“ As much as people look at what he does on the offensive end, he’s a hellified defender as well. After Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals, Jimmy Butler, of all people, had heavy praise for The Joker’s defense. When you got some guys in the league, the eye test tells you that they’re not good defensively, but analytics tell you they’re the best defenders.”īut Embiid’s opinion isn’t what is the consensus in the league. “ You can talk about analytics all you want. The 76’ers star subtly took a dig at his peer, telling Shams Charania during a Q&A, Jokic was recently ranked as the fourth-best defender last season, a nod to his rebounding prowess.īut just like the scouts, e ven Joel Embiid thinks the same thing about his rival center. These drawbacks made Nikola a defensive liability, but now the stats are saying otherwise. Get real-time NBA basketball coverage and scores as Denver Nuggets takes on Phoenix Suns.
A lot of teams chose to bail on Nikola, mainly due to his lack of athleticism and lateral quickness. The Serbian center wasn’t on most people’s scouting report, solidified by the fact that he was drafted during a Taco Bell advertisement. Facebook Facebook Messenger Twitter Email. Nikola Jokic was the 41st pick of The 2014 NBA draft. Complete team stats and game leaders for the Denver Nuggets vs. Box Score Play-by-Play Team Stats Jokic, Nuggets outlast Suns 128-125 in OT Booker sidelined. Nikola Jokic left people divided over his defensive abilities
