Jokic a bad defender? Adelman: “He’s better than people think”

Nikola Jokic may never be a three-blocks-per-game player, but that does not mean he is a bad defender. David Adelman is convinced of that, and speaking to SiriusXM NBA, he explained why the Nuggets center is often judged without considering what is happening around him.

According to Denver’s coach, a lot also depends on Jokic’s teammates, especially when opponents are able to get out in transition.

The biggest thing isn’t just about him, it’s about the whole team. If we don’t stop the ball in transition, we end up putting Nikola in a difficult position

David Adelman

And above all, according to Adelman, it makes no sense to ask Jokic to defend like Rudy Gobert, considering how much is already demanded of him on the offensive end.

He’s not a shot blocker, he’s not Rudy Gobert. You have to accept that. You can’t expect him to do everything he does offensively and then become a completely different player

David Adelman

Adelman also responded to those who use statistics to criticize the three-time MVP’s defense, pointing out how some numbers are often used only when they support a certain argument.

For us on the coaching staff, he’s a much better defender than people think, and I’m not just saying that because I coach him. It’s interesting to see how people use numbers when they want to and ignore them in other cases. If you really look at half-court defensive situations, Nikola does pretty well

David Adelman

Blocks look impressive, but they do not tell the whole story of what happens on defense. And that is exactly what Adelman would like people who continue to judge Jokic only from that perspective to understand.