Ryan Saunders was an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets when Nikola Jokic reached his MVP form. It was his job to assess the performance of every player on the team, and he could definitely say Jokic could do pretty much everything well on the court.

However, Saunders thinks that the fans were already so enamored by Joker’s overall offensive skills that they could no longer appreciate the three-time MVP’s defensive prowess. For Ryan, people would better understand the true scope of Nikola’s greatness if they also paid attention to his defense.

“I could go 1a, 1b, 1c, but his passing, his vision on the floor. His footwork in the post,” Saunders told The Minnesota Star Tribune as he discussed his favorite aspects of Jokic’s game. “How he creates open looks for his teammates, maybe not even with the basketball. He’s a great screener as well — and he’s a better defender than people want to give him credit for.”

“I would challenge people to watch that, because he really is,” he continued. “He’s a much better defender than people ever talk about. He always gives maximum effort.”

Aaron says the same thing about Nikola’s defense

Not all fans have keen eyes to recognize Jokic’s ability to play high-level defense. His individual stats also don’t prove anything, as the Serbian’s career-best in blocks per game was 0.9 and 1.8 in steals per game.

However, advanced defensive analytics show that Jokic has been “quietly” dominating on the defensive end. Based on the defensive box plus-minus data, Jokic has been “the NBA’s most valuable defender for years now.”

The Joker has finished No. 1 in the said metric for the past three seasons. Unsurprisingly, it projected Jokic to be “within striking distance of doing it” for the fourth consecutive time in the current season.

Nikola’s Nuggets teammates don’t need to look into these advanced defensive analytics to say that the Serbian superstar is a well-rounded defender. Their firsthand experience is already a testament to Jokic’s underrated yet elite defense.

“Jok’ doesn’t get the credit he deserves on defense. He’s always top two, top three in steals and deflections. He’s great with his hands on defense, and people don’t give him enough credit,” said Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon.

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Jokic sets a good example

Saunders knows that many fans also believe Jokic is nonchalant and lazy. According to Ryan, that is another big misconception about Nikola as a player.

Do you think Nikola Jokic is a great defender?

Saunders revealed that in reality, the Joker’s work ethic is admirable. In fact, he sets a good example to everybody around him.

“I could go on and on. It’s unbelievable his work capacity,” Saunders added of Jokic. “How hard he works every time he steps on the floor. His approach. His commitment. Just everything that he does is with winning in mind. Everything he does is with helping his teammates in mind… He leads by example in so many ways. I think a lot of youth, if they’re not paying attention to him, they should. He has so many qualities you’d want not just in an athlete but in a person.”

Jokic is just in his 11th season in the NBA. He’s still evidently in his athletic prime, and it would be interesting to see if Nikola continues to develop other aspects of his game as time passes.

About the author

With expertise in uncovering old-school NBA stories and unique off-the-court angles, John Jefferson Tan brings a seasoned voice to Basketball Network. A lifelong Knicks fan, he blends knowledge, passion, and storytelling for die-hard readers.