The Denver Nuggets are one win away from securing their first ever NBA Finals. As the Heat look to stop their momentum and pull off an historic comeback, George Karl gives them the keys to stopping Nikola Jokic, via FanDuel TV.
"The teams that had success a little bit this year played small on him and brought the big guys to the double team… You can't let him be a facilitator."
George Karl on how he would lock down on Nikola Jokic
(via @FanDuelTV)pic.twitter.com/qyH8F7QON6
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 12, 2023
“I don't know…you gotta change the look that you give him constantly throughout the game…the teams that had success a little bit this year played small on him and brought the big guys to the double team. I think you got to be physical with him…if you have the chance, you can't let him be a facilitator.”
George Karl prefaces by saying he doesn't actually know how to stop Nikola Jokic, much like the rest of the NBA. However, he says that any success he has seen is when teams have thrown small lineups at Jokic and forced him to be a scorer rather than a facilitator.
It is ironic that this is the argument that Karl gives, as it is the exact argument that Erik Spoelstra refuted in a viral clip from a postgame presser during these NBA Finals. Although Spoelstra might have disagreed, Karl definitely has a point if the numbers are any indication.
In the end, it really doesn't look like there is a current answer for stopping Jokic. Much of this NBA offseason will probably see opposing coaches scheming up new ways to stop him that will be revealed next season. For now, it looks like Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are on their way to winning the NBA Finals.
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