1. Nikola Jokic & Bill Russell – Defense
If you look back at the best defenders in NBA history, just about anyone will tell you that Bill Russell was arguably the best of all time, and he was the best among big men. What is an offensive savant like Jokic missing from his game? It’s a better defensive game. If he were able to defend at even half of Russell’s level, he would contend for the title of the NBA’s best player regardless of position.
He can score inside or outside, and his passing is the best among frontcourt players that don’t have the last name James, although it’s pretty close. On defense though, he leaves much to be desired. He’s never averaged more than 0.8 blocks per game, and he’s nowhere near the defensive stalwart that you get in a guy like Rudy Gobert or Joel Embiid. That’s where Russell’s skills come into play.
His rebounding numbers were silly, with a career average of 22.5, and blocks and steals weren’t even tracked when he was in the league. Most people argue that, if they were, he would be close if not the full leader in career blocks. Jokic’s offense gives him the ability to be less-than-stellar on defense, but, if he were to work with Russell, he might be able to become a truly transcendent player that the NBA hasn’t seen in a long time at the center position.