By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Opposing defenses are increasingly deploying unconventional, high-pressure tactics against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, often utilizing smaller, more agile defenders to disrupt his rhythm. Teammate Jonas Valanciunas noted that while Jokic remains the NBA’s premier problem-solver, the physicality is reaching unprecedented levels. “It’s very tough to play against smalls when they are finding you and sending double-teams, triple-teams, not even double-teams anymore,” Valanciunas observed in a media session after team practice on Wednesday, highlighting the schematic shift teams are using to swarm the Serbian superstar.
Despite the defensive pressure, Jokic continues to manipulate the floor through his elite basketball IQ. Valanciunas emphasized that the three-time season MVP value extends far beyond traditional scoring, particularly when he is being hounded by smaller guards. “He’s doing a good job, not just being the scorer, but being the facilitator,” Valanciunas added. “He doesn’t need to be playing with the ball. He sets good screens and uses his double-teaming options.”
Nuggets head coach David Adelman was more pointed regarding the physical toll of these defensive assignments. He suggested that officials are allowing defenders to be overly aggressive with Jokic’s lower body and jersey. “We have to get used to the way Nikola is guarded,” stated the 44-year-old tactician. “If teams are allowed to go at his knees and grip his waist and pull his jersey out, and that’s marginal contact, then we have to deal with that. That’s just the way it is.”
The annoyance of being guarded by smaller, quicker players is a sentiment Valanciunas knows well. He admitted that the speed and ‘fronting’ techniques used by guards can neutralize a big man’s height advantage. “It couldn’t get more annoying than a small guard you,” he jokingly pointed out. “They’re more active, quicker. They’re fronting. Yeah, we got size, but that footwork, they get a step on us.”
Injury Report ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Lakers:
QUESTIONABLE:
Cameron Johnson (Right Ankle Inflammation)OUT:
Spencer Jones (Right Shoulder Strain)
Peyton Watson (Right Hamstring Strain)
Aaron Gordon (Right Hamstring Strain)#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/F3w5jHEzuA— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 5, 2026
As the Nuggets look to improve to 39-24 in the 2025-26 Regular Season against the Los Angeles Lakers in Ball Arena on Thursday, both teams face significant health hurdles. The visitors have listed 34-year-old German forward Maxi Kleber as questionable due to back soreness. Meanwhile, Denver remains shorthanded, with Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson sidelined due to hamstring strains, and Spencer Jones is out with a shoulder injury, leaving Cameron Johnson’s status as the primary question mark for the Mile High squad.
Read the latest News
Read the full article here
