By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic will face the Utah Jazz and Rudy Gobert in the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs set to start next week in the Orlando bubble. The Nuggets captain did not hold back praise for his European rival.
“I think it is interesting because we are two different types of players,” he took out replying to a question about him matching up with Gobert, “We are both helping our team win games.”
“He is a really good defender,” he added, “He is a big guy. He is leading the league in dunks. He is shooting nearly 70% from the field. His teammates are using him very well. He is a really good player. He is awesome this year.”
Proving his case, the French center has 15.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.3 assists per contest since the 2019-20 season resumed. The Nuggets containing him can potentially evolve into a key in advancing to the next round.
“Stopping any player is always a team effort,” said Jokic, “We have to be tight on him and keep him away from easy layups.”
The Joker himself averaged 15.4 points, 8.3 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal per seeding game heading to his second postseason NBA run.
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