Increased expectations often lead to greater scrutiny. After two Most Valuable Player awards and a legitimate case for a third, Nikola Jokic has been under a microscope more than his first two campaigns.

He's an absolute maestro, controlling the Nuggets' entire offensive attack. Nobody's doubting his value on that end. It's his defense that's been the concern and remains the biggest question mark on just how far Jokic can carry Denver in the postseason.

The Joker's defense was a point of contention from ESPN analyst Kirk Goldsberry in a recent appearance on The Lowe Post with Zach Lowe, characterizing Denver's defense as what's led to their demise for the past three postseasons. He emphasized that while he is also a fan of his game, an objective look at his defensive limitations is certainly alarming.

“The takeaway is this. Compared to the other elite big men in the NBA, he's not great as a shot defender. He's giving a high percentage in the paint and he's giving up more points defending layups than anyone in the player-tracking era. 12.7 points per game on layups alone when contesting those shots. … Does that mean I hate Nikola Jokic? No, I love Nikola Jokic. I just think it's a relevant data point at this part of the conversation.”

Michael Malone was quick to call out Goldsberry and his “hatchet job” of a piece on Nikola Jokic. It's hard to argue that despite his defensive lapses, he's still infinitesimally valuable to the Nuggets and as a player capable of helping a team win. But the facts are concrete and will likely be used against Jokic until he quiets his critics with a championship.