Nikola Jokic has long been known as a walking stat sheet on offense - a triple-double threat who sees passing lanes like a point guard and scores with the kind of efficiency that makes analytics folks swoon. But this season, he’s quietly building a case on the other end of the floor, too. For a player who’s often been labeled a defensive liability, Jokic is flipping the script - and the numbers back it up.
So far this year, Jokic has cracked the top 10 twice in one of the league’s most telling defensive metrics: points allowed per pick defended. Of the 50 most active pick-and-roll defending duos in the NBA, Jokic shows up twice in the top six - once alongside Christian Braun and again with Cam Johnson. Both pairings are allowing just 0.78 points per pick defended, good enough to tie for fourth-best in the entire league.
Let’s pause on that for a second. This is a guy who, not long ago, was the defensive target for opposing offenses - the big man teams hunted in pick-and-rolls.
Now, he’s anchoring two of the most effective pick-and-roll coverages in the NBA. That’s not just improvement - that’s evolution.
To put it in perspective, Jokic is the only player to appear twice in the top six of this list. The only other player with multiple appearances in the top 10 is Jalen Duren, who pairs with Cade Cunningham to round out the tenth spot at 0.80 points per pick.
The only duos ahead of Jokic’s pairings? Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson (0.64), De’Aaron Fox and Luke Kornet (0.68), and Quentin Grimes with Andre Drummond (0.74).
That’s elite company.
Now, let’s be clear - Jokic isn’t suddenly morphing into a rim-protecting menace or a switch-everything defender. He’s not rejecting shots into the third row or locking down guards on the perimeter.
What he is doing is playing incredibly smart, positional defense. He’s using his size, timing, and elite basketball IQ to anticipate actions, cut off angles, and make life difficult for ball-handlers in the pick-and-roll.
He’s not beating you with verticality or foot speed - he’s beating you with his brain. Jokic knows where to be, and more importantly, when to be there.
His hand-eye coordination, particularly in tight spaces, allows him to disrupt plays without overcommitting. He’s not chasing highlights - he’s just being effective.
This is a big deal for Denver. For years, the knock on Jokic wasn’t about his offensive brilliance - it was about whether his defense would hold up in the playoffs, when teams relentlessly target weaknesses. Last year’s title run helped quiet some of those concerns, but this season’s numbers suggest that Jokic isn’t just surviving on defense - he’s thriving.
Sure, no single stat can fully capture defensive impact, and we’re not saying Jokic is suddenly a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. But when teams are actively trying to involve you in pick-and-rolls and they’re coming away with just 0.78 points per possession? That’s not a fluke - that’s impact.
Whether this level of defensive efficiency holds up through the grind of the regular season - and more importantly, under the playoff spotlight - remains to be seen. But for now, Jokic is showing that he’s not just the engine of Denver’s offense. He’s becoming a stabilizer on defense, too.
And if that holds? The rest of the league has even more to worry about.