Lakers coach has great suggestion on how to stop Nikola Jokic

Apr 28, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Nikola Jokic has been a beast so far in the playoffs and won’t be easy to stop in the Western Conference Finals. Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham knows that, which is why he had a funny suggestion for how to stop the Denver Nuggets star.

Ham spoke with reporters on Monday and was asked for his strategy against Jokic.

“Try to catch him out of his house and kidnap him,” Ham said.

On his strategy against Nikola Jokic, Darvin Ham cracks, “Try to catch him out of his house and kidnap him.”

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 15, 2023

That might be the only way to stop Jokic.

The Nuggets center has averaged 30.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game this postseason. He has been fairly unstoppable over the first two rounds.

The last time the Nuggets and Lakers met in the playoffs was in the 2020 Orlando bubble. The Lakers had Dwight Howard defending Jokic then. Now they will have the lengthy Anthony Davis trying to stop the two-time MVP.

Davis is a premier defender but he will have his hands full against Jokic (so long as Jokic actually makes it to the arena). Let’s hope that Ham’s comments don’t inspire a Lakers remake of “Celtic Pride.”