Nuggets Coach Sticks Up for Nikola Jokić: ‘Nobody's Going At the Knees of Other MVPs’

Naz Reid defends Nikola Jokic on another play where both players thought they deserved the whistle. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Nikola Jokić has had a rough few games as teams have seemed to get more physical than usual with the three-time MVP. Recent games against the Thunder and Jazz have both provided evidence that Jokić is being officiated differently than other players.

During a game against the Oklahoma City last week, Lu Dort hip-checked Jokić and tried to trip him as he was running up the court. Dort later admitted that he did in fact go over the line on the play.

Then Tuesday night against Utah, Jokić was guarded very physically by smaller defenders and it led to some interesting videos as Jokić did whatever he could to try and sell calls. Meanwhile, Utah thought Jokić was the one who was crossing the line, with coach Will Hardy saying the team was just trying to figure out how to defend him effectively.

Nuggets head coach David Adelman spoke with the press on Wednesday and was asked if Jokić was letting the calls distract him from playing his best basketball. Adelman responded by explaining that Jokić is officiated unlike any other player in the league and the team has to deal with that.

"I think out of fairness to him, any human being at some point when they get hit in the knees and guys take shots at them throughout and they test you as a man when you're out there, you're gonna react, man," said Adelman. "If that affects his game, I don't see it. I thought the fact that three people guarded him made it really hard to get him the ball. We went through some of that today. But yeah, it's a balancing act of all those things. And I think that he has to go through it. As a team, we have to watch how we react to how he's being guarded, because I do think it emotionally affects the other guys as well. They feel like they need to stand up for somebody that they really care about. That's their teammate, but at the same time, they really have to focus on winning."

"Nobody's being guarded like him in the league. Nobody. Nobody's going at the knees of other MVPs. No one's taking shots like he's taking. But that's our reality."

Nuggets head coach David Adelman on how Nikola Jokic is officiated.

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Adelman then focused on how Jokić was being officiated.

"And I'm gonna keep saying this. I'm not saying this to, it's not being biased to my own player,” Adelman continued. "Nobody's being guarded like him in the league. Nobody. Nobody's going at the knees of other MVPs. Nobody's taking shots like he's taking.But that's our reality. So we have to continue to just to try to win games. He has to play through that physicality. I have to find places on the court where he can playin space. That's on me. So there's no excuses, because if the whistle, if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. The game continues. So we'll deal with it as long as we can. At the same time, I have no problem with him reacting. Reacting is part of being a human being, like I said. So if it continues, we'll react acc

In a tight Western Conference race it seems unlikely teams are going to take it easy on Jokić anytime soon. The Nuggets are currently fighting for playoff position—they are one game out of the No. 3 seed and 2.5 games ahead of the Suns, who are currently in the play-in at the No. 7 spot.

Both Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have become poster boys for the league's officiating problems and it seems like a storyline that will continue into the postseason.

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