Rasheed Wallace shares the best way to stop Nikola Jokic: "You have to make him work because he is a poor defender"

With Nikola Jokic imposing his will in the second-round series, averaging 29.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists across the first five games, Rasheed Wallace suggested the only way to contain the three-time MVP.

The 2004 NBA Champion advised the Minnesota Timberwolves to play aggressively against the Serbian center, highlighting the need to exploit The Joker's defensive weaknesses, keep him on his toes, and try to put him in foul trouble to prevent him from settling into the game.

"It has to be another center… who can go right back at him who can put up just as many shots as he do. You gotta make him work 'cause he's a poor defender. Let's say if Rudy Gobert did have a little shake and bake in his game, just like we see Joker hitting him with the elbow, you don't see Rudy doing that on the other end," Wallace said on his podcast. "That's how you stop another offensive player."

Wolves showed they can go it in Game 6

While not many backed the T-Wolves to force a Game 7 after losing three straight games, it initially seemed like Jokic & Co. were set for another dominant win on the road, jumping to a 9-2 start in the first quarter. However, as Sheed advised, the Wolves only bounced back when they took matters aggressively while dominating the paint and going on a 27-2 run to end the first quarter on a 17-point lead.

More importantly, as 'Dirty 30' noted, the Timberwolves disrupted Jokic's rhythm, causing him to commit a game-high number of turnovers and manage only 2 assists in 36 minutes. Furthermore, while Coach Michael Malone typically depends on Jokic to deliver points under pressure, the Wolves effectively prevented him from getting open shots from beyond the arc, resulting in Jokic shooting 0-of-4 from long range.

Though unable to get the 2023 Finals MVP into foul trouble, the Timberwolves consistently double-teamed him, preventing the Nuggets from feeding off their marquee star's energy. As a result, the Nuggets shot a mere 19.4% from the 3-point line and 30.2% from the field, with the bench failing to register their first points until the fourth quarter.

The T-Wolves have a blueprint

Though Karl Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert combined for just 18 points on a combined 8-of-18 shooting from the field, they nearly out-rebounded the entire Nuggets starting lineup (27-29). This level of dominance on the boards must be the norm if the Wolves are to win Game 7.

While they may not need to score a lot, they must assert their presence and prevent Jokic from imposing his will in the paint or securing second-chance scoring opportunities.

Observing the Wolves' victories in this series, The Joker averaged 4.6 turnovers and 6.3 assists, indicating that when he was under pressure from the get-go, he struggled to handle the ball effectively. This theory gains further credence when considering that in the games that Denver won, Jokic managed to play with more freedom; he averaged 9.3 assists and just 2.3 turnovers.

Having said that, even though Rudy, KAT, and Naz struggled to contain the scoring wrath of Jokic in some games. In order to succeed in Game 7, the key should be to focus on containing him from the start and attack him early on.

Related: "Impossibly bad" - Skip Bayless is shocked by Nuggets getting hammered by 45 points in Game 6 by the Timberwolves