Stomach flu. He will be back. He is what an actual stud player looks like. Jokic's defense is non existent. Funny how defense matters for you til it is a guy you like then for some reason it goes out the window.

Embiid ended this debate a while ago. Jokic is cool as a solid No. 2 or 3 center but Embiid is light years ahead of him as player. Jokic can't even avg 1 block per game.

Those questions were amplified following an embarrassing road loss in San Antonio earlier this month. On March 10, Denver entered its road game against the Spurs as heavy favorites, and they left disappointed after San Antonio targeted Jokic's rim protection to great effect.

After the game, a compilation of Spurs players making easy layups over Jokic went viral. In some clips, Jokic looked too slow, and in others he appeared apathetic as the younger players blew past him or went over him for easy buckets. Over and over again.

San Antonio took 32 shots with Jokic as the closest defender, the highest such total for any defender in any single game this season, according to Second Spectrum, and it worked. Jokic allowed 43 points on those shots, the most allowed by any single defender in any game this season.

The headline of the game's recap read: "Spurs overcome Jokic's triple-double to top Nuggets 128-120." While Keldon Johnson scored 23 points in the win, Jokic had 37 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

While conventional NBA stats and storylines continue to perpetuate an extreme offensive bias, perhaps no player's reputation benefits more from it than Jokic. But that nightmare of a game for Denver epitomized the biggest issues with Jokic's game, the wider perception of his overall play and the Nuggets' title chances.

The box score might suggest Jokic was the best player in the game, but deeper looks into nerdier numbers reveal some major defensive limitations of the league's two-time defending MVP.

These two stats tell you everything you need to know about how well Jokic has protected the hoop for the Nuggets in 2022-23.

Per NBA Advanced Stats, 33 players have defended 300 shots at the rim this season. Jokic has allowed the highest field goal percentage (69.0%) on those attempts among this group.

Opponents have shot 54.2% on layups and dunks when Jokic is the contesting defender AND he heavily contests the shot, per Second Spectrum tracking. That ranks 64th among 65 players to heavily contest 250 layups and dunks this season. The only player worse? His teammate and backup, Thomas Bryant.

The Nuggets are allowing opponents to convert 69.6% of their contested shots in the restricted area this season -- the worst such mark in the NBA. Jokic has contested more than twice as many such shots as any other member of his team in that area, and opponents are making 67.3% of those attempts. He's not setting a great tone.

226 players have defended ball handlers on at least 200 drives this season (that's almost half of the league), but among this massive group Jokic ranks 222nd in efficiency, allowing 1.16 points per chance.

Along with Jokic, the other prime candidates for this year's MVP race are both prominent members of teams with top defenses. Antetokounmpo, who won DPOY in 2020-21, is a huge part of Milwaukee's attack. Joel Embiid is arguably the best defender on the Philadelphia 76ers, who currently own the NBA's sixth-ranked defense

In the bubble, Denver ranked 12th in defensive rating among the 16 playoff teams. In 2020-21, again the Nuggets ranked 12th of 16, and last season, they ranked dead last following their first-round loss against the Golden State Warriors.

In that three-year time frame, no postseason player has allowed more field goals (192) as a paint defender than Jokic.

Whether it's stats like this or viral videos, word on Jokic's defense is getting out and changing the narrative.

On March 9, Jokic was the runaway favorite to win the MVP -- that day Caesars Sportsbook had him at -400 and Embiid at +425. But on March 16, following that Spurs loss and that supercut of his defensive woes, Jokic and Embiid were suddenly both listed at -105. Just over a week later, Embiid has emerged as the clear betting favorite (-225), and Jokic is now an underdog (+270).

The Joker has been sick good in the playoffs. Really looking forward to the Western Finals. Looks like Tuesday night….

Jokic so obviously superior I’m not sure there’s an argument.

Jokic so obviously superior I’m not sure there’s an argument.

Ltg need to take a big L here

Ltg need to take a big L here

Who gets more views on the NBA app though?

Lakers gonna roll the Nuggets. Nuggets beat one team that was punching each other during games to end the season and another team that had their starting center quit on the team in the middle of the series. Unless AD or Lebron end up not playing, it's not even a close series. Lebron will probably stretch it to 6 again tho.

I dont know whether I am more surprised that Jokic is number 1 on that list or that AD is ahead of Shaq and Dream

has anyone done a wellneck check on ltg?

I think this "debate" is over though.