(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Denver Nuggets are making a statement.
Just when everybody thought the Minnesota Timberwolves had figured them out, Mike Malone’s team stormed right back to prove everybody wrong.
That has been particularly true with the reigning MVP.
Nikola Jokic has been on a tear as of late, and while he was great even in the losses, he’s clearly taken things to a whole new level over the past three games or so.
As a matter of fact, his numbers against the Defensive Player of the Year are more than remarkable.
As pointed out by StatMuse on Twitter, Jokic has absolutely dominated Rudy Gobert, putting up 32.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 9.5 assists on 56% shooting per game in the series.
The MVP against the DPOY this playoffs:
32.8 PPG
9.0 RPG
9.5 APG
56.0 FG% pic.twitter.com/un7tLuJJ6Z
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 15, 2024
Gobert has been one of the most polarizing and criticized players in NBA history.
He made great strides as a one-on-one defender and finally became a solid perimeter stopper, but he just can’t seem to find that same intensity in the playoffs.
During his entire career, he’s been a liability in the postseason, especially late in games, up to the point where his teams literally had to bench him and play small because of him.
This was supposed to be different.
Gobert was playing the best defense of his career this season, and he’s supposed to be a Hall of Fame-type of defensive player.
Of course, there should be no shame in getting dominated by the best player in the league.
But for a player who hangs his hat on his defense, this isn’t a good look.
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