Another playoff exit leaves a stain on Nikola Jokic's legacy

Nikola Jokic has three MVP awards, an NBA title and a legitimate case as the best-passing big man of all time. But after the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a 110-98 Game 6 win, the center's place among the NBA's all-time greats is looking less secure than ever.

Jokic struggled all series against center Rudy Gobert, who made The Joker uncomfortable in the paint. While he nearly averaged a triple-double for the series (25.8 points, 13.2 rebounds, 9.5 assists), his team is going home early for the third straight season.

Nikola Jokic struggles against good teams in the playoffs

The Nuggets won it all in 2023; they went 16-5 as they stormed through the playoffs. Jokic earned a Finals MVP trophy after averaging 30.2 points and 14 rebounds in a five-game series win over the Miami Heat.

However, it wasn't an especially tough path to the title. The Nuggets faced the 42-40 Timberwolves, the 45-37 Phoenix Suns, the 43-39 Los Angeles Lakers and the 44-38 Heat. They beat an eight seed, a four seed, a seven seed and another eight seed. For context, the best record of those opponents, 45-37, would have been for only the eight seed this season.

That's a trend with the Nuggets in the playoffs. Only once have Jokic and the Nuggets beaten a 50-win team in the playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers in 2025. The 2019-20 Clippers won at a 51-win pace in the shortened season, but any series win over a Doc Rivers-coached team comes with an asterisk, as does any win over the Clippers. Can Jokic truly be an all-time great when he's never beaten a great team in the playoffs?

Rudy Gobert's legacy is elevated as Nikola Jokic's falls

One simple reason for Jokic's playoff struggles isn't due to his being overrated, or a lack of big-game gumption. It's that Rudy Gobert, often maligned by NBA fans, is an all-time great defender who can neutralize many of Jokic's strengths.

Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, can mostly slow down Jokic without help, making the lanes for Jokic's preternatural passes much narrower. He also doesn't foul too much, committing just 19 fouls in the six-game series, which limits Jokic's free throw opportunities (he was 5-for-6 in Game 6). And he took advantage of Jokic on defense, adding 10 points and eight assists with zero turnovers.