Why can't Phoenix attack Nikola Jokic's defense?

Nikola Jokic was supposed to limit Denver's defensive success, but the Nuggets have locked down the Suns in the first two games? How? Why can't Phoenix exploit Jokic's defense? This detailed film breakdown & scouting report breaks down the Nuggets defensive tactics, and why Coach Michael Malone, Aaron Gordon, Kentavius Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown and others have use horizontal quickness to slow down Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns.
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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.
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#ThinkingBasketball

[@tere0075]

This feels like a suns problem. They had same problem with Dallas last year when they blew a 2-0 lead, they can't make a skip pass and other teams blow up their pick and roll offense as a result, which forces them to rely on a relatively inefficient iso offense.

[@captainmarvelous7678]

I don't understand why CP can't make some of these passes. He's supposed to be one of the best passers ever. It's a moot point now that he's out for the rest of the series though.

[@jasonmonroe9018]

@@captainmarvelous7678 he’s too small. Skip passes require you to get the ball over the top and if your hedged by Jokic who has a foot (more if you count wingspan) on him he just can’t reliably get ur roads over the top without a deflection.

[@xavierb9061]

Monty

[@caydenrichmond9551]

@@captainmarvelous7678 he definitely used to, but the ball isn’t in his hands as much anymore plus he’s 38 with a ton of leg injuries, so if he gets doubled (considering his size) it’s hard to pass out of it

[@erikletendre7512]

Yea and now they got one shooter to target a skip pass with compared to 2 in Johnson and Bridges. At this point all they (KD and Booker) can do is attack the rim as much as they can and have open shooters knock down their shots (Lee, Shamet, Payne, ross and warren if monty cared to use them :/) and have Ayton crash the glass (a complete tossup each night). When it's so obvious to the nuggets that the midrange is the game they can plan around that and even then, apply some decent coverage to those shots which KD bricked after brick. There's been zero craftiness in the playcalling from Monty. Stagnant ISO play. When they're clicking and making those shots ofc its fun but its simply not sustainable enough and adjustments have to be made. Hard to be a fan of the team after so long but it is what it is

[@Teenieweeniemussolini]

The ironic thing is you switch the teams and jokic destroys the other team making that skip pass every time

[@kaseemburr4825]

Against the Lakers I'm sure they'll give AD that assignment and shouldn't have to double him

[@ye.ha.8378]

And Vanderbilt on Jamal if only the nuggets didn't trade Vanderbilt they could have the best defense in the league

[@billpham632]

@@ye.ha.8378 If we didn't trade Vanderbilt, we probably would've never traded for Gordon and I like Gordon more as a player. He does a lot of the dirty work on this team

[@lucasniland]

lebron making that skip pass everytime if they match up next round the real question will be if the lakers will be able to hit the 3 ball at a consistent clip

[@ye.ha.8378]

@@billpham632 Not true. if the nuggets whould have known how good he is they wouldn't have traded him they whould have given something else for Gordon by the way Tim Connelly traded him from the Timberwolves as wall he definitely didn't like him

[@stargazer8g2]

Oh my, Mike Malone is brilliant! It really sounds like a headache to arrange this whole system

[@LaughingJokerProd]

It honesty sounds like it needs a lot of communication on the player's side, knowing whos where and Phoenix not having a crazy passer like Jokic. If the midrange is where the suns make their points, then they've cut it off from them.

[@pedromoreira2875]

@@LaughingJokerProd the crazy part is that the cross pass that is required to beat this coverage isn't anything new. Most play-off teams are able to do it (as long as they aren't small players like CP3 which in his prime was able to do it but not now). This is a very exclusive Phoenix problem that wasn't adress since last post season. This was the main reason that Dallas outcoach them last season.

[@elmehdinafia1237]

@@pedromoreira2875 lol you tripping! Few players in the league that can make these skip passes across the court. It’s a really risky pass to make especially if you’re a 6’2 guard..the only players that make it consistently are guys like Luka and bron cuz they huge and are great passers..Booker or KD will never pull this off cuz they not like that.

[@ylew456]

@@elmehdinafia1237and Jokic... Jokic can make that pass.

[@darnellwilliams8783]

​@@elmehdinafia1237these denver refs were terri ke suns in 6

[@Infinityflow0]

I've said it before but I love how you highlight the nuances. Its a chess match. It might not pay off every play, but it shows throughout the course of the game. This is why coaching is super important and underrated.

[@t4d0W]

There is a lot of this in the playoffs because match ups are a thing and teams have to show adaptations, or get sunk being exploited of their weakness.

[@draco747]

I don’t think coaching is underrated, because a bad coach always gets exposed in playoffs, it’s under-appreciated.

[@DammitBobby]

Wait, so you're telling me Brown, Braun, and KCP are better defenders than Facu, Rivers, and Barton? I was told by everyone for years now that it didn't make a difference and it was all Jokic's fault for Denver not having good defense. 🤷

[@xavierb9061]

Suns havent played enough together lots holes to attack

[@DammitBobby]

@@xavierb9061 funny because before the series started 90% of people were picking the suns claiming they would "spam pickleroll on Jokic to death".

[@DammitBobby]

@ByzantineHistoryFan I'm not rewriting NOTHING. it's a FACT most people who aren't inside nuggets circles were picking Phoenix, SPECIFICALLY because of Denvers and Jokic's supposed defensive short comings.

[@xavierb9061]

@@DammitBobby i said this..lol.. start of each game pnr leads to easy ayton scores then it disappears. Suns havent played enough to adjust to when denver adjusts.

[@BlizzardEditzz7]

@@DammitBobby I picked Denver to win in 5 but I live in Denver and watched 80 games so ig I don’t count

[@Mrfostie]

Thank you Ben. Your videos have really shown me how important scheme matchups and personnel matchups are to success.

[@ghosttheripper8656]

Really made me appreciate coaches / coordinators a lot more.

[@Por-poI]

True. A superstar going off might win a game or two, but its the personnel that surrounds them that guarantees success. Getting swept doesnt just mean the opponent choking but a result of careful planning and adaptation.

[@dutchmilk]

​@@Por-poI logic answer which many people will not and do not want to accept. "Sports" fan like hyperpole narrative. it is easier for their simple brain to accept gangster language "choking" than planning, details and execution.

[@narukami597]

The guy isn't making videos as a favor to society so no need to thank him.

[@CosmicVortex27]

They have to attack the hedge. The slow dribble around the PnR works when there is a switch or a drop, but against a hedge you have to go fast and attack it. Either getting around it or through it for a layup or foul, or forcing a switch due to the speed and intensity.

[@ratcomedy]

Facts, they gotta get to the rim if they want a chance

[@scruffythejanitor1969]

The weird thing is that Durant just doesn't look like he has the gas to do it. Everytime I was expecting him to try and blow past Jok and at least try to draw a foul, but he would take a step, hesitate, then be forced to reset.

[@KimWe-a-xler]

Interesting take my brother. This might actually work. What do you of setting tighter PnRs within the 3-pt arc so Ayton can be used more around the rim?

[@LILCHEESE99]

That's the thing the suns really don't want to do tho, because if they already have their starters going for 40-45 minutes each game, they want them to play those minutes at a steady pace and not sprinting around all the time. They are already struggling vs the nuggets bench, and if they try to push the pace too much, they might just sign their own death warrant because Denver can have rotations with guys running that much, but the suns can't.

[@forthe3136]

@@scruffythejanitor1969 KD also doesn’t have the cleanest handle to be able to dribble through traffic so he’s probably just fearful of turning the ball over because the nuggets are always gonna have at least 2 defenders reach on him

[@back2back379]

This Nuggets team reminds me so much of the past great Spurs. A dominant big, great ball movement, excellent coordinated team defense. It’s like a remix of those Spurs.

[@Jj-ry9yw]

they play great team ball that’s why it remind of the spurs expect jokic is best passing big man ever

[@LoganNagol]

I also think this defensive scheme maximizes Jokic in putting him in the best position to secure rebounds off miss mid range shots. Just the way the nuggets defenders attack the suns almost forces the cutter who is trying to secure the offensive rebound directly into Jokic boxing out. And since Jokic is such a great rebounder he is pretty much always going to win that. Even if it’s Ayton.

[@uberneanderthal]

yeah, must be the scheme. i'm sure they could just plug Shawn Bradley in Jokic's spot and he'd do just as well 🙄🙄

[@LoganNagol]

@@uberneanderthal tf you talking about? I’m not saying the scheme is what makes Jokic a great rebounder. Im saying the scheme only works with a great rebounder 🤣🤣

[@musclecarenjoyer]

@@LoganNagol nikola was robbed of mvp and this proves it Joel embiid just had a stinker vs the Celtics 15-3-0 in 27 minutes

[@NothingElseMattersJM]

@@LoganNagol Lots or uncontested defensive rebounds

[@pedromoreira2875]

@@musclecarenjoyer bro injured himself in the the playoffs so you throw away everything he did in the regular season? Seems like recency bias to me.

[@dvijay461]

Its interesting coming back and watching this when Miami is trying the hedge defense with Bam

[@RokuDragoon]

At least booker knows what he should be practicing thousand of times right now, that 45 foot skip pass 🤣

[@kgtd2160]

This was also what happened in the Minnesota series. The nuggs are so good at doubling and then recovering it was extremely frustrating to watch them make the right defensive rotations every possession and force KAT to choke the ball up. Just shows how important it is to have role players that can shoot and packing the paint to a degree still is a viable option against certain matchups. I'm glad the nuggs are showing how good they are when they're fully healthy and also pretty satisfied the wolves were able to hang on in the majority of games they played (with the exception of game 1) even without some key players. Hope Jokic wins the chip this year to make up for losing out on the MVP award.

[@ryanmahon2956]

The Twolves were a tough out. People won't give them enough credit but they showed up for sure

[@jigga4343]

They did great denying Gobert's lobs, too. Jokic would guard Gobert and once they sense the lob coming MPJ or uncle Jeff would leap in and kill the lob. Denver actually bulit a great defense system to go along with their insane offensive system.

[@underpressure07140]

@@ryanmahon2956 Ant showed up, and Gobert did what he was supposed to do. Can't say the same about KAT...

[@awesomeninja234]

Also give jokic some credit for being level on the screen. He is adapting and adjusting his defense throughout the playoffs so far. While he may not joel embijd blocking shots everywhere, his awareness and iq allows him to read the ball handler eyes and force turnovers if they think too much. Plus, he knows most to all of the plays phoenix is running, so he knows the technique to defend them, so he tells his teammates the best way to defend off ball cuts and screens.

[@MrSnotrock3t]

"Living with a Damion Lee 3" is about the most infuriating thing ever for us Suns fans. Absolutely HAVE to get these guys shooting/making more threes. In addition, Ayton needs to be shooting a few 3PAs from the top of the key every game to keep defenses honest - that and eliminate the low-effort rebounding from his game.

[@t4d0W]

The problem is not getting these guys more shots. The problem is relying on these role players shooting 44% 3-ball at a low clip in the regular season and expecting it to carry over in the playoffs. If you actually think going 9-10 deep to buy baskets because your super stars can't is a sound idea, there is a reason why Monty only wins the regular season but gets brutally outcoached in the postseason.

[@LagmasterB]

@@t4d0W this man gets it

[@thomaslequesne5475]

Basically Denver's defense works because the Suns lack passing and 3 points shooting. I'm curious to see if it would hold against the Warriors (assuming they beat the Lakers of course)

[@Navvye]

Lakers in 6

[@JackahoonaLaGuna]

Lakers in 5

[@jstn_0000]

Lakers in 4

[@bramlangenhuijsen8499]

Warriors in 3

[@MsKarl101]

@@Navvye Warriors in 7. Lakers look really good though.

[@howitzer551]

Just to further add to your comments about the skip pass. When it is Booker or Paul with the ball a lot of the times the weakside defender is athletic enough and long enough to split and make the pass difficult (mostly thinking of Gordon or Porter Jr). As shorter guys they kind of have to lob the skip pass (they aren't tall enough to see over Denver's D) and even if they do it well enough to get it there the higher arching pass give the defender time to recover.

[@Praetoriusify]

💯. A lot of these clips it's Aaron Gordon, and he's leaning toward the skip pass in anticipation. A big mobile dude with hops is not where you want to throw a skip pass over.

[@t4d0W]

Granted its also bad roster building optics. The skip pass is the only legit play because the Suns can only attack you from mid range if they don't access that pass. Which the Nuggets are hella fine to settle for it because while their team may struggle if they get stretched out against better shooting. When the action is more condensed then its easier to pre-switch and keep Jokic close to the action in the middle of traffic. And in case he does need help the athletic or lengthy help from Gordon/MPJ can get there easier.

[@vvkth2500]

the answer is, Jokic is a very high IQ player, and it applies to defense as well. this year he has the squad to make good defensive plays.

[@forthe3136]

Jokic is definitely doing a solid job in his defensive role but the stars on Denver’s defense gotta be the perimeter guys that are instantly sliding over to pick up ayton and then instantly sliding to contest the 3pt line. If the perimeter guys don’t bust their ass trying to guard multiple players at once then Jokic doesn’t get to roam and help

[@vvkth2500]

@@forthe3136 yes, definitely. AG, Bruce Brown and KCP are a massive upgrade, Porter has significantly improved in all facets of the game even though he can be sometimes disconnected, which is just a thing of experience. but my MVP hat goes to the rook, Christian Braun.. he is phenomenal, played this defense throughout all season. bro locked up Kevin F Durant.

[@dresantana7157]

@@Papellxhase suns adjusted in game 3 but as a suns fan we don’t have shooters. They can literally stack the lane double Kd or book let the other guys try to make shots. Ayton sucks so they don’t have to focus on much. If the suns get deeper in the following years it will be a problem

[@docd0071]

I noticed Jokic is directing traffic on defense. He knows what plays will be done.

[@vvkth2500]

@@docd0071 yes bruh, for years now he's pushing guards to get to position quicker, etc. he's been instructing since his 3rd year in the league basically.

[@joelove9424]

Great analysis. Another point about Jokic' individual defensive ability is that he can be elite defensively when he needs to be: multiple game-winning blocks, amongst league's steals leaders, etc. The reason this isn't on show throughout the game, and much of the regular season is that Jokic knows his value on the offensive end of the court is historically good and doesn't want to get into foul trouble. Instead, as illustrated so well in your video, he plays good to great positional team defense but won't take risks on shot contests/strips.

[@tif]

If he cant defend well without foul trouble then he's not a good defender

[@joelove9424]

@@tif you clearly didn't read what I wrote. He doesn't go for blocks unless it's essential they get a stop.

[@tif]

@@joelove9424 bad defense outside of the clutch is still bad defense

[@marvinlear5848]

@@tif what's that have to do with the "good to great" D that J L brought up? your comment seems like a non-sequitur

[@jonjojr]

this tells me that Ayton is treated like a role player by Denver. They don't respect him at all. Look how many times Ayton is left completely alone in the paint or sliding to the paint. Without Ayton becoming a scoring threat, Suns can get 🧹

[@MultiYankees17]

Your content and analysis is perfect for playoff basketball. Coaching and game by game adjustments matter way more.

[@DamianBadalamenti]

Thank you offering the analysis that is lacking,on ESPN and other Media platforms. The NBA needs to teach the truth rather then misinform to drive a narrative.

[@bradhicks5558]

Best NBA analysis vids on KZbin. Thanks for the excellence, TB.

[@bpaperu]

Great analysis! I wonder how much they can modify their defense against better 3 point shooting teams like the Warriors or Celtics. Lakers look like a better match up for Denver.

[@PsychoWarper]

The Nuggets Rookie Christian Braun has also played a pretty major role in this being another good sized wing that hustles on defense. Overall this just highlights the Nuggets offseason, they knew Jokic was their main guy and knew they needed strong perimeter defense so in edition to getting MPJ and Murray back healthy they also went out and got KCP, Brown and Braun all players who can hit 3s and guard the perimeter well and its been a huge benefit.

[@austinblankenship7631]

Its simple, jokic is not nearly as bad of a defender as people pretend he is.

[@amarevanhook7453]

He really isn’t, he just needs good defensive wings with him which he has now

[@x-man9473]

He's more of a help defender. Most people think about guarding players man to man when evaluating defense.

[@CoachFrikki]

Interesting to see the different offenses match up. These playoffs: Suns are shooting 36% of their shots from midrange (10-22 ft). Nuggets shooting 15% of their shots from midrange.

[@TheRightSide-2]

Damn. The suns completely changed everything they were doing which made this video possible 😅. The role players changed and started hitting 3s. KD started attacking the paint a ton. Ayton got less time and Landale started getting offensive rebounds. I guess they saw this

[@yahalyulmer2912]

Wow. One of your best videos Ben! From a 4$ patreon for 2 years who watched all of them

[@augustosarmentodeoliveira3023]

it's impressive what you get away with with 2 very good defenders (KCP and Gordon)

[@shorewall]

That's the thing. Jokic is a superstar. But he can't do everything. Build a good defense around him. And do the same for Luka as well.

[@augustosarmentodeoliveira3023]

@@shorewall that's why I'm all for a Jamal Murray + MPJ trade for a two-way star like PG (less injured maybe). it'll be a better team 2/3 years from now

[@Someaddress555s]

Credit to Coach Malone, he's got his team working together really well on defense and if they win a title then Jokics defense in these playoffs will have to be considered a positive to the team.

[@NostalgicMem0ries]

its still mystery how good jokic is in that chubby frame, if you look at him without context you would not say he can play full game and will lack stamina, speed , agility, but damn he is good in every aspect of this game, from god tier offence to elite defending iq... how is he not mvp this year it beyond me, i guess pts per game matter more than overal greatness and winning.

[@shorewall]

I hope this playoffs show who the mvp should have been.

[@NothingElseMattersJM]

@@shorewall Horrible rim protector

[@zmijoguz]

@@NothingElseMattersJM Because PPG and rim protection is all that matters... said a fanboy of a player who is below 20PPG in playoffs, but won the scoring title this year.

[@RS-ol8or]

“Chubby frame”? He’s not fat. His body type is more in line with players from earlier decades before him. He’s in great shape & excellent conditioning. Yeah, he’s not < 10% body fat & a male model, but that’s not the point.

[@NostalgicMem0ries]

@@RS-ol8or i didnt called him fat, and im aware that he is in good shape, but his his deceptive body type really is interesting

[@hectorwatt9712]

Mike Malone really deserves more credit than he gets, he has drawn up amazing offensive and defensive schemes for the nuggets and is one of the best coaches in the nba, Aaron Gordon also deserves more credit for how much he helps the defense

[@Legend646]

I've been watching sport shows that analyze games since the early 90's. This is the best i've ever seen!

[@dc_drums]

Good breakdown. Please do one on the suns last two wins and adjustments they have made. Thank you.

[@Tomtainius]

I think this video is a great example of why Denver would be favourites against the Lakers, but not the Warriors, despite the Lakers looking to be the favourites in that Californian series.

[@kaseemburr4825]

Nope. The reason Lakers have so many ft attempts is because because they are really good at attacking the paint. They won't settle for 3s or heavy contested midranges like suns. Look at game 1 against the warriors. Warriors defense was to pack the paint and make the Lakers a jump shooting team. That was Memphis plan too but obviously it ain't work that way cuz Lakers are great at attacking the paint and drawing the fouls. Once players start getting into foul trouble Lakers feast more in the paint.

[@scruffythejanitor1969]

Bron would make the skip pass.

[@kaseemburr4825]

@@scruffythejanitor1969 they wouldn't double team Bron

[@jayrichjlr]

What I enjoy from your video breakdowns is the perspective. I feel as if I'm watching film with the team coach. if you analyze the game this well, I wonder what coaches Monte and Michael see. can't wait to see the evolution in this series

[@timwcronin]

The obvious is take more threes, but I think that'll take more than a couple days of practice to change up their offensive philosophy. They took more in Game 2 than the Nugs, but made less. We'll see what they do without CP3, but I think whatever rabbit they pull out for Game 3 will be solved in game if not by Game 4. At the end of the day I think they may only have two rabbits to pull out. Running Jamal through a ton of screens last game will have a counter now too.

[@billmichae]

The best analysis this week.

[@Reeferal]

Basically Jokic is only slow footed but a smart defender and understands rotations. This type of defence doesn’t protect someone who doesn’t know how to switch onto the mismatch or which angle to take to make it back to their man without giving up good position.

[@nemanjamanutd]

bro he already is one of the best floor generals and one man army offensive players of all time . Jokic is here where he is because he is extremely smart about basketball . I bet you that he knows when they attack him where he needs to go and what he needs to do but he just isnt fast enough to make that play

[@Reeferal]

@@nemanjamanutd I completely agree. It’s evident because they make flawless rotations defensively. Mobility is their only flaw here, but they make it hard to attack it.

[@seby5459]

Two Thinking Basketball Videos in the same week is such a blessing

[@kevinhowe3280]

I said this at th beginning of this trade. Mid range jumpers tend not to fall in playoff games especially in clutch situations.

[@AbdulDean448]

Jokic is the real MVP not Embiid

[@shorewall]

For real. I am rooting for the Nuggets and Celtics right now. 😄

[@forthe3136]

@@shorewall The Celtics ain’t getting passed the Knicks man you might as well convert to being a Knicks fan now

[@tinyrick2921]

Celtics ain't passing Himmy Butler playing that way, losing to washed Harden seriously?

[@danhantheman]

most valuable sloppy phat boi

[@vukaleksic1654]

Jokic's best answer to this would be an NBA ring

[@greatheightsu]

Hoping Jokic can take it all this year and Denver can prove the doubters wrong.

[@alextrivunovic644]

Great breakdown as always. Who is the better matchup for Denver in the conference finals in your opinion?

[@soosbendem5345]

Easily the Lakers my boy

[@alextrivunovic644]

@@soosbendem5345 Easily? Please elaborate.

[@koiiev9413]

@@alextrivunovic644 not a good shooting team compared to warriors

[@t4d0W]

Both Lakers and Warriors pose a different set of problems to the Nuggets in the WCF. But the Warriors spacing easily stress the Nuggets even on screens and keeping Jokic in good positions. Lakers may not have the spacing but they have demonstrated to get AD in screens and have him as a lob target to generate efficient scoring looks.

[@BTizzle]

so does KD's size play against him here? its hard to imagine kobe and mike not extending those double teams to make better plays or even getting to their spots and shooting over top effectively. Pre injury, its hard to imagine this being that significant of a problem for kd.

[@RS-ol8or]

KD is top 15 or top 20 player. MJ & Kobe top 3. Big difference. Plus, Suns don’t have the depth around KD. Even MJ had an amazing coach, system, depth bench, etc

[@t4d0W]

More like KD's historically lack of tight handles in traffic. And the Suns not making that key skip pass to stress the Nuggets defense in terms of spacing.

[@Von199X]

I've been saying this Suns downfall will be their lack of 3 point shooting

[@tj5180]

With ross and other guys being out playing a role as well

[@Aggarius]

Damien lee going ice cold is such a pain for them.

[@basasure9065]

Lack of 3pt ? Durant shot 2/12 supposedly the best scorer in the last decade

[@taku5309]

lack of depth

[@bonk668]

I hope Coach Monty plays the rest of his bench more because some of his rotations have been questionable sometimes

[@anthempt3edits]

What bench?

[@TheDifferenced]

I think he meant Cam Pain and the 4 empty chairs.

[@smoothsavage2870]

@@anthempt3edits TJ Warren and Terrance Ross have been getting DNPs this series. Monty has more players that can help score, he just doesn't use them.

[@t4d0W]

@@smoothsavage2870 It wouldn't matter. Monty went 9-10 deep in Game 7 vs the Mavs last year because Luka had 35 points by half time. Booker couldn't afford a bucket even if he could pay with his contract for one. In the playoffs quality matters most and going 6-7 deep (as long as they are healthy) to get the job done usually does.

[@metkacebulowa]

Great job! Great defense by Mike Malone!

[@vism2812]

a lot are surprised by this, since all you hear about is jokic the liability, but this was easy to see coming. nuggets started the season slow and had a 4 game losing streak near the end that made the masses give up on them. but in between, while no one was paying real attention, they were dominant. second half of the season, their crunch time defence was first in the league. jokic is really only a liability in theory, and in some games/moments in the reg season, just like everyone else. when its winning time, his brain allows him to communicate his teammates into position, attack his opponents weakness’ and use his size to eat space. he’s no dpoy, but he’s not the traffic cone everyone says. thank the gods he doesnt have embiid or AD’s body type, or he’d be the best defender ever😂 nuggets have unsurprisingly looked the most stable this playoffs. i had them winning it all going in. looking good so far.

[@juicetalk]

Great video! But man that Gordon Breakaway 2:32: Are we really not calling blatant steps anymore?

[@ginogarcia8730]

have you ever been on ESPN, they need to get you there

[@derrickbarnes7215]

This is a great breakdown

[@gilbertnicholas1582]

Boston put out the book on KD last year He isn't as scary in the playoffs Thanks for Bridges and the draft picks Phoenix

[@michrelliggins8010]

this is a beautiful break down

[@Law-of-EnTropy]

At some point, Jokic will learn to read their opponents' plays and call out the shots for their defense. With his court vision, that feels like something he'd pick up on the longer he's around the League

[@blazefactor6849]

Oh, he's been doing that since his third year in the NBA lmao. You see him doing shit like that constantly, pointing and yelling to his guards to catch certain tricks, and he doesn't seem to make too many bad plays.

[@Beaverto]

Denver was at or near the top all season in clutch defense which shows they can play defense when needed. They seam to be playing “clutch” defense the entire game now. They also have good size and their bench defenders are very good in Bruce Brown and Christian Braun. Although Jokic is not a rim protector he does have quick hands and see the floor so we’ll he knows where to be at all times.

[@bgebbq314]

Excellent analysis.

[@geechiedan68]

A big piece of the phx p&r not really working is Ayton not setting good screens. In this vid he only set 2 good ones the first lead to a wide open 3 book didn't take and the other lead to a Ayton layup. If he really sets the screen that will force jokic to have to defend in space long enough to stretch out the rest of the d rotations that passing lanes will be bigger close outs will be longer

[@tejmazwei]

Denver is winning the chip, Joker or Mal FMVP LETS GO

[@davidjr4903]

Jokic the REAL MVP, unlike the philly phlopper

[@rome8180]

I'm watching this video after Denver has won the series. I wonder how this strategy shifts now that they'll be going against a team with an all-time great skip passer (LeBron).

[@amarevanhook7453]

Perimeter D gonna have to play out of their minds this series

[@thestrika]

@@amarevanhook7453 defend can't defend straight up that's why they're playing like this

[@realone296]

Because he is very good defender, leads all the bigs deflections,(ahead of Bam Adebayo) great rebounder, strong, long arms, IQ and Denver Nuggets got TOP 5 defense with him ON the floor for a full season... Defense is more than just blocks...

[@blucheer8743]

Webb looks like a young Kareem to me but he doesn’t have the polish Kareem had coming into the league. KAJ was a huge jazz buff and his play reflected that.. a complex but smooth approach with a great groove through out!

[@IDoThisNoCAP]

The suns don’t have a center to make Jokic work and they not getting him in foul trouble. I’m glad Jokic plays smart. Play to your strengths. If your a big man play big

[@Justinliu00]

4:52 dang, if only booker had practice for double teams like this, maybe even during open gyms

[@SerWhiskeyfeet]

MPJ for most improved. He has allstar talent and bought into the Nugget’s need for him to be a role player. His defense has improved exponentially

[@seanmc2892]

Great video 👍

[@akiljean-pierre9972]

The only way the PnR can kill Jokic is if you can pull up from 30 off the dribble like Curry and Dame

[@davidjr4903]

or if Jokic has bum teammates like rivers, facu, barton etc who are now out of the league

[@Gdfsandoz]

​@David JR rivers isn't. Honestly rivers is a phenomenal on ball defender. Dudes a dog sad he isn't utilized somewhere. Always really liked him on the nuggets humble ass dude I must say.

[@xavierb9061]

@@davidjr4903 anthony davis would destroy this defense

[@davidjr4903]

@@xavierb9061 the only thing davis destroys on a consistent basis is himself

[@xavierb9061]

@@davidjr4903 haha..no thats stupid..but you liked your own comment so

[@milkhilk]

Genuine question but I remember during his two MVP seasons that Jokic was considered a great defender. This whole year I've only been hearing that he's a liability. Which is it?

[@nickfowler547]

Watching a lot of these possessions, it’s absurd how inactive Ayton is on the offensive glass. He just watched 6’3 Bruce Brown go up and get one lmaoo

[@thunderkai7272]

Bruce Brown is just a really good rebounder

[@nickfowler547]

@@thunderkai7272 not disagreeing there but if that’s Mitchell Robinson or Looney that’s a free board

[@DSab07]

What a beautiful, well made educational video 👍

[@lxnny2357]

After seeing enough of Ayton's play now, I realize what's off in his game. He's kind of unusable if you want to play winning basketball on this roster: 1. He's not really dominant in the post, so he doesn't suck the defense into the post, so he doesn't help spacing. 2. He's not a good rebounder, so he's not helping you cleanup possessions. 3. He's not physical enough to match up with other elite big men defensively. 4. He's a mid range specialist on a team with 3 other guys that are slightly more efficient at it... he's redundant. 5. He doesn't play with heart/lacks the motor required for a center on a roster with championship asperations--probably needed a change of scenery after what happened last season. It's crazy in retrospect that they kept him after that blowout. 6. He's a below average passer, so he doesn't help much with hitting cutters or other open people on the perimeter. Once he gets the ball he's looking to go to that midrange and only turns it down if he's losing confidence in it or if he has no option. He's a good player, but it doesn't make sense on this roster.

[@pedromoreira2875]

It's crazy how after a full year and acquiring KD, Phoenix still has the same offensive problem that got them eliminated from the playoffs last year. Talk about coaching problems.

[@olliHonest]

Nice video!

[@federicoperezpablo1314]

I can't find the Anthony Davis video where he basically stop maybe one of the most unstoppable plays of the last decade. The Curry and Draymond Pick & Roll,

[@darkkingseverus8318]

why is the series having this like 4 days off for game 3? momentum might be gone and the nuggets might cool off, damn i hope suns get swept

[@oldmansportsog2514]

This whole jokic defense is so bad you can attack it has been a false narrative. When players stay Infront of their players then jokic is great on defense but the issue comes when they gotta start rotating. Casuals will never get it. MarcGasol was a Dpoy, being a great defender doesn't require to be able to run fast or jump high. Casuals just don't get it

[@LoganNagol]

“Casuals just don’t get it” is only something casuals say 💀💀

[@piusbutarbutar1782]

jokic is bad in defense, if he isnt you dont need to gameplan your defense around him, and its worth it because his offensive output is crazily high and mitigate that area Joker is a great player, arguably the best in the league right now but props for the defense is for mike malone scheme not joker

[@Time_Lapse_Master.]

I wonder why they never try to use KD as a screener in PnR. A Booker-KD PnR would be way harder to defend than a Booker iso. Plus KD can pop too, which makes hedges a less viable option because leaving KD open for a 3 is generally a bad idea. Obviously they can just shift the defenders up and that's why they should play Ross and Lee more. They're actually good 3pt shooters

[@NoName-tu6qi]

Cause KD can't or won't set screens. Even with Curry, when they ran pick and rolls, Curry was the screener because KD would either set weak screens or slip it every time.

[@kambge]

Seems like Phoenix is hesitating and not moving the ball well enough

[@dalitespeed9403]

amazing video

[@xAgent_Stormx]

And again another reason why game film and details are important.

[@Roch95Ftw]

It’s crazy, it’s almost like the Suns watched this video. 😂🌞❤️

[@hisoka9478]

Jokic, Luka & Giannis would be a scary EURO super team.

[@PlanetOfTheApes999]

Jokic keeps getting better. Next season, he'll be a defensive asset.

[@Mr_C137]

This was so good

[@superace6]

Great video!!! Can you do the next one on Jimmy butler?

[@willhooke]

Will love a follow up to this should Denver advance to play Lakers or Warriors 👍🏻

[@aaronphdbdnd5535]

Thanks for making this video. They're mimicking what the C's did to thwart Durant two years ago by throwing multiple bodies at him. What's surprising is that he hasn't adapted

[@managed9348]

I wanna see if KD is gonna crack and bail again

[@obliviouz]

I think this is just a nightmare matchup for the Suns (and conversely, a dream matchup for the Nuggets). A team that focuses on 3pt shooting (which is a LOT of teams) would feast on being left so open around the perimeter, especially for those corner 3's.

[@6reps]

Can they just pass to the roller to make a decision if they can't make a skip pass, maybe someone in the corner cuts? Or maybe some offball action from anyone?

[@yeungeddie]

DAMN NUMBER 15 TRENDING IN CANADA

[@ER-zm2cz]

The nuggets made the right player moves , and towards the end of the seaon the nuggets defense was bad but they were actually working on new defensive schemes for the playoffs , they pretty much had the 1st seed locked up, and ive noticed a big difference on there defense in the playoffs.

[@Paul-uv6mb]

The biggest robbery in history of sports,this guy is a mvp. Not a fan from nobody,only a fan in saints,but this guy deserved it.

[@KimWe-a-xler]

This might be a hot take but I think the Suns' best shot here is not with P&Rs but by cutting DA's minutes a bit and deploying some small-ball, 5-out lineups with spacing in mind. Spreading/stretching the Nuggets with KD and Book attacking the softer spots on the mid-range can get them sustainable offense. The Suns lack of serviceable wings is concerning.

[@vinayakshende7743]

Great video. Are you saying that you want to rotate your players when doubling the ball handler so the open offensive player is the farthest one away? Or does it depend on the strengths and roles of the players on the court?

[@simonrichmond3313]

jokic dont def..but he rebound really good..and his presnce below the rim is huge..dude is not small..and this playoff he is by far the most physical big

[@walter942]

What I find interesting is Edwards had absolutely 0 issues making Jokic look like a defensive liability, but the Suns are having issues?

[@tmdph7267]

Ryan Saunders is their defensive coach.

[@NiyiDaNinja]

I’d like to see what their defense would look like against players who can and are willing to throw that skip pass like LeBron cause it’s not like this defense has no holes it’s just that the Suns don’t have good playmakers and shooters to capitalize on those