Thanks to his versatile offensive repertoire, Nikola Jokic has become one of the most well-rounded scorers in NBA history. Even Shaquille O’Neal, who usually disregards modern Centers, claimed that he might be the only current Center who could have survived in his era. Agreeing with the big fella, former NBA guard Jermaine Jackson stated that like he has dominated 4x DPOY Rudy Gobert in the second round, Jokic would have overwhelmed even some former legendary defenders.
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Name-dropping Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, and Dikembe Mutombo, Jackson said that these paint-dominant players would have been unable to keep up with the Joker’s perimeter shooting,
“I am on record saying this and this may be a hot take, Marz. I am saying it to your face, he would have done the same thing to Alonzo Mourning, he would have done the same thing to Patrick Ewing. He would have done the same thing to Dikembe Mutombo.”
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However, former DPOY Kevin Garnett completely disagreed with this take. He argued that Jackson is underestimating some of the best defenders to hoop in the NBA. Thus, things may not have been as simple for the Joker as the NBA vet thinks. Having gone up against all these legends, KG knows their fierce defense first-hand,
“Nah bro… you trippin.. All those names you named have Reputation and Was Different Type of Defensive force! Different intellect n IQ!! Respect to both era’s tho!!! Respect… my 2cet♂️”
KG calls out NBA Vet for his take on nobody in NBA history being able to guard Nikola Jokic pic.twitter.com/XmH8OEsMV3
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) May 19, 2024
The Serbian gave a ton of trouble to Rudy Gobert during the WCSF and has scored 30+ points in three out of six games. Since the 2020 playoffs, he has built the reputation of one of the best center-scorers to play the game. This is why such hypotheticals are being rolled out at an extensive rate. Several analysts and former athletes have given their suggestions to stop the Nuggets’ big man.
How can a squad stop Nikola Jokic?
The 3x MVP combines the new-age pace and space game with an old-school flare with his post moves. Thus, many believe that he has built a cross-generational game style and will be a tough cover for almost every elite defender who has stepped on the NBA floor.
In April, while previewing the 2024 playoffs on ‘All The Smoke’ podcast, 2x champion Rajon Rondo posited a way to stop the Joker. He suggested that a team has to be filled with athletic seven-footers who can catch up to the shooting motion of Jokic while sapping his energy in the post.
He alluded to how the Lakers stymied the well-rounded offensive player on the way to their 2020 bubble championship with Dwight Howard, Anthony Davis, and JaVale McGee. Draymond Green, on the other hand, even believed that the league MVP is not “unguardable” and the former could have done it himself. Taking a dig at Gobert, he claimed,
“I can guard him better than he’s being guarded.”
The notion of the Joker being invincible is hanging by a thread as the Wolves have taken the WCSF series against the Nuggets to the seventh game. However, if they fail to restrict Jokic in Game 7, there might be no curtailing him and the Nuggets to their back-to-back championships.
