Nikola Jokic is arguably the best player in the NBA right now. He is a winner of two MVP trophies, a Finals MVP trophy, and the leader of the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets. It is nearly impossible to guard The Joker because of his versatile skill set and playmaking ability. But there have been times when opponents have gotten the better of Jokic because of their unique strategy.

The Denver Nuggets superstar revealed the toughest defensive challenge of his career and reflected on his match-up against Anthony Davis and Co. in the Bubble.

Who gave Nikola Jokic the most problems on defense?

Nikola Jokic was a guest on The Curious Mike Podcast hosted by his teammate Michael Porter Jr. During the interview, Jokic revealed the team that posed him the biggest challenge on defense. “That was the Bubble right when they (Los Angeles Lakers) had 3-4 big guys.” The Joker responded, reminiscing about his 2020 match-up with LeBron James and Co. The Lakers were the Number 1 seed in the Western Conference heading into the playoffs inside the Bubble. They had three dominant big men on their roster: Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee, and Dwight Howard.

So, when Nikola Jokic and Co. faced off against the Lakers in the Western Conference finals, the Lakers put all of their centers in front of The Joker to stop him. That strategy worked brilliantly for the Lakers as they won the series 4-1. Jokic averaged 21.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5 assists in that series. Anthony Davis dominated Jokic on the other end and had a monster series with 31.2 points and 6.2 rebounds. Jokic also named the big man duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 2-time MVP has a tough time dealing with teams that have multiple talented Centers. However, Jokic flipped the script on the Lakers three years later.

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Nikola Jokic got his revenge in the 2022-23 season

Nikola Jokic and Co. matched up against the Lakers for the second time in the Western Conference Finals last season. But this time, the Lakers did not have multiple centers. Jokic took advantage of that situation and dominated the Lakers throughout the series. The Joker averaged a triple-double with 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists. The Nuggets swept the Lakers in 4 games with the help of Jokic’s historic performance against AD.

The other reason for Jokic’s dominance last season was that his game had improved drastically since the last time he faced off against the Lakers. Nikola Jokic and Co. eventually went on to win the Championship after beating the Miami Heat in the Finals. Ironically, those were the same opponents the Lakers beat in 2020 after eliminating The Joker from the playoffs.

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