Why the Warriors’ approach against Nuggets’ Jokic will determine series
outcome
The Warriors' ability to stop reigning MVP Nikola Jokić will determine
whether they can outlast the Denver Nuggets
>Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, is guarded by Golden State
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins during the first half of an NBA
basketball game Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David
Zalubowski)
>Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, is guarded by Golden State
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins during the first half of an NBA
basketball game Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David
Zalubowski)
By JANNELLE MOORE |
PUBLISHED: April 15, 2022 at 8:15 a.m. | UPDATED: April 15, 2022 at 8:22
a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/04/15/why-the-warriors-approach-against-nuggets-jokic-will-determine-series-outcome/

Stephen Curry appears on track to play Game 1 of the Warriors’ playoff
series against the Nuggets, but even if he’s not able to manage a full
workload, Golden State should still have enough offensive firepower to
carry them past Denver.

With Klay Thompson scoring 30-plus points in four of the Warriors’ last
six regular season games and Jordan Poole continuing to emerge as a
high-level offensive threat, Golden State is in good shape if it can
receive enough supplementary contributions from Andrew Wiggins, Otto
Porter Jr. and others until Curry finds a rhythm.

Even if Curry is healthy and ready to play without a minutes
restriction, it’s not scoring that’s Golden State’s top concern against
Denver.

Defensively, the Warriors’ approach in containing NBA MVP front-runner
Nikola Jokic will determine whether the series will end in their favor
or in an embarrassing first round exit.

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Jokic is a three-level threat offensively who can impact a game from the
post with his footwork, touch around the basket and his ability to find
the open man with only a sliver of space to do so. On the perimeter,
Jokic has an outside jumper that defenses must respect. He shoots 59
percent from mid-range and a respectable 33.7 percent from beyond the
3-point line.

Stopping Jokic altogether is practically impossible, so in guarding
Jokic, the Warriors will have to decide what they will try to take away
and what they will concede. The choices are straightforward: The
Warriors can stop Jokic from being the Nuggets’ primary facilitator and
shut him off as a passer, or they will concede shots and scoring
opportunities to Jokic and attempt to limit his ability to score.

In the four regular season matchups, the Warriors had a tendency to
defend Jokic straight up, one-on-one without providing much help defense
and would only occasionally send an extra body to warp the floor.
Sending that extra defender to help stop Jokic is necessary at times,
but when employed by Golden State, this strategy produced mixed results.

In the three games in which Draymond Green was the Warriors’ primary
defender on the Denver star, Jokic shot 60.9 percent. Center Kevon
Looney’s defensive impact was hit-or-miss as well. According to Synergy,
there were 15 possessions in which Jokic had Looney in the post. Jokic
scored on nine of them.

--
Jannelle Moore
@Jannelle12
Good Defense. Better Offense
[video]
youtube.com
✂️ good defense. better offense
8 seconds · Clipped by ExtremeDiva80 · Original video "WARRIORS at
NUGGETS | FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS | March 10, 2022" by NBA
6:00 AM · Apr 14, 2022
Reply Share
--

Theoretically, Looney’s determination to force Jokic to the perimeter
for a contested jumper seen above was a solid approach, but the
Warriors’ center ultimately forced a post up that ate away at the shot
clock. Looney met Jokic’s force with his own, absorbing every bump and
forearm shiver until the Nuggets star scored. Jokic can dominate
one-on-one situations, but making him work during these encounters is
critical.

While Jokic’s scoring is impactful, it is his facilitating as a passer
that’s even more dangerous; specifically when the Nuggets cut through
the lane. According to NBA.com, the Nuggets are fourth in the league in
cut frequency at nine cuts per game and sixth in efficiency at 1.346. In
the post, Jokic’s damage is two-fold. Either he’ll feast around the rim
or let his teammates eat by creating opportunities to score from the
perimeter.

--
Jannelle Moore
@Jannelle12
Either you make Jokic a scorer or a facilitator. Denver thrives with
Jokic facilitating
[video]
youtube.com
✂️ Jokic/Green PNR
8 seconds · Clipped by ExtremeDiva80 · Original video "WARRIORS at
NUGGETS | FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS | March 10, 2022" by NBA
6:25 AM · Apr 14, 2022
3 Reply Share
--

After passing to Jeff Green, notice how Jokic then sets a screen. While
not a perfect screen on Wiggins in this possession, it was effective
enough to create space for Green’s cut though the lane for a bucket.

- What To Expect

If the Warriors are going to focus more closely on limiting one element
of Jokic’s impact, it will likely be his scoring. Golden State should be
willing to run the risk of Jokic beating the team’s defense because it
can shut down his teammates.

Denying the passing lanes, and defending Jokic with little to no double
teams will make him one-dimensional and negate the impact of the
Nuggets’ other scorers. Expect the Warriors to cycle through a
combination of Green, Looney and at times Nemanja Bjelica, who will all
make Jokic work for his points.

Occasionally, the Warriors will throw a double team to tilt the floor.
While doing so, those double teams should only come from the weak side
and those doubles shouldn’t expose a mismatch or create open perimeter
looks, which was one of the Warriors’ main defensive weaknesses this season.

Throughout the series, the Warriors will have to concede and pick their
poison while defending Jokic. Making him a scorer as opposed to a
facilitator is the expected approach, However, they will have to not
only deploy extra bodies strategically to curb the urge to over help,
but also be diligent in sticking to rotations. If the Warriors do those
things effectively over the course of the series, they should advance.

--
Jannelle Moore | Guest Analyst