'Nobody's figured that out yet': Monty Williams on how to stop Nuggets' MVP Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic is nicknamed The Joker within the NBA community for a reason beyond a play off the first syllable of his surname.

Similar to the Batman villain, the Denver Nuggets' reigning two-time MVP center wreaks havoc on opponents as he produces a triple-double nearly every time he steps on the court.

But Jokic is more like Batman's other memorable villain, The Riddler, because his preternatural versatility leaves teams with question marks as they try to figure out how to stop him.

The Suns host the Western conference's first-place Denver Nuggets (51-24) on Friday. Jokic (calf) didn't play in Denver's Thursday home loss to New Orleans. He might return for the Nuggets' second of a back-to-back in Phoenix, per TNT.

The Suns lost their two previous meetings at Denver, on Christmas and Jan. 11. Jokic torched the Suns for 41 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in their first matchup, and a 21-18-9 stat line in the second one.

Suns coach Monty Williams attempted to explain during their Thursday practice what it takes to contain Jokic, which remains a unsolved mystery to him.

“I just think it’s a lot of things: his mindset, his skill set, but how people play around him,” Williams told The Republic. “If you don’t guard the guys around him, he’s so selfless that he’ll make you pay with the pass. He has the skill set to shoot on every level, and he’s big, he’s mobile, can use both hands, there’s not anything in his game he can’t do. …

“You’re just trying our best to limit that stuff, but nobody’s figured that out yet.”

Suns forward Torrey Craig praised Jokic at their Thursday practice, and jokingly claimed he had the best defense against him when they were Nuggets teammates from 2017 to 2020.

“I used to lock Joker up at practice all the time,” Craig said, sounding half-serious. “Nah (laughs), Joker is an amazing talent. He’s like one of one. I’ve never seen a guy that invites the double team just to make the right plays and break defenses down.

"He has a unique skill set and he’s a tough guy to plan for because he don’t really have a weakness. He knows how to manipulate a game on all levels. It’s gonna be a challenge for us, but we’ve played them in the past and we’ve done a good job on him. I expect nothing less than tomorrow to come out with a solid game plan and execute.”

The seven-year veteran Jokic is one of the best to ever play the game. He's among favorites to win league MVP again.

Denver's win at Memphis on Mar. 3 was when his longest triple-double streak ever (29) ended, five more than Magic Johnson. Jokic's 9.9 assists per game is fourth in the league this season, the only big within the top five in that category, and his 11.9 rebounds per game is second behind Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis. Plus, Jokic is averaging 24.9 points on an eighth-best 63.4% shooting.

Jokic isn't the fastest or flashiest player, isn't the type for stat padding, and doesn't have marketability like Steph Curry or Devin Booker.

But the Joker's wild with these attributes that make it tough to defend: grabbing the ball off the other team's glass and throw laser cross-court passes like an elite quarterback; taking defenders off the dribble and scores in transition; impeccable timing in his low post moves and quickly rolling off defender's shoulders with angles to score or pass; extends his team's possessions well by tapping missed shots to his teammates, always finds his open teammates cutting to the hole or spotting up for jumpshots.

This season's MVP race with Jokic, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo is thin. But Jokic could care less about winning the award.

“I don’t think about it anymore. It's past,” Jokic said after he produced 31 points, 12 rebound, and seven assists in Denver's win over Washington on Mar. 24.

He's more concerned about the team's defense and closing out games better as the Nuggets enter Friday on a five-game skid.

Williams credits Jokic's teammates for his individual success and how they've been atop the West's for most of the season.

“The guys around him, it’s all guys who can hoop," Williams said. "(Aaron) Gordon should’ve been an All-Star this year. (Jamal) Murray, in my opinion, is an All-Star, and then you add (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) and (Bruce) Brown doesn’t get enough credit for his growth and development as a player. They got the young kid from Kansas (Christian Braun) who does not look like a rookie, and Jeff Green. I think Jeff Green, when God parted the Red Sea, he crossed over with everybody, he’s been around so long. They just have a lot of good players and Mike (Malone) is one of the best coaches in the league. …

“You put all that together with Jokic, that’s why they’ve been the best team in the West.”

Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at dana.scott@azcentral.com or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.

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