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.

Twitter: @elgee35

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Stats courtesy:
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Music by csus (instrumental)

#ThinkingBasketball

[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

[domingow.]

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

[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.

[tonydeveyra]

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.

[harbngr]

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.

[surenick]

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.

[akaallenpain]

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 ..

[michaelbietsch]

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)

[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.

[pesky]

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

[jrpajarillo]

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.

[realone]

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!

[alexhussinger]

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.

[uriel]

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

[flygoon]

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

[panaceiasuberes]

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

[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.

[porozil]

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.

[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.

[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.