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Which player is actually 'best' at guarding Nikola Jokic? (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by NBAperspective@alien.top to c/nba@nba.space

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Which player is actually 'best' at guarding Nikola Jokic

For whatever reason before the WCF in 2023, there was a conception that Anthony Davis does very well against Nikola Jokic however that narrative has completely flipped.

I've seen Nurkic, Ayton, Draymond and Gobert mentioned before but the facts (stats) seem untrue.

While there might not be a Jokic stopper, is there an actual player that defends Jokic well to the point of keeping him to or below his averages?

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[–] RVAIsTheGreatest@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

It's really more about the team defensive and team scheme more than an individual guy locking up Joker one on one. Jokic literally averages basically a triple double against Wendell in his career so to say he's the best Jokic defender is a little silly but also reflects the fact that nobody is really stopping him one on one for a full game.

There are guys who can do so for some possessions, and those guys tend to have strong bases, use leverage well without being too handsy, and also agile enough to keep up with Joker's moves. There's not a lot of players who fit those descriptions.

Capela has done a decent job though relative to Jokic's averages against everyone, on Joker. He's got quick hips and though he isn't the absolute strongest center, he's very long and very good postionally.