Nikola Jokic has spent years making life miserable for NBA defenders, but he’s not pretending the matchup never flips the other way. The Denver Nuggets star has built a reputation as one of the league’s most difficult covers, yet he says there are still big bodies, quick feet and entire defensive schemes that can make things uncomfortable.
That came up when Jokic broke down the defenders who give him the most trouble on the Jaomile Podcast. His list started with players who match his size and physicality.
"Who guards me the best? Everybody!
The league is just as talented defensively as it is offensively. Ivica Zubac and Jusuf Nurkic, they’re chubby like me, so it’s hard for me to move them.
Rudy Gobert. I know people say all kinds of things about him, but I think he’s a great defender," Jokic said about NBA-level defenders on the Jaomile Podcast.
He didn’t stop there. Jokic also pointed to a group of defenders who bring a different kind of problem.
"Jalen Duren from Detroit, Wendell Carter Jr., they’re smaller and tough to deal with. The entire Oklahoma City team...
Victor Wembanyama."
It’s a reminder that even for a player with Jokic’s combination of size, touch and passing, the league keeps coming with answers. He remains a dominant force, but by his own admission, he doesn’t get to coast through every night. The Oklahoma City Thunder, in particular, are one of the tougher matchups for him because of the way teams are built to stop him.
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