Today in Sports
  • Home
  • Featured News
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • More
    • Rugby
    • Golf
    • Boxing
    • Soccer
    • NBA
    • Racing
    • Cricket
  • DMCA
  • Disclaimer
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Featured News
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • More
    • Rugby
    • Golf
    • Boxing
    • Soccer
    • NBA
    • Racing
    • Cricket
No Result
View All Result
Today in Sports
No Result
View All Result

Nikola Jokic Has Transformed From Defensive Liability To Analytics Standout

April 4, 2025
in Basketball
0
Home Basketball
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


You might also like

Built for Boston: Draft prospects who make sense for the Celtics

How the Thunder Built a Finals Team — and an Unmatched War Chest for the Future

Caitlin Clark Could Return From Quad Strain On Tuesday

Nikola Jokic has developed into an elite NBA defender despite significant athletic limitations, utilizing his exceptional basketball IQ and unconventional tactics to become a defensive analytics standout, according to a report from ESPN’s Chris Herring and Tim MacMahon.

Jokic, who recorded the worst vertical leap (17 inches) among over 1,000 NBA players tested at the P3 Applied Sports Science lab, has finished first in defensive box plus-minus for three consecutive seasons. Nuggets players note that Jokic’s defensive prowess stems largely from his ability to predict opponents’ plays with remarkable accuracy.

“He’ll literally move you into the spot. He does it every single game,” Christian Braun told ESPN. “He’s going to look at you and tell you, ‘Hey, this is what’s coming; this was their call.'” Teammate Peyton Watson added: “I haven’t seen him be wrong [when calling out a play]. Dude’s on another level intellectually with the game.”

Despite ranking among the league’s slowest players, running “fast” just 2.9% of the time according to Second Spectrum, Jokic has led NBA centers in deflections for six straight seasons. Michael Malone credits Jokic’s “uncanny ability to break passes up” when defending pick-and-rolls at the level of the screen.

Jokic has also mastered the strategic use of kicked-ball violations, recording 127 since 2020—significantly more than any other player. Golden State’s Draymond Green explained the tactic’s effectiveness: “If you have them in a bad way, where you’ve got a clear 2-on-1, he just kicks the ball, stops the play, and it’s a side out… That allows them to reset their defense.”

The three-time MVP’s defensive transformation impressed opponents like Green, who told ESPN: “He knew that if they wanted to win at a high level and become a champion, he couldn’t be a liability. Now he’s become a strength on that side of the floor and learned how to anchor a defense. He literally willed himself to become better on defense.”

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault summarized Jokic’s unique ability: “[A player’s] mind isn’t limited to one end of the floor, and he’s obviously an elite thinker out there. He’s got instincts, and they translate to every part of his game.”



Source link

Tags: analyticsdefensiveJokicliabilitynikolaNikola Jokic Has Transformed From Defensive Liability To Analytics StandoutRealGM WiretapstandoutTransformed
Share30Tweet19

Recommended For You

Built for Boston: Draft prospects who make sense for the Celtics

by TODAY IN SPORTS
June 6, 2025
0
Built for Boston: Draft prospects who make sense for the Celtics

We are three weeks out from the NBA Draft, and with the NBA Combine in the rearview, there’s a clearer picture of the prospect pool after the league...

Read more

How the Thunder Built a Finals Team — and an Unmatched War Chest for the Future

by TODAY IN SPORTS
June 6, 2025
0
How the Thunder Built a Finals Team — and an Unmatched War Chest for the Future

The Oklahoma City Thunder reached the NBA Finals for just the second time in franchise history, and they’ve done it with a roster built from the ground up...

Read more

Caitlin Clark Could Return From Quad Strain On Tuesday

by TODAY IN SPORTS
June 5, 2025
0
Caitlin Clark Could Return From Quad Strain On Tuesday

Caitlin Clark could return from her left quadriceps strain as early as Tuesday when the Indiana Fever play the Atlanta Dream. Clark suffered the injury in Indian's 90-88...

Read more

LOOK: Tyrese Haliburton at Finals Media Day and other pictures of the day in the NBA

by TODAY IN SPORTS
June 5, 2025
0
LOOK: Tyrese Haliburton at Finals Media Day and other pictures of the day in the NBA

NBA: Finals-Media DayOklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) during NBA Finals Media Day at Paycom Center. © Alonzo Adams | 2025-06-04 NBA: Finals-Media DayOklahoma City Thunder guard...

Read more

Who is getting traded? Boston Celtics Reacts survey

by TODAY IN SPORTS
June 5, 2025
0
Who is getting traded? Boston Celtics Reacts survey

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Boston Celtics fans and fans across...

Read more
Next Post
Wolves plotting move for Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho – Man United News And Transfer News

Wolves plotting move for Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho - Man United News And Transfer News

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related News

UFC 303 Weigh-In Video: Ian Machado Garry vs. Michael "Venom" Web page

UFC 303 Weigh-In Video: Ian Machado Garry vs. Michael "Venom" Web page

June 29, 2024
Trey Nyoni out to emulate “elegant” Thiago at Liverpool – on and off the ball – Liverpool FC

Trey Nyoni out to emulate “elegant” Thiago at Liverpool – on and off the ball – Liverpool FC

May 8, 2025
Man United have rejected Galatasaray’s preliminary bids for Scott McTominay, negotiations proceed – Man United Information And Switch Information

Man United have rejected Galatasaray’s preliminary bids for Scott McTominay, negotiations proceed – Man United Information And Switch Information

July 16, 2024

Browse by Category

  • Athletics
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Football
  • Golf
  • MMA
  • NBA
  • NFL
  • Racing
  • Rugby
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
Today in Sports

Get the Latest Sports News and Updates on TodayInSports.net. Soccer News, Basketball News, Baseball News, Golf News, Boxing News and More!

CATEGORIES

  • Athletics
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Football
  • Golf
  • MMA
  • NBA
  • NFL
  • Racing
  • Rugby
  • Soccer
  • Tennis

Recent News

  • How to watch Guatemala vs Dominican Republic in the USA: Live Stream and TV for CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers
  • JPN-W vs PHI-W Dream11 Prediction Today Match 9 Women’s T20I Series 2025
  • Matthijs de Ligt lifts lid on his debut season after Manchester United’s dismal 2024/25 campaign – Man United News And Transfer News
  • Contact us
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • DMCA
  • Get the Latest Sports News and Updates on TodayInSports.net.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Copyright © 2024 Today in Sports.
Today in Sports is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Featured News
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • More
    • Rugby
    • Golf
    • Boxing
    • Soccer
    • NBA
    • Racing
    • Cricket

Copyright © 2024 Today in Sports.
Today in Sports is not responsible for the content of external sites.