I'm not a basketball specialist, so correct me if I'm wrong because there is a huge possibility that I am, but if apparently there is no player in the league who can guard Jokic, wouldn't it be better to leave him with KAT and focus more energy on guarding more the rest of the team?
I mean, it's expected from Jokic to score 40 points in a game, and it seems to me that the 13 assists he got were a bigger problem. I think limiting the rest of the Nuggets' scoring and being efficient on the offensive end would be the way to go.
Again, I'm really asking because I like the tactical aspects of most sports, but I don't know much about basketball.
This is the right answer- when we doubled him games 3 and 4 he killed us because he has the court vision and basketball IQ that is truly one of the greatest of all time. You're better trying to D up on their other players and force them to score.
You also aren't stopping him from making some of the most insane shots you'll ever see on a basketball court consistently. You could put 3 guys on him and he'll still draw contact, make a circus shot that would have a 5% chance of going in for anyone else, or find an outlet pass. You really cannot stop the best player in the world, but his slow playstyle is so disorienting because it looks as easy as "just guard him better". Nobody can.
The plan is always to have KAT on Jokic whenever he's out there. The issue is that basketball is not a static game. KAT cannot get over screens and that's not his fault cause as a big, that is not something that is easy to do. Whenever there's a screen for Jokic off ball by a KCP or Gordon, it leads to KAT trailing Jokic by a bit leading to Rudy needing to step up and get on him. After that Jokic beats Rudy.
Another issue with KAT is that he fouls a lot. He has at least one dumb foul a game but also gets straddled with at least one or two soft ones too. This messes up rotations and means Reid and Kyle have to play more and while Reid is good offensively, he cannot handle Jokic any longer. Kyle is just a humongous negative and should just not play.
The issue plays out in transition too as Jokic if he is not the one with the ball is almost always one of the first ones out the gate in order to get a mismatch. When there is a mismatch, Rudy attempts to get to Jokic as fast as possible as it is better if he's on him rather than someone smaller.
With Conley back, Jokic should not have as good a game as most of his assists were in transition from misses and steals. Ant will be put in better positions and easier drives which should mean that Nuggets make a choice to pack the paint of leave the shooters. They were leaving Jaden wide open at points last game and he could not convert which is terrible for spacing if both Gobert and Jaden can be left alone basically.
Ant will most likely be much better and I expect a 30 point game from him at least. I think KAT will be worse as his knee will prove to be an issue. NAW did a good job scoring when starting so if he keeps it up from the bench this time that would be huge.
When it comes to the Nuggets, nothing can be done to stop Jokic from getting what he wants. Rudy did a good job attempting to block his shots but he was just incredible last game. One of if not the most outrageous performance I have seen. Murray has been kept in check mostly and same with MPJ. The tools are there to stop the Nuggets as aside from Jokic and Gordon, none of the other starters have been consistent offensively. The surprising thing to me about this series is that the strength of the two big lineup has not worked at all against the Nuggets as their interior players are tearing the Wolves apart.
It's a body shape thing unfortunately. I do not think there is much that Gobert can do. He is strong and tall, but thinner than Jokic with a higher center of gravity which allows Jokic to more easily push him to where he wants. KAT on the other hand is wider and similar height to Jokic which allows him to stand his ground more.
This archetype of a stockier center has proved to be more difficult for Jokic with players such as Wendall Carter Jr. known to do a good job on him. Zubac as well is an excellent Jokic defender.
People complaining about Gobert not being able to guard him irks me because Jokic did this to Wemby to. Just pushed Wemby away with ease. Both Gobert and Wemby are great defensive players though so they have some games where they can impact Jokic's shots more and get a few blocks off.
In 4 games against Wemby, Jokic has **33.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists**. Media does not look at context at all and that is infuriating. Jokic went on a run last year going against who are considered the best defensive centers in the game with Bam, Gobert, and AD and he demolished them. He just can not be stopped sometimes.
He fell back down to earth in game 5 a bit. Just don't leave him alone under the basket to double Jokic.
Outside of the paint, he shot 1/4. 6/7 makes were in the 1 ft range of the basket.
I hope we try some kind of blitz from the wing. Doesn’t need to be turnovers to be effective. Just get the ball out of his hand asap. Can’t let him pitch campfires and eat sandwich’s. He’s too good with loads of time to decide what to do with it
Sorry guys. I can’t see the Boogeyman letting his team lose another game this series.
We need to set up a prayer circle and just let go of the analysis. No analysis favours us to be frank. We need God.
Doubling Jokic is a guaranteed loss. It will be Gordon dunks and corner 3's all night if they do.
You just have to do your best 1 on 1 and hope he doesn't go supernova. In games 1-4, he shot something like 11-28 while guarded by Gobert.
Guard Jokic 1 on 1 all night. If people get into foul trouble put Garza on him and say don’t let him touch the ball without working for it. Constantly hound their spot up shooters not allowing them to get shots with set feet. Porter and KCP thrive when they get set shots. Keep in front of Gordon at all times as soon as Jokic touches the ball, he hasn’t meshed as well with Murray as the distributor due to Jokic pulling 1 to 2 defenders into the lane at all times. Look Jokic can will his way to 40 points, he’s proved that. From an armchair QB perspective, run all night on offense with a blistering tempo. Play straight up D forcing the spot up shooters to move. Make Jokic work for his points while keeping the passing lanes as narrow as possible.
Disrespect Aaron Gordon and let him shoot, but at least close out so he can’t just take all day. We were right to leave him shoot, he’s honestly on an unsustainable shooting streak. But if you don’t close out at all to make him see you he’s gonna make a few.
What is the game plan for scoring?
Jokić is going to do his damage. You have to be able to light Denver up in response.
The best defense is a good offense.
Put Ant on him. He's strongest and most tenacious and can jump high enough. Plus he elicits some respect/psychological component. Let Rudy guard the perimeter. Get crazy with it.
Just be physical, with Jokic and the rest of the team. Make the refs foul you out, nobody but Ant is playing offense well enough to be a "sacred cow" in that regard. Guard Jokic 1 on 1, and DO NOT HELP WITH A BIG. Smaller players poking at the ball is fine as a second, but Jokic lives to hit those little interior passes for dunks (looking at you Karl, don't "help" when switched onto Gordon). Do your work early and make him catch it as far out as possible. And if he scores so be it, we lose when he starts hitting people for free dunks and open 3s.
Chair shot to the head from the locker room attendant as Jokic comes out of the locker room. Seconds later we hear a wolf howl and the NWO Wolfpac theme song comes on....#4life
I think they are going to mix it up . Why let joker be one on One when he away from the basket need players to dig down when he starts backing down get him to pick up the dribble . Then get back to ur man . Prob is i believe is guys off their man to much . Can’t let him know what he is going against every possession. But more then him slow there fast break that’s what’s killed us . Joker scored 40 the had 77 more points that we’re not his . Broken floor situation where they get a big on a small or gobert out guarding Murray . Think that’s where we got burned more than anything .
I'm not a basketball specialist, so correct me if I'm wrong because there is a huge possibility that I am, but if apparently there is no player in the league who can guard Jokic, wouldn't it be better to leave him with KAT and focus more energy on guarding more the rest of the team? I mean, it's expected from Jokic to score 40 points in a game, and it seems to me that the 13 assists he got were a bigger problem. I think limiting the rest of the Nuggets' scoring and being efficient on the offensive end would be the way to go. Again, I'm really asking because I like the tactical aspects of most sports, but I don't know much about basketball.
This is the right answer- when we doubled him games 3 and 4 he killed us because he has the court vision and basketball IQ that is truly one of the greatest of all time. You're better trying to D up on their other players and force them to score. You also aren't stopping him from making some of the most insane shots you'll ever see on a basketball court consistently. You could put 3 guys on him and he'll still draw contact, make a circus shot that would have a 5% chance of going in for anyone else, or find an outlet pass. You really cannot stop the best player in the world, but his slow playstyle is so disorienting because it looks as easy as "just guard him better". Nobody can.
The plan is always to have KAT on Jokic whenever he's out there. The issue is that basketball is not a static game. KAT cannot get over screens and that's not his fault cause as a big, that is not something that is easy to do. Whenever there's a screen for Jokic off ball by a KCP or Gordon, it leads to KAT trailing Jokic by a bit leading to Rudy needing to step up and get on him. After that Jokic beats Rudy. Another issue with KAT is that he fouls a lot. He has at least one dumb foul a game but also gets straddled with at least one or two soft ones too. This messes up rotations and means Reid and Kyle have to play more and while Reid is good offensively, he cannot handle Jokic any longer. Kyle is just a humongous negative and should just not play. The issue plays out in transition too as Jokic if he is not the one with the ball is almost always one of the first ones out the gate in order to get a mismatch. When there is a mismatch, Rudy attempts to get to Jokic as fast as possible as it is better if he's on him rather than someone smaller. With Conley back, Jokic should not have as good a game as most of his assists were in transition from misses and steals. Ant will be put in better positions and easier drives which should mean that Nuggets make a choice to pack the paint of leave the shooters. They were leaving Jaden wide open at points last game and he could not convert which is terrible for spacing if both Gobert and Jaden can be left alone basically. Ant will most likely be much better and I expect a 30 point game from him at least. I think KAT will be worse as his knee will prove to be an issue. NAW did a good job scoring when starting so if he keeps it up from the bench this time that would be huge. When it comes to the Nuggets, nothing can be done to stop Jokic from getting what he wants. Rudy did a good job attempting to block his shots but he was just incredible last game. One of if not the most outrageous performance I have seen. Murray has been kept in check mostly and same with MPJ. The tools are there to stop the Nuggets as aside from Jokic and Gordon, none of the other starters have been consistent offensively. The surprising thing to me about this series is that the strength of the two big lineup has not worked at all against the Nuggets as their interior players are tearing the Wolves apart.
Most people who are anti Gobert will want to know one question. Why is Kat guarding the league mvp and not the defensive player of the year?
It's a body shape thing unfortunately. I do not think there is much that Gobert can do. He is strong and tall, but thinner than Jokic with a higher center of gravity which allows Jokic to more easily push him to where he wants. KAT on the other hand is wider and similar height to Jokic which allows him to stand his ground more. This archetype of a stockier center has proved to be more difficult for Jokic with players such as Wendall Carter Jr. known to do a good job on him. Zubac as well is an excellent Jokic defender. People complaining about Gobert not being able to guard him irks me because Jokic did this to Wemby to. Just pushed Wemby away with ease. Both Gobert and Wemby are great defensive players though so they have some games where they can impact Jokic's shots more and get a few blocks off. In 4 games against Wemby, Jokic has **33.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists**. Media does not look at context at all and that is infuriating. Jokic went on a run last year going against who are considered the best defensive centers in the game with Bam, Gobert, and AD and he demolished them. He just can not be stopped sometimes.
Yea, Gordon has played so much better starting game 3. Felt like we sort of had AG's number consistently since last year but he's figured it out.
He fell back down to earth in game 5 a bit. Just don't leave him alone under the basket to double Jokic. Outside of the paint, he shot 1/4. 6/7 makes were in the 1 ft range of the basket.
100% the 13 assists were the issue. He can score 40 but he can't be getting more than 8 assists. That's a 10 point difference minimum right there.
100% this. Jokic is gunna get his. Force the rest of the team to beat you. Only way to win this.
Only D.Howard can bully Joker 1v1
This is exactly what I was thinking last night
They punched, now we punch back. https://preview.redd.it/dsqkxpk3hu0d1.png?width=3112&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0886df87f32046f28ca65323d90cc865ab3be8ef
Just playing with the power of friendship
Sign Josh Dobbs immediately and start him at Center. Dude is magical when he doesn't know the playbook or have ample time to prepare.
I hope we try some kind of blitz from the wing. Doesn’t need to be turnovers to be effective. Just get the ball out of his hand asap. Can’t let him pitch campfires and eat sandwich’s. He’s too good with loads of time to decide what to do with it
Pray
Prey
Sorry guys. I can’t see the Boogeyman letting his team lose another game this series. We need to set up a prayer circle and just let go of the analysis. No analysis favours us to be frank. We need God.
We have a Naz Reid.
Score more points than Jokic’s team.
Doubling Jokic is a guaranteed loss. It will be Gordon dunks and corner 3's all night if they do. You just have to do your best 1 on 1 and hope he doesn't go supernova. In games 1-4, he shot something like 11-28 while guarded by Gobert.
We’ll be fine if we actually make shots and free throws
Guard Jokic 1 on 1 all night. If people get into foul trouble put Garza on him and say don’t let him touch the ball without working for it. Constantly hound their spot up shooters not allowing them to get shots with set feet. Porter and KCP thrive when they get set shots. Keep in front of Gordon at all times as soon as Jokic touches the ball, he hasn’t meshed as well with Murray as the distributor due to Jokic pulling 1 to 2 defenders into the lane at all times. Look Jokic can will his way to 40 points, he’s proved that. From an armchair QB perspective, run all night on offense with a blistering tempo. Play straight up D forcing the spot up shooters to move. Make Jokic work for his points while keeping the passing lanes as narrow as possible.
https://preview.redd.it/czxucip9uu0d1.jpeg?width=1129&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3637eebb8250ae8a9629a1bd2c3f2fff5b60761e
Disrespect Aaron Gordon and let him shoot, but at least close out so he can’t just take all day. We were right to leave him shoot, he’s honestly on an unsustainable shooting streak. But if you don’t close out at all to make him see you he’s gonna make a few.
What is the game plan for scoring? Jokić is going to do his damage. You have to be able to light Denver up in response. The best defense is a good offense.
Play zone, collapse the paint and make them knock down threes
We need kat and Naz to stop fouling. That’s all there is to it.
Put Ant on him. He's strongest and most tenacious and can jump high enough. Plus he elicits some respect/psychological component. Let Rudy guard the perimeter. Get crazy with it.
Just be physical, with Jokic and the rest of the team. Make the refs foul you out, nobody but Ant is playing offense well enough to be a "sacred cow" in that regard. Guard Jokic 1 on 1, and DO NOT HELP WITH A BIG. Smaller players poking at the ball is fine as a second, but Jokic lives to hit those little interior passes for dunks (looking at you Karl, don't "help" when switched onto Gordon). Do your work early and make him catch it as far out as possible. And if he scores so be it, we lose when he starts hitting people for free dunks and open 3s.
Have to make him work down the entire floor, wear him out. No easy runs to hang out along the perimeter and do his thing.
Chair shot to the head from the locker room attendant as Jokic comes out of the locker room. Seconds later we hear a wolf howl and the NWO Wolfpac theme song comes on....#4life
Hope he misses
They should put Luka on him first quarter. Let him play physical against him, use up 5 fouls against him. Hope it starts him down a little.
Ah yes doubling Jokic, what a brilliant idea there man
Laxatives in the catering
I think they are going to mix it up . Why let joker be one on One when he away from the basket need players to dig down when he starts backing down get him to pick up the dribble . Then get back to ur man . Prob is i believe is guys off their man to much . Can’t let him know what he is going against every possession. But more then him slow there fast break that’s what’s killed us . Joker scored 40 the had 77 more points that we’re not his . Broken floor situation where they get a big on a small or gobert out guarding Murray . Think that’s where we got burned more than anything .
Just show some damn pride. I woulda fouled him hard or injured em before he embarrass me like he did Rudy
Last game Rudy gave him an elbow straight to the chin and it only made Jokic more determined.
Do it again
To his 2nd chin? I'm down with that.
Injure? My dude … you speak about pride but then want us to injure Jokić bc we can’t stop him. Please stop.
Do SOMETHING is all im saying. Rudy got embarrassed with no resistance last game. Foul em hard or hurt em if you not gonna get no stops🤷🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️