David Adelman Fires Back At Nikola Jokic’s Defensive Criticism: ‘Much Better Than People Think’

Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman defended center Nikola Jokic against ongoing defensive criticism during an appearance on SiriusXM. Adelman argued that Jokic is much better defensively than commonly perceived, emphasizing that analytics support his effectiveness in core-defensive sets and noting that he should not be expected to function as a traditional shot-blocker like Rudy Gobert.

Adelman stated that Denver's broader transition defense often puts Jokic in compromised positions when teammates fail to stop the ball. Fadeaway World notes that while Denver recorded a 117.4 defensive rating last season, Jokic's career averages of 1.3 steals per game and physical off-ball awareness show his unconventional defensive value.