DEFENSIVE ICON DROPS BOMBSHELL: Nikola Jokić Is ‘The Hardest Player to Guard’ and It’s Not Even Close 🤯
One of the best players in the world today is Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. He has won three NBA Most Valuable Player awards in the past five seasons and was the runner-up in 2023 and 2025.
Former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green gave “The Joker” the ultimate sign of respect by calling him the hardest player to guard in the league today. Green dropped the information in an appearance on Kai Cenat’s Live Stream on Tuesday, while also giving a shoutout to Luka Doncic and Stephen Curry.
“The hardest now is Joker,” Green said. “I play with Steph so I don’t have that headache. Joker…Luka will always be one of the toughest covers, but that ain’t my matchup. Of my matchups, the hardest to guard right now is Joker.”
In addition to his size, Jokic has a high basketball IQ that makes it harder for defenders to stop him. He could make passes that others wouldn’t be able to replicate, while also being capable of scoring at will. Some of his shots are also unorthodox, making him even harder to cover.
Nikola Jokic’s Basketball IQ Sets Him Apart
The Minnesota Timberwolves have had Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets’ number since the 2024 NBA playoffs. The Timberwolves eliminated the Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals in seven games and then swept the season series last season.
However, players such as Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert are still in awe of “The Joker,” especially with his basketball IQ. Edwards and Gobert couldn’t believe that Jokic knew what their play was in the Timberwolves’ 140-139 win over the Nuggets on April 1, as per ESPN.
“We have a spy on the bench, man,” Gobert said. “Jokic knew the play, but we didn’t say anything. He knew the play better than us.”
“Me and Rudy looked at each other and said, ‘How the f— do he know?’ That motherf—er cheating, bruh,” Edwards added.
Since Jokic is not athletic, he uses his brain to make the right reads on both offense and defense. It’s one of the reasons why he has been hard to guard, while his defensive analytics have been better than some of the best defenders in the league.
Nikola Jokic Still Has His Critics
Despite being considered as one of the best in the world today, Nikola Jokic still has his fair share of critics. Following Serbia’s shocking elimination in the Round of 16 of the 2025 EuroBasket at the hands of Finland, former NBA player Darko Milicic was critical of Jokic’s leadership.
“I respect and appreciate a lot and hats off to everything Nikola Jokic does,” Milicic told Telegraf on September 7. “But in general, I said that we can’t do without Bogdan Bogdanovic, and we can do without Jokic. That’s how it turned out now. We won silver at the World Championship. Of course, I’m not talking about tennis, but about basketball, which is a team sport, and everyone did it together with Bogdan Bogdanovic. Unfortunately, Bogdan is the one who carries a lot, not only in basketball, but also in leadership. Obviously, he had great experience in our league, the EuroLeague, but also in the NBA.”
Jokic had 33 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in Serbia’s 92-86 loss. Team captain Bogdan Bogdanovic has been out since the second game of the preliminary round after suffering a torn hamstring.