When talking about Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, a lot of critics and casuals often say he's not as impactful as many make him to be because of his defensive shortcomings. As much as he is a threat offensively, his defense leaves much to be desired. However, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler is not buying that narrative.
Butler was quick to defuse those talks about Jokic while heaping praise on the Serbian's defense. Sure, he is not the rim-protecting big man that blocks shots and sends the ball all the way to the stands. Nonetheless, that doesn't mean he is falling behind that area and isn't playing defense.
The Heat vet even went as far as to saying that Jokic is also “elite” on that end of the floor.
“As much as everybody looks at what he does on the offensive end of the ball, he's elite on the defensive end too,” Butler said of the Joker, per Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports. Jimmy Buckets also heaped praise on how well Jokic moves his feet at his size, which helps in forcing opponents to change decisions in the paint.
We've never seen a player like Nikola Jokic before, and Jimmy Butler's statement only further highlights how different and dominant he is on his own way.
The Nuggets star has certainly been severely underappreciated considering all the hate about his defense, but as always, Jokic isn't shutting down those talks with words but rather with his game.
As for Butler and the Heat, they understand very well the difficult task they have at hand. How can they slow down a player who can almost do everything on the court? Fans will get to see their answer in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.
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