Dwight Howard shares his strategy for stopping Nikola Jokic, stressing relentless pressure and offensive aggression, while throwing shade at Joel Embiid for his flopping.

Credit Getty Images via AFP – Scanpix

Former NBA star Dwight Howard knows a thing or two about defense. The 39-year-old center remains the only player in NBA history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in three consecutive seasons (2009-11).

On the Thanalysis podcast, the eight-time NBA All-Star shared his thoughts on stopping three-time MVP and Denver Nuggets leader Nikola Jokic, who is dominating the league with averages of 31.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 9.7 assists on 55.3% shooting from the field and 47.3% from deep.

“I would say with somebody like him, you gotta apply pressure the whole game. You can’t allow him to be the one that’s coming at you,” Howard explained. “You gotta be up on him the whole game, and you gotta force him to take tough shots.

“He doesn’t jump that high, which means he’s using his body and his weight as leverage,” Howard went on to say. “I feel like with him, you got to outmatch his energy.

“If he’s playing against somebody that’s energetic on both ends of the floor, that’s gonna go for the rebound every play, and he gotta box out. You gotta make him use energy in other areas of the game because usually, when he plays defense, he’s playing against a center that does not really have to do too much — maybe just get a couple of rebounds here and there, set a couple of screens.”

Credit AP/Scanpix

Howard emphasized that tiring Jokic out is key:

“From what I’ve been watching, he’s able to relax on defense a little bit because he’s not playing against Joel Embiid every night or something like that,” Howard stated. “To stop Jokic, I would pressure him, just try to mentally get in his head, and then on offense, I’m going right at him.

“When I played, I was getting the ball in the post. I think it’d be hard for him to have to guard me down there,” he added.

Credit Scanpix

But what about guarding Philadelphia 76ers big Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP? Howard, a former teammate of Embiid, offered both praise and subtle criticism:

“Joel Embiid, he is probably the toughest to guard because he knows how to flop,” Howard said. “He knows how to use his size and his strength when he has to. He can shoot really well. If I was checking him, I would have to beat him up and down the court, not let him get easy points, don’t go for no pump fakes.”

“Embiid is one of those unicorns,” he added.