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?
I think that the real key to “slowing down Jokic” is to guard the rest of the Nuggets very well, especially their shooters. Jokic will score no matter what, but if you can limit his ability to get shots for his teammates, that’s the best you can ask for
It’s proven mute these last playoffs.
He’s such a good passer he will make the right play and will find his teammates. Also you can’t just leave him to score, he’ll oblitere you.
It needs to be a collective effort where your superstar forces him to work hard on defense and perhaps tire him up.
I think the team with the best shot at this are the Bucks. A healthy Giannis and Middleton, plus Lopez plus Portis plus Dame.