Austin Rivers has never seen anyone like Nikola Jokic, and he struggles to think of anyone who gets defended like him, either.
The only comparison Rivers can conjure is Joel Embiid, who tends to elicit similar attention as the Nuggets’ anchor.
“He sees the craziest defenses,” said Rivers, whose season-high 22 points helped the Nuggets survive a lowly 38-point second half against the Thunder on Sunday night. “Between him and probably Joel Embiid, I don’t know who gets doubled like that. As soon as he touches it, he’s got like a swarm of guys around him, and he’s gotta make the right read every time.