Nikola Jokic has faced almost every defensive scheme the NBA can throw at him. Teams have tried bigger centers, physical bodies, double teams, and elite rim protectors. His effortless triple-double production suggests the Joker has no problem in the league. But that’s not the case.
The Serbian spoke about how everyone guards him well while he continues to score 40 or 50 points against teams; Nikola Jokic offered a surprisingly long list of names, including Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert and some underrated stars in the league.
“Everyone guards me well. Really, everyone,” said Jokic on Jao Mile’s podcast. “There are also some teams that defend really well as a team. There are also some defenders who are really good. I don’t know, maybe the guys I play against more often during the season. Ivica Zubac guards me well, last season, for example. Nurkic too. We are kind of chubby, so when we are battling physically, I can’t really move them.
“Rudy Gobert, I know people have all kinds of opinions about him, but Rudy is a really good defender. He showed it in the last playoffs. He played really well throughout the entire playoffs. Even though I had some good games against him, I really think he is a good defender.
“Jalen Duren from Detroit, he’s kind of smaller and tough to deal with. Really, you can find something good for any of the players. Wendell Carter is another one. Smaller but tough to deal with. Myles Turner, really good at blocking shots. The league is extremely talented defensively as much as offensively. The entire Oklahoma City team. Wemby, Victor. So yeah, it’s a high-quality league, both defensively and offensively.”
Joker’s first two names, Zubac and Nurkic, fit his description of a physical battle. Zubac has built his reputation around strength and interior positioning, while Nurkic has long been one of the NBA’s heavier centers. But the numbers make some of Nikola Jokic’s choices even more interesting.
Against Zubac, the three-time MVP averaged 24.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in 27 games in his career. Even against Nurkic, Nikola Jokic had no problem dropping 55% from the field and 38% from the three-point line. Duren had a different kind of battle.
The Nuggets‘ superstar recorded 24 points, 15 rebounds, and four assists and shot 60% from three in their lone meeting last season. Nikola Jokic also scored more than 25 points on average over Turner and Wendell Carter. Rudy Gobert provides a different challenge.
The Timberwolves center averaged 10.9 points and 11.5 rebounds while shooting a league-best 68.2% from the field in 2025-26. He also averaged 1.6 blocks. More importantly for Jokic, their recent playoff meetings showed that Gobert can make the matchup uncomfortable even when the Nuggets star still produces huge numbers.
Last season, Jokic averaged 35.8 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 11.3 assists in four regular-season games against Gobert. The playoffs were different, and that’s where Nikola Jokic’s average dropped marginally. It was still elite with 25.8 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 9.5 assists as Minnesota eliminated Denver in six games. Then there is Wembanyama.
The Spurs star led the NBA with 3.1 blocks per game in 2025-26 while averaging 11.5 rebounds. His length allows him to challenge shots without always needing to meet opponents at the point of attack.
Nikola Jokic also praised Oklahoma City as a complete defensive group rather than singling out one player. That praise carries plenty of weight. The Thunder finished 64-18 and posted the league’s best net rating at plus 11.1.
Nikola Jokic’s answer also offered a glimpse into how he approaches the game. Despite dominating these matchups, his response went beyond individual battles. For him, the challenge keeps changing, and so does the need to adjust.
That is why he praised the league’s overall quality, recognizing that today’s NBA is filled with elite defensive talent as much as it is with offensive firepower.