about Joker's defense is that his hands - as you noted - are probably the best the league has seen in a while. In my opinion, Chris Webber's hands were THE BEST. If he got a finger on the ball he could secure the ball and control it. And that's what I see from Joker. He has that same divine gift PLUS being a 7 footer - which is GINORMOUS when 6 - 8 ft from the rim. Denver's coach & their personnel all play into that. It's actually a possum game. Where you try to get Joker into some action; but, Joker turns that into a coast to coast fastbreak where he is running the point giving it to someone for a dunk or one of their players wide-open for a three. Additionally, his defensive rebounding is elite as well - which also contributes to the coast to coast transition plays. He simply is unusual. We've never seen someone this size, this skilled offensively. And even having him near the action of the ball creates a threat because if he can get a fingernail on the ball; it's a live-ball turnover - which usually ends up in points. Overall, I think the efficiency of his offense is unprecedentedly elite that even targeting him on the other side of the ball risks him having the ball in his hands. The best way to stop Jokic is for him NOT to have the ball in his hands. But the dude is 7 feet tall and a rebounding menace. Really one of those players that you have to watch him play to understand how he impacts the game in EVERY FEASIBLE way. Crazy!

[@eyemunchained8968]

The NBA should look more at those swipes when the offensive player is attempting a shot... Those are blocks! Offensive player is initiating a shot and Joker is blocking it down low, but its still a block

[@martinhodell8465]

great examples. Joker has built a number of advantages out of his lack of leaping ability. You could do a video on his rebounding techniques, for example. He can hop twice before other players have recovered from their first leap. Amazing how he has built a different style.

[@nicoalexander774]

If the Nuggets win this championship, I think he’s already in the Top 10 players ever conversation! ❤

[@Arn3z]

Not even close bro

[@Srbenda126]

He is already top 5

[@victorwong6976]

How?

[@back2back379]

I don’t know. He’s definitely below Jordan, Lebron, Kareem, Duncan, Kobe, Magic, Bird, Shaq. And then what about Bill Russell, and Wilt? There would be an argument for him, but it wouldn’t be definitive.

[@Srbenda126]

@@victorwong6976 Shaq, Kareem, Wilt and Russell are the only better centers in history. He is tied for 5th with Olajuwon in my book

[@chairmandaenerys]

Because he knows how to generate the best shots, he will take away your best shot in one on two defense situation with his limit athleticism. And you can't be more patient with your offense to get better shots off him because how long and athletic the other 4 Denver players are, windows are too short. Gonna be good with the mid range shot to have a chance

[@t4d0W]

Even if he's pulled out of the perimeter he knows if its a smaller player with a ball isolated and the only way out is a skip pass, its checkmate since Jokic is such a big dude to get the ball around him. Plus there aren't many playoff caliber teams in the West or even Finals caliber team coming from the East with multiple absurd scorers with high difficulty shot making ability. They still have to get to those best looks on the half court and Jokic knows all about that game whether its a two-man or he's forced to play the drop.

[@leungsz]

@@t4d0W Correct. That's the reason why only the Suns were able to take two games from the Nuggets. Booker and KD basically had to play like a volcano to win those two games.

[@RuiArtur]

This is the best basketball channel. This breakdown is 👏👏👏

[@nicmagtaan1132]

We often see jokic looking like tired and gassed turns out he might be considering he has that 100% defensive motor that great defenders have

[@darkodragicevic2956]

Couple of seasons ago, he bring 2-3 wins with dagger defensive reactions

[@WizadPowuhs16]

Without watching the video. Yes, the answer is yes. The man’s brain is a super computer like we’ve rarely if ever seen applied to basketball.

[@DavisNBasketball]

7:28-7:45 what you don’t realize with the kick violations is you’re giving your defense a chance to reset/adjust since its a dead-ball situation leaving the offense to inbound on the next possession. The IQ is ridiculous.

[@Sotanath86q]

ofc he did. Literally everyone with half a brain realizes that resetting the offense is a good thing

[@SoloPerICommenti]

You mentioned it laterally, but he has that Tim Duncan thing that he never fully commits and he's always positioned for the defensive rebound. He has those non contests that look bad, but often shotblockers leave the rim open for thr offensive rebound

[@phillipg1331]

Don't tell his haters that he leads the league in defensive win shares.

[@0608jeff]

he's a solid defender who understands the game well enough to be at the right place at the right time almost all the time and has great hands for deflections. Obviously he has weaknesses in the form of quicker players blowing by or jumping over him, a big man with a good faceup game can take advantage of him in a 1v1 matchup until AG's help defense becomes a bit more aggressive, but he and the coaching staff all know to play to his strengths and avoid such situations as much as possible and mitigate his weaknesses, and thus his overall impact on D is consistent and positive. Yes, his defensive ceiling does not reach the potential of guys like Bam, Embiid, AD, Wemby, Rudy....etc, but he makes up for it by rarely making mistakes or letting his motor fall asleep, and his offense takes care of the rest.

[@johnlee1948]

another great clip with so much insight. 👍👍👍

[@lie2473]

Jokic is not as bad at defense As people say!

[@TiredOfthisstuff]

He is not bad at all period lmao

[@ExplodingPoteto]

He was bad before. But since his mvp. He just keep getting better and better. He is an amazing athlete.🎉

[@gusferzap]

Thank you, not often is mentioned his commitment in defense. And that his goals when defending are grounded in his capacity, his options and the teamwork worked in advance

[@EliezerRenato]

As a huge fan of this channel since you started, I have to add that what you said about the kick deflections are not something as unorthodox as you said in European basketball. I’ve realized that is not a common action in the US, but in Europe, we are taught to do it since mini basketball

[@corey2232]

7:33 - Those kicks... Guess it's just hard to resist when it's there 😂

[@notaloverofwisdom1232]

Yo imagine being on the opposing team and after he violates you in the paint just does some silly shit like that on the next play 💀

[@louisd695]

Jokic is just so efficient offensively and defensively. It's probably a part of why he is healthy most of the time. Ironically, they gave Embiid the MVP last year because he dominates offensively and defensively but him jumping a lot for dunks and blocks probably took a lot of toll, while Jokic remains grounded all the time. Now Embiid is always injured, and him jumping scares me all the time.

[@David-iv6je]

NJ proves you don't need to be a hyper athlete to be a good defender. His positioning is superb. And like everything wit him it doesn't look like he's working hard but he really is. It's why I call NJ "Great Ostertag." (Seriously, compare the photos of Jokic and Greg Ostertag)

[@Rooski245]

But he’s not a good defender…

[@libenhagos9335]

@@Rooski245 why are you all over this comment section when you clearly havent watched the video?

[@kochenkkhochenk3902]

His nickname was joker, stop that NJ Also luka with LD, just stop that

[@luqmanloki4803]

I agree. But he's not a bad one too. He's bad at shot blocking in the traditional sense but he makes it up with the other types of defense that he can provide.​@@Rooski245

[@David-iv6je]

@@kochenkkhochenk3902 Joker is an idiotic nickname, like "Greek Freak" is an idiotic nickname. Just because the US press can't figure out how to say Antetokuonpo or Jokic is not excuse for weak nicknames. Names like KD, MJ, AD are always a good fallback. And I love "NJ" because it sounds so much like "MJ" yet it is totally ironic: one was a ripped hyper-athletic great and one is a doughy all-time great with a game completely different than MJ's. It's funny to juxtapose the two like that. Juxtapositions are funny. Like "Maple Jordan" except Wiggins fell far enough short of that that it became kinda painful.

[@razvigor1985]

People in US don't know how many sports we in Serbia (Ex Yugoslavia) play growing up as kids, in school and in free time. Waterpollo is also nacional sport in Serbia, and we are multiple Olympic and World Champions. As Jokic trained waterpollo, thats why his eye/hand coordination is so good. He uses basic movement, posting and quick hand passes from waterpollo. In waterpollo, he learned to scan the court layout, thats basic of waterpollo, because your head is barely above the water line and when you have ball in your hand, you need to know where everyone is, you cant see them (literally). Angles he creates in passing is another trait of waterpollo. Just watch any waterpollo game and you will see what Im talking about. His leg cutting passes is learned from playing, we call it small soccer, as we play it on the handball court and goal, other sport we are good at, but its not common in the US. His uses his legs to cut passes, as someone would as goal keeper in small soccer and handball. He is walking hybrid of sports we usually play as kids, only he uses them in NBA. Luka is another hybrid, but not on that level. 🤣

[@lennytembo2688]

your videos are such of a great quality thank you for that

[@justinbatchelder4677]

And don't forget about those crosscourt water polo passes he generates from rebounds and steals.

[@johnnysocket76]

His offense is basically his defense

[@1808-m9b]

It's very hard to explain to people who dislike Jokic that you don't need to block shots, or lock people down on the perimeter to be a good defender. He's one of the best at being where he needs to be, except in blow by situations, which are rare because he is usually early to drop. He does have a lot of moments where his lack of athleticism allows other people to be up in the air for a dunk before he's even able to get there, but I think with Jokic you take the good with the bad, and imo considering their Finals winners, and are always above average defensively, there's a lot more good than bad.

[@camillaquelladegliaggettiv4303]

I'm going to say something heretical, but watching him play is like Larry Bird in the body of Bill Laimbeer

[@t4d0W]

Popp must be one of the sources of the heresy because he's one of the few who was convinced his game was closer to Bird than others. You can't teach height and size and even if some young bigs got guard skills who can sorta take Jokic out via lateral movement, if their shots aren't dropping and they aren't in position Jokic is winning that rebound more often than not. Even on the other side when Jokic will just muscle his way to clean up his bad shot (or his teammates), get the offensive rebound and tip the ball back in.

[@camillaquelladegliaggettiv4303]

@@t4d0W I'm really happy with Jokic and Doncic reviving a style of playmaking pretty close to Bird's. Jokic is obviously different because of size and stuff, but some of the blind passes and things like those really remind me of the legend

[@SikoMC]

he's a defensive mastermind, often directing his team to the right spots before plays even happen, closing out lanes, he's basicly at the right place pretty much all the time! he's just.. kind of a "minimal effort" guy sometimes 😅 why dunk and put more effort in when a layup can do the job as great without hurting your hands!! thats jokic in a bottle xD he doesn't jump high for highlight blocks and stuff but he impacts the defence in a total diffrent way!!

[@55404x]

5:31 good god

[@samuel_shemire]

lmaooooooooooo

[@gabrielgreer2493]

He doesnt play aggressive defense cuz he can not get into foul trouble. He wont leave it in the hands of the refs.( especially against Lakers)

[@timeflies313]

Like I always say. Jokic plays defense like a “safety” in the NFL. He knows he’s not the fastest, or the quickest laterally. Nor can he jump high to contest at the rim to block shots. So what does he do? He uses his strengths to his advantage. He’s got the best hands in the NBA. He positions himself in passing lanes and he PREDICTS where the ball is gonna go. Then he pokes the ball away for a steal or a low block. He also got great instincts. He reminds me of Ed Reed without the athleticism. BUT he got Larry Fitzgerald’s hands to compensate lol.

[@flexermc4333]

His defense isn't that much of a target point because he has good teammates to cover that flaw defensively

[@Lebronluver321]

Exactly, put him on the bucks (team with no perimeter defense) and it would be a layup line

[@ibadrizvi5740]

Good teams build around their Stars ... Big surprise​@@Lebronluver321

[@ryanmahon1]

@@Lebronluver321good thing the nuggets have good planning and organization top to bottom. Team execs knew what we needed and they got it

[@UniversalLopes]

​@@Lebronluver321and this proves what? Gobert is DPOY caliber and was being cooked when he played for the Jazz

[@Lebronluver321]

@@ryanmahon1 yes they built a perfect team around him and they are a juggernaut, don’t see them losing

[@kingjasko]

that is exactly how the defense should adapt to and around your best player!

[@zikne]

it’s a team sport at the end of the day. good team defense > elite one man rim protection

[@johndebono1870]

Not that anyone would compare Jokic to Hakeem or Ben Wallace, but since the Nuggets became a full fledge contender he has been a solid defender that people harp on to make conversations interesting.

[@weksauce]

The no-look steal reminds me of one of my greatest defensive plays of my life: a no-look block.

[@Rinpuia24]

Protecting the rim with swipe down while still being top 5 at few shooting fouls commited is crazy

[@Dillarune]

idk how true this is but his defensive style seems to protect him from commiting fouls and (most importantly) risking injuries

[@francoisaube7652]

Great video! I would add that Jokic often declines the vertical contest but instead focuses on rebounding position. So trades some blocks/missed shots for a lower number of ORB given up.

[@matthewmckenzie8921]

Jokic has such good ball IQ that he sees opponent's passes before they do, so he can already prepare himself to intercept or guard it before its even executed. this pairs with his insane offensive court vision

[@PrinceSamurai45]

I’ve been thinking the same thing for a while. He doesn’t defend like a traditional big man, but is smart and active in all the ways he can be. Not to mention cleaning up the glass to prevent second chance points.

[@t4d0W]

I think its more like basketball players/enthusiasts that haven't realized that bball knowledge can 'work' on both sides of the ball. Been the case for the big wing players who are accomplished two way players because they apply the off-ball elements when it comes to general positioning in the half court. Makes more sense for bigs because they are pivotal now in creating easy and efficient scoring looks for the rest of the team (or for themselves).

[@franktheturtle]

I wonder how much his rim protection numbers change if you count those swipe steals on guys at the rim as blocks instead of

[@jameskuhns3544]

BEN THERE IS BASKETBALL ON

[@mariohostios]

Yep. Lacks the slide and hops but makes up for it.

[@alejandrobarquero1347]

I have always thought he is an OK defender because he has good timing. People usually thinks that defense is only monster blocks, but sometimes just positioning is good enough to delay or break an offensive possession

[@Trafalgar-D-Water-Law23]

Update: He’s been getting cooked all playoffs first by AD and now by Minnesota 😂

[@awesomeninja234]

Reminds me of Marc Gasol. Not the highest leaper, but a smart fundamentally sound defender who doesn't commit fouls and makes high IQ defensive plays.

[@racimegacar]

One word cover it...Genius!

[@ltsuperbowl]

Love it. I Think especially his foul prevention is undervalued significantly. Rarely if ever do you see jokic in foul trouble, so him being a decent defender while not costing much adds so much value to his gamw

[@SanFranFan30]

If he was just a little more agile later and a had a little more explosiveness vertically he would be an ELITE defender because of how he reads the game.

[@Nor-wm7ur]

He should keep his fat because that's how it keeps his iq 180

[@rimimimimimimimim4170]

It does, and he is a good defender. Just because it doesn't look like it - doesn't mean he isn't. He has his flaws, but HIS TEAM PLAYS BETTER DEFENSIVELY WHEN HE'S ON THE FLOOR. His team has always been unbelievably better with him on the floor DEFENSIVELY ontop of offensively, going from scraping the bottom of the league to top 10, with crazy defensive box plus minus. He also is massive on defensive rebounds. He is obviously a more offensive star, taking his team from again - scraping the bottom to the literal top offensively, but his defense is underrated, and he use to be more aggressive, but the reason he isn't and it's a good thing is because he fouled too much, that isn't an issue anymore.

[@OledBurnInKing]

I like the way rasheed wallace block shots because he does not jump but he uses his length and tries to mirror the ball with his hands and tries to time every block shot attempt. It's not easy to do because it requires precise timing otherwise the risk of causing fouls when the timing is off. Jokic is really good at tipping the ball when going for rebounds, maybe jokic could implement his tipping of the ball like he does with rebounds but try doing it with him using his length and use his body like his chest and try to force tough shots on the opposing offensive player since he would not need to jump but use his length to his advantage. Jokic uses his back to down his defender when he is scoring in the post and he could do the opposite and use his chest and try to force the offensive player in an uncomfortable shot attempt. I seen rasheed wallace use his chest instead of his hands to replace hand checking to dictate where he wants the offensive player to go. Offensive players use there body to create space but the same thing could apply when playing defense but do it in a way that does not cause obvious fouls. Most of the fouls from the offensive players are using there hands like pushing off and bouldering into the defender with there shoulders and even elbows but I never seen it happen when the opponent uses there chest on offense and defense. When taking a charge, the defender has to use there chest anyways when drawing a charge along with the defender moving there feet. Blocking fouls are caused by the defenders trying to draw a charge and they end up timing it wrong, but instead of taking the contact in the chest. The contact happens with the shoulders instead using there chest which causes incidentally contact and they end up running into the offensive player. I never seen an offense foul with a player on offense using there chest or a defensive foul when the player on defense is using there chest since there arms are straight up or running into opponent when they lose control that causes an offensive foul. Jumping when trying to contest shops exerts more energy on defense while also falling for pump fakes which is at risk of causing a foul or have the offensive player moving past the defender because they have more momentum than the defender trying to recover and move there feet at the same time which is difficult to do since not everyone has quick feet when trying to slide when playing defense as oppose to someone trying to position themselves when playing on defense. Getting steals is easier because it uses less energy than trying to go for block shots because there are multiple ways when getting steals because it just takes effort to pressure the ball handler and can be manipulated in many ways where as blocking shots takes precise timing but getting steals are also risky especially if the timing is off which causes reach in fouls and gets into foul trouble faster.

[@ErensN]

No he's pretty ass on defense.

[@xfanatick7972]

He’s an average to good defender depending on the offensive load he needs to carry. We can see that with other players as well.

[@srirachas]

I really love what he did to Gobert during the 2024 Round 2 Playoffs. Gobert was attacking the basket and Jokic was not even having his hands up, it was on his side. He lets Gobert post up, trying to lean on Jokic. Jokic sneakily moved away from Gobert when he tried to make contact, forcing Gobert to travel.

[@reednokleby1420]

Nice breakdown!

[@Edd_LShore]

Embarrassing video. Seriously literally lying to people to justify random adv stats that are just wrong. Jokic is maybe the worst starting center defender in the Entire League. The glazing is GOAT.

[@chevu_2]

🤓

[@oldmajor4910]

He just had a great defensive game against the wolves tonight. Cry more lil bro

[@Edd_LShore]

@@oldmajor4910 embarrassing pathetic glazing of a video

[@oldmajor4910]

@@8ever960 tell me you don’t watch basketball without telling me you don’t watch basketball.

[@IamDoomed15]

​@@oldmajor4910watch awful coaching Jokic elite defense 😂😂😂😂

[@ClutchTalkPod]

Would love to see a JJ Redick & Thinking Basketball collab. Great video 💯

[@Wafutu]

This is aging like milk in the sun

[@samuraeblade]

This is aged so nicely now too :)

[@aleksaa24]

LOL

[@geordiejones5618]

This will never age badly. It'll only get worse for Jokic as he ages so he has to win now while he has some legs or the Nuggets need a very aggressive defender at the 4 to help.

[@rickyisme1230]

Above average defense plus unstoppable offense = best player in the world 🃏

[@Nor-wm7ur]

Accurate