Nikola Jokic has become the NBA’s most unsolvable puzzle. A center with the mind of a point guard, the body of a heavyweight, and the silky touch. But as unstoppable as he often looks, there have been rare moments when teams cracked the code, at least temporarily. Let’s look at the times when opponents outsmarted the smartest big in the league.

Back in the 2022 playoffs, Steve Kerr’s Warriors weren’t afraid of Jokic’s scoring. However, they feared his playmaking. So they trapped him the moment he caught the ball in the high post. Draymond Green would body him up physically, while a rotating help defender came in from the weak side to cut off passing lanes. As a result, Jokic was forced into 17 turnovers across the five-game series and shot just 3-of-10 from deep. Denver’s offense lost its flow, and Golden State cruised. 

In Game 2 of the 2023 Finals, Miami deployed a daring idea of letting Jokic score, but freezing his assists. Bam Adebayo went one-on-one while the wings stayed locked on Denver’s shooters. As a result, Jokic scored 41 points but recorded just 4 assists. Denver's rhythm was down. The Heat won 111-108 and handed the Nuggets their first home loss of the playoffs. They couldn’t keep it up all series but they showed a crucial truth that Jokic without his teammates isn’t quite the same.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis had a clear plan to make Jokic work. They played physical on both ends, forcing him into early fouls and fatigue. Rui Hachimura guarded Jokic full-body while Davis played a help role. This forced awkward entry passes and stalled Denver’s rhythm. Even though Denver edged out the win, Jokic had 5 turnovers disrupting flow. 

The Raptors threw everything in their bag. OG Anunoby face-guarding, Siakam helping early, and Scottie Barnes roaming baseline to pick off passes. It forced Jokic into a season-low 8-point game (on just 4 shot attempts) and cut his passing lanes. Denver still took out a 118-113 win, but Jokic looked out of rhythm all night. 

In a February showdown, Taylor Jenkins' Memphis Grizzlies pulled off something clever. They lured Jokic into the middle of a 2-3 zone, not to stop him from scoring, but to take away his vision. Every time he turned to kick out, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. closed in. Jokic still dropped 26, but Denver had just 15 team assists, well below their average of 28. Memphis may not have dominated, but the strategy was on the money.