Suns Open NBA Cup vs Jokic With No Mark Williams and a Dead-Last Defense
Phoenix enters Friday's Cup opener ranked last in defensive rating, missing center Mark Williams, and staring down a Jokic averaging 53.4 FPTS/G.
53.4 FPTS/G this season with a dream matchup against a thin Suns frontcourt.
- Jokic: 53.4 FPTS/G over 4 games (2026-27)
- Suns rank last in defensive rating early
- Mark Williams OUT (shoulder), our #9 overall
- Nuggets shooting just 32.8% from 3 so far
- Jokic went 7-of-7 in one 2025-26 win vs PHX
Three games into the season and Phoenix is already a mess — bottom of the league in defensive rating and about to open NBA Cup group play Friday against the one guy who has tortured them more than anyone. Nikola Jokic is averaging 22 points, 10.5 rebounds and 9 assists across four games this year (2026-27), good for 53.4 fantasy points per game and our #1 overall ranking. That is the worst possible draw for a defense with no identity yet.
It gets worse: starting center Mark Williams is OUT with a shoulder injury. Williams is our #9 overall player and posted 11.7 points, 8 boards and 27.1 FPTS/G across 60 games last season (2025-26), and his absence hands the Jokic assignment to sophomore Khaman Maluach. That is a brutal welcome-to-the-NBA moment.
The Jokic Problem
Phoenix's Jokic history is grim. In three meetings last season (2025-26) he shot 21-of-31 and racked up 42 total assists, all Denver wins, including a tidy 26-9-10 line on a perfect 7-of-7 night. Throw in the 30-20-20 he dropped on them in 2024-25 and the pattern is clear. The plan Friday is simple to say and hard to do: let Maluach guard Jokic on an island, don't send help, and live with whatever triple-double he gets as long as the ball stays in his hands.
The one sliver of hope is that Denver has been just as sluggish. The Nuggets sit behind the Suns in offensive rating and are shooting a cold 32.8% from three. If former Sun Cam Johnson suits up, that adds a shooting dimension they've been missing — but if Phoenix can force Jokic to be a scorer instead of an orchestrator and win the rebounding battle, this stays close.
The Fantasy Fallout
Maluach (our #317, posting 7.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 22.7 FPTS/G over three games this season) is now a fragile stream-only option — a big night is possible given the minutes, but Jokic could bury him. Jalen Green, our #87 and down to 14 points and 22.3 FPTS/G through three games (2026-27), remains a frustrating hold while the offense sorts itself out.
Bottom line: start Jokic everywhere and expect another feast. If you're in deep leagues chasing center minutes with Williams shelved, Maluach is a speculative one-game dart — just don't expect efficiency against the best big in basketball. Hold Green and wait for the Suns to find a pulse.
