If the yearly playoff referendum on Nikola Jokic’s defense had already begun, Jokic himself could have put a funny halt to it during the first round.

As self-deprecating as ever, he didn’t mince words when asked how he can better guard Lakers center Anthony Davis after a torrent of goals prompted Michael Malone to cross-match, putting Jokic on a lower-scoring danger in Game 2.

“He’s an offensive monster, and defensive, too,” Jokic told reporters. “… He’s an excellent attacking player. And I’m not really excellent defensively one-on-one. Let us express it like that.”

Jokic chuckled as he concluded, content to own his shortcomings. His statements could have ramifications beyond this first-round series, depending on Denver’s potential future matchups and how Malone deems Jokic’s best role as a defender.

However, the comment served as a reminder that he is overcoming his biggest stumbling block early on.

Davis exposed Jokic for a staggering six-minute span in Game 2, which fortunately became a footnote in Denver’s thrilling comeback victory. But, assuming the Nuggets survive the Lakers and advance, is there any Western Conference center capable of emulating Davis’ brief success?

If the Nuggets face the Timberwolves in the second round, Rudy Gobert’s minutes will most likely be mirrored by Jokic’s, as Minnesota will aim to neutralize Jokic on the other end of the floor. However, Jokic can also match up against Gobert, who is an adequate but not outstanding offensive threat, whereas Aaron Gordon is more focused on Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid. If Phoenix is the opponent, Denver should not be concerned about keeping Jokic away from him because Jusuf Nurkic is not a prolific scorer.

The same is true for the majority of the centers on the opposite side of the West bracket: Ivica Zubac of the Clippers, Daniel Gafford or Derek Lively III of the Mavericks, and Jonas Valanciunas or Larry Nance Jr. of the Pelicans. Chet Holmgren would be fascinating. The lanky Oklahoma City big averaged three more points a game against the Nuggets than he did all season, and he shot 3.9% better. He poses more of a driving threat to Jokic than a post-up menace. But if that becomes a reoccurring problem, Denver may try a tactic that several Thunder opponents have used this season: put the starting center on Josh Giddey, use him as a helper, and play the percentages. Giddey scored 33.7% out of three.

That’s precisely what Malone did with Jokic in the second half of Game 2 against the Lakers, albeit in a more dangerous manner – Los Angeles’ Rui Hachimura is 42% from three this season.

“That allowed Nikola, with his IQ, to kind of roam and protect and communicate as a back-line defender, where he’s phenomenal,” Malone said Wednesday, prior to the Nuggets’ trip to Los Angeles for Game 3.

Jokic isn’t nearly as awful a defender as his remark suggests, even if there is some validity to the notion that on-ball defense is his weakness. His knowledge of spacing and angles is his strong suit.

On pick-and-rolls, the Nuggets typically have Jokic play up at screen level, relying on rotations from other defenders underneath to cover the roller. He has strong hands and finished the regular season tied for sixth in the NBA with three deflections per game. And, as Malone pointed out, when Jokic isn’t fixated to a game, his IQ can often be enhanced by having the freedom to explore.

With 7:15 remaining in the second quarter of Game 2, Jokic sank to assist Justin Holiday in an off-ball paint mismatch against Hachimura. Davis received the ball at the foul line and drove into Jokic for a simple layup off the glass. The remaining half became a nightmare. Davis became isolated against Jokic, dropped a shoulder into him, and easily created space for a turnaround baseline jumper. He collided with Jokic twice for hook shots in the lane. Jokic was in drop coverage during a pick-and-roll with D’Angelo Russell, but Davis punished him with an open mid-range jumper.

Jokic reacted by guarding Davis tighter on the perimeter, forcing him to switch onto LeBron James on a dribble handoff. James got around him and passed to a rolling Davis for another easy layup. Then, on the identical DHO from the right wing, Jokic dropped back to cover Davis sooner, but Davis curled back to his left baseline position. He landed a jumper on Jokic’s face.

Davis scored 14 points in 5:25, with Jokic involved every time. There are no missed shots.

“Just maybe (need) to be a little more into him,” Jokic went on to say. “Don’t let him go to his spots so easy.”

The good news is that Jokic is removing the most painful bandage during the first round.