Anthony Edwards, wrapped in a towel, entered the Minnesota Timberwolves` locker room in disbelief. Despite a recent victory over the Denver Nuggets after overcoming a double-digit deficit, Edwards was perplexed after their November 1st game. The All-Star pointed to Minnesota assistant coach Micah Nori, previously with Denver and closely associated with Nikola Jokic during Jokic`s initial NBA seasons.
`I`m sorry,` Edwards said to reporters, interrupting the crowd around Rudy Gobert. `I was just asking Micah, how did this guy know the play we were running?`
`We`ve got a spy on the bench, man,` Gobert responded.
During the fourth quarter, after a timeout, Jokic observed Edwards and Gobert positioning themselves near the elbows. He then signaled to his teammates the exact play the Timberwolves intended to execute.
`Jokic knew our play, and we were silent,` Gobert recounted, mentioning his and Edwards` confused glances at each other and then at Jokic in amazement. `He knew it better than we did.`
In the Nuggets` locker room, Jokic simply shrugged when faced with the notion of espionage. He mentioned the frequent matchups against the Timberwolves in the previous season, including regular-season games and a seven-game playoff series.
The three-time MVP`s high basketball IQ is widely recognized. His averages of 29.7 points and 10.2 assists justify his status as a top player. However, his unconventional defensive strategies, from purposeful ball kicks to memorizing plays, often amaze players, coaches, and fans. Despite perceived athletic shortcomings for a 6-foot-11 center, Jokic has become an analytics darling on the defensive end.
That night in Minnesota, Jokic`s most effective trick was outsmarting the Timberwolves.
`Rudy and I looked at each other, asking, `How does he know?“ Edwards expressed, frustration evident. `That guy`s cheating.` `Yeah,` Gobert agreed, addressing the reporters again. `We need to investigate.`
After the Nuggets drafted Jokic in the second round in 2014, he underwent testing at P3 Applied Sports Science lab in California. The results regarding the then 20-year-old`s athleticism were underwhelming.
His standing vertical jump measured only 17 inches, the lowest recorded among over 1,000 NBA players tested by the lab. This raised concerns, particularly for a center expected to protect the rim.
Furthermore, among rotation players averaging 2 miles of movement per game, Jokic ranks near the bottom in “fast” running, doing so only 2.9% of the time, according to Second Spectrum data. This is consistent with previous seasons, where he frequently ranked in the bottom 10 for speed.
In the 2019-20 season, before his first MVP award, Jokic was the league`s slowest player.
`I am patient because I can`t run fast, it`s my only option,` Jokic commented on his deliberate pace.
Despite his limitations in speed and jumping ability, Jokic has achieved remarkable defensive success. He consistently excels in advanced metrics, often surpassing players like Rudy Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, and Draymond Green, a future Hall of Fame defender.
Defensive box plus-minus, assessing a player`s defensive impact based on box score stats per 100 possessions, has consistently ranked Jokic as the NBA`s top defender for years. He has topped this metric for the last three seasons and is close to a fourth.
Given his physical constraints, how is this possible? What do analytics reveal about Jokic`s defense that traditional observation might miss?
Those around Jokic emphasize his exceptional memory and prediction of opponents` tendencies and plays.
`Often on out-of-bounds plays, he physically guides you into position. He does this every game, subtly, but he directs you,` Nuggets wing Christian Braun told ESPN. `He`ll tell you, “This is their play call.” He observes the opposing coach for play calls. He anticipates plays and knows how to defend them best.`
Nuggets forward Peyton Watson added, `I haven`t seen him miscall a play,` he stated to ESPN. `His game intellect is extraordinary… We`re waiting for the day he`s wrong.`
Nuggets assistant coach Popeye Jones highlights Jokic`s robust defensive memory. `If a team revisits the same out-of-bounds play the next year, he`ll still recall it,` Jones mentioned to ESPN.
However, play recognition is just one aspect of Jokic`s defense. Despite his lack of speed, he is remarkably active defensively.
Jokic`s exceptional talent is well-documented, with three MVP awards in the last four years. He`s shown potential in various sports.
After the 2023 NBA Finals victory, Jokic became a horse-racing champion in Serbia. He displayed quarterback skills with a 66-foot, one-handed inbound pass leading to an Aaron Gordon dunk in 2023. Recently, he hit a half-court buzzer-beater against the Jazz on March 28th. Frequently, after a rebound, Jokic swiftly delivers water-polo-style passes downcourt to teammates.
Early in his career, the Nuggets often used drop coverage defensively, with Jokic in the paint for rim protection. Recently, he plays higher up in pick-and-rolls, closer to the arc, disrupting ball handlers and forcing difficult passes to rolling players.
Wing players have minimal time to decide on a pocket pass to a screener heading to the basket. Defenders have even less time to intercept.
But Jokic, on pace to lead NBA centers in deflections (240) for a sixth consecutive season, needs only a split second to disrupt passes.
`We position him high in pick-and-rolls. When teams try to pass to the big behind us, Nikola has an uncanny ability to intercept those passes,` Denver coach Michael Malone explained. `Hands, feet—whatever it takes.`
And Jokic frequently uses his feet.
This is noted by players across the NBA. Draymond Green, when asked about Jokic`s unique defense, anticipated the topic.
`Is this about his many kick-ball violations?` Green chuckled.
Indeed, Jokic leads the NBA in kicked-ball violations since 2020, with 127 in regular season and playoffs. In 2022-23, he had 56, more than any team. Nikola Vucevic, the next closest player, has 66 since 2020.
Beyond the sheer volume and balance (67 right foot, 60 left), Jokic seems to have found a defensive loophole. By precisely timing plays, he can effectively pause and disrupt the opponent`s offense, forcing a reset.
In Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Finals, Jokic kicked a backdoor pass from Bam Adebayo to Duncan Robinson. `It`s a kick-ball, but it stops a likely layup,` ABC announcer Mike Breen commented during the broadcast. It was Jokic`s fourth kick of the game. (He once had five kicks in a game, and three in six minutes against Miami).
Green, among those frequently disrupted by Jokic`s kicks, understands the tactic`s value. `We try to avoid set defenses in the NBA,` Green explained. `If you have a 2-on-1 advantage, he kicks the ball, stops play, side out. It lets them reset their defense.` Green has had nine passes affected by Jokic`s kicks since 2020.
Green noted Jokic`s earlier seeming indifference to defense. But as Jokic`s offense grew, the Nuggets knew defensive improvement was crucial for championship contention.
`He knew to win at a high level, he couldn`t be a liability. He`s now a defensive strength, anchoring their defense,` Green stated. `He willed himself to become a better defender.`
Experience contributed to this improvement, as did better physical conditioning. But Jokic`s intellect and memory became key in compensating for physical limitations.
`A player`s mind isn`t limited to one side of the court, and he`s an elite thinker,` Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. `His instincts apply to all aspects of his game.`
