The Denver Nuggets have their star of their future in Nikola Jokic, but there is still room for improvement.
The Denver Nuggets were a middle of the road defensive team in the NBA last season. They were 14th in the NBA in general team defense.
While this was an improvement from the year before, it still left a lot to be desired. Nikola Jokic could play a huge role in improving the defensive front line.
We all know about his offensive prowess. However, his defense still is relatively un-refined and could use some work. The good news is he did improve a bit on this front last year which means the potential to be a two way player is somewhere in the Joker’s competitive spirit.
Per basketball reference, he slightly improved his defensive rating from 109 the season before to 107 this past year. Do not forget, the lower the defensive rating, the better. Not to mention, he also averaged 1.2 steals per game and had a defensive rebounding average of 8.1 per game.
So, what is holding Jokic back from becoming an all around player? If you watch any Nuggets games, you will notice Jokic does not have the quickest feet.
The fundamentals seem to be there defensively, but the athleticism is simply lacking. This hurts him when he goes up against guys like Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis or even Blake Griffin when he plays the power forward spot.
If Jokic can work on his foot work and get a bit more athleticism, then he will be well on his way to becoming a force. That is, a force on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.
It will not be easy, but Nikola Jokic has the work ethic and correct attitude when it comes to bettering his game.
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His foot work on defense should be a major focal point of what he works on this off season.