Utah Jazz headcoach Will Hardy jokingly tried to ask for help about slowing down Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic.
Following the Jazz’s 128-125 loss to Jokic and company at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, Hard brought up other teams’ tactics in defending against the Serbian before wondering out loud whether someone out there has a solution to “Th
“There have been some other teams in the league that have guarded Jokic with smalls, and it’s about trying to wear him down make catches tough,” Hardy told reporters in the postgame press conference.
“If you know a good coverage for Jokic, please email me.”
There is no such thing as a Jokic stopper, and he’s got three NBA Most Valuable Player Awards to prove it. But any time an opponent limits his impact on the court, that can already be considered a major success, and a step in the direction of a win.
Utah indeed had some success in bottling up Jokic, who was held by the Jazz below his season averages in points, rebounds and assists, as he finished with 22 points on 6/11 shooting, 12 boards and 5 dimes. However, they forgot about the other guy, as Jamal Murray erupted for 45 points on 13/19 shooting, including eight 3-pointers.
Utah will see the Nuggets two more times in the 2025-26 season, giving Hardy’s inbox enough time to accept anti-Jokic suggestions.
