Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves was bewildered after a win against the Denver Nuggets. Despite the victory, Edwards was focused on a particular moment in the game. He jokingly accused Minnesota assistant coach Micah Nori, who previously worked with Nikola Jokic in Denver, of leaking their plays.
“I`m sorry, y`all,” Edwards said to reporters, interrupting a scrum. “Hey, I was just telling Micah, how did this guy know the play we were running?”
Rudy Gobert chimed in, “We have a spy on the bench, man.”
During the fourth quarter, Jokic anticipated a play from the Timberwolves after a timeout. He signaled to his teammates exactly what Minnesota was planning as Edwards and Gobert lined up.
“Jokic knew the play, but we didn`t say anything,” Gobert recalled, sharing a look of surprise with Edwards. “He knew the play better than us.”
Jokic downplayed the incident, mentioning the frequency with which the Nuggets played the Timberwolves in the previous season. His high basketball IQ is well-recognized, contributing to his impressive stats of 29.7 points and 10.2 assists per game. However, his defensive strategies, which include play memorization and unconventional tactics, often surprise opponents. Despite perceived athletic shortcomings for a 6-foot-11 center, Jokic has become a standout defensive player according to advanced analytics.
Edwards emphasized his confusion, “Me and Rudy looked at each other and said, `How the f— do he know?` That guy is cheating, man.”
Gobert jokingly called for an “investigation.”
After being drafted by the Nuggets in 2014, Jokic`s athleticism was assessed at P3 Applied Sports Science lab. His standing vertical leap was recorded as 17 inches, the lowest among over 1,000 NBA players tested by the lab. This raised concerns about his rim protection abilities.
Data from Second Spectrum indicates Jokic`s lack of speed. He ranks low in the percentage of time spent running `fast` among rotation players, marking a recurring trend in his career. In the 2019-20 season, he was the slowest player in the league. Jokic himself has acknowledged his limited speed, stating, “I`m patient because I cannot really run fast, and that`s my only option.”
Despite these athletic limitations, Jokic excels defensively, often outperforming players like Rudy Gobert and Draymond Green in advanced metrics. He has consistently ranked as the top defender in defensive box plus-minus, a metric evaluating a player`s defensive impact, for the past three seasons.
This raises the question: How does Jokic achieve such defensive success despite his physical limitations? What do analytics reveal about his defense that is not immediately apparent?
Those close to Jokic attribute his defensive prowess to his exceptional memory and anticipation of opponents` plays.
Christian Braun of the Nuggets noted Jokic`s ability to guide teammates into correct defensive positions during plays. “He`ll literally move you into the spot. He does it every single game… He knows what`s coming and knows the best way to guard it.”
Peyton Watson added, “I haven`t seen him be wrong [when calling out a play]… Dude`s on another level intellectually with the game.”
Assistant coach Popeye Jones highlighted Jokic`s long-term memory for plays, stating he can recall and anticipate plays even from previous seasons.
Beyond play recognition, Jokic is also remarkably active defensively, despite his lack of speed.
Jokic`s overall talent is evident, with three MVP awards in four years. He has demonstrated skills in various sports, including horse racing and football-style passes in basketball. His defensive approach has evolved from primarily playing drop coverage to engaging higher up in pick-and-rolls.
This adjustment allows Jokic to disrupt passes to rolling players. He is consistently among the league leaders in deflections, showcasing his ability to intercept passes.
Coach Michael Malone commented on Jokic`s effectiveness in breaking up passes, “Nikola`s shown that he has an uncanny ability to break those passes up. Hands. Feet. Whatever he`s got to use.”
Draymond Green humorously pointed out Jokic`s frequent “kick ball violations,” acknowledging it as a unique defensive tactic. Jokic leads the league in kicked-ball violations since 2020, significantly more than any other player or team. This unusual method effectively disrupts offensive plays, allowing his team to reset defensively.
Green explained the strategic value of these violations, noting it prevents opponents from capitalizing on broken defenses. He observed Jokic`s defensive improvement over time, from being perceived as indifferent to becoming a defensive strength.
Green stated, “He knew that if they wanted to win at a high level… he couldn`t be a liability. Now he`s become a strength… He literally willed himself to become better on defense.”
This improvement is attributed to experience, physical conditioning, and leveraging his intelligence and memory to compensate for athletic limitations.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault summarized Jokic`s approach, “[A player`s] mind isn`t limited to one end of the floor, and he`s obviously an elite thinker out there. He`s got instincts, and they translate to every part of his game.”
