Shaq was an elite rim protector. He wasn't close to an elite man to man defender and he was a joke outside the paint. What elite scoring big man ever had problems vs Shaq?
"2001 Shaq vs 2025 Nikola Jokic, what happens?" Shaq: "Slovenian chicken... Imma make his brothers want to fight me."
- Thread starter ajnapoleon
- Start date
Yea
It’s like … ppl don’t realize basketball is 5 on 5 with double teams, zones, offensive fouls, switching and all that…
Lakers/Kings 2002 series, Vlade at 33 years old stayed on the floor 34mpg vs prime Shaq thru 7 games… and averaged 14ppg, 10rpg, 2apg as a tertiary option to Shaq’s 30ppg, 14rpg as the primary guy.
Jokic is infinitely times better a scorer, rebounder, and facilitator as Divac, is the primary option, and manipulates all things PnR, which for all of Shaq’s athleticism it didn’t transfer to PnR defense.
Assuming all things are equal with their teammates, both would have comparable stat lines but Jokic would have his near double-digit assists.
DUDE THATS NOT EVEN PEAK SHAQ
AS A DEFENDER...
AND VLADE SHOT 44%FG AS A CENTER
THEY FACED IN THE 2000 PLAYOFFS
WHERE VLADE AVERAGED 11PTS ON 36%FG
Shaq also played against Jokic prototype, which was Arvydas Sabonis. Before he went to NBA in 95, he averaged 22pts/11reb in Euroleague which were considered monster stats in that league. He also had a game in 95 where he scored 32 points, 27 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists, recording 66 efficiency points, which is still an unbeatable record in Europe. So that guy was not completely washed yet. And Shaq did well against Sabonis. While Jokic will get some of his points, he will do nothing much on defense against Shaq.
Shaq would murk jokic on the offensive end, like he does everyone else. Serbian style nuggets
Jokic would make him work defensively because he now gotta defend out to the perimeter, forcing him to move more and and be more active with defensive rotation. You can argue this will tire shaq out heading into the 4th. Jokic will get his too
Jokic would make him work defensively because he now gotta defend out to the perimeter, forcing him to move more and and be more active with defensive rotation. You can argue this will tire shaq out heading into the 4th. Jokic will get his too
Fanservice
Bih call me senpai
It’s not really mind boggling. We just like to give cacs a hard time because they did it to us. Shout out to Mark Jackson
I mean, Shaq got swept by front lines/center rotations of Greg Ostertag and Adam Keefe
Hell, in the hypothetical where Shaq just kicks Jokic's ass from beginning to end... does Shaq still get a top 3 superstar hof shooting guard to take all the clutch 4th quarter shots and hit all the freethrows, flanked by dead-eye Horry and Fisher to hit all the series-saving shots? Pretty important, since being an unreliable front-runner who couldn't take the last shot (bc he couldn't shoot) was the big criticism levied against Shaq... a handi-cap that no longer mattered once Kobe became Kobe.
I get that it's been well over 20 years since "Shaq and Kobe" and over half the ppl in this thread never actually watched them play in real time nightly with the same microscope they use to dissect current teams and players...but for those of us who did... (and can recall that his career didn't just start in 1999/2000...) Shaq was great just like Giannis is great but oooh boy imagine how all of Giannis's shortcomings would disappear over time if he was traded to OKC and they went on to 3-peat with SGA as his "sidekick".
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It’s a team game but I don't see what Jokic is going to do with the Diesel. 
I think one of the major things is Jokic straight up heavier than a lot of his match ups along with being more skilled. He’s not going be able to leverage that with Shaq.
I think one of the major things is Jokic straight up heavier than a lot of his match ups along with being more skilled. He’s not going be able to leverage that with Shaq.
I mean, Shaq got swept by front lines/center rotations of Greg Ostertag and Adam Keefe
Hell, in the hypothetical where Shaq just kicks Jokic's ass from beginning to end... does Shaq still get a top 3 superstar hof shooting guard to take all the clutch 4th quarter shots and hit all the freethrows, flanked by dead-eye Horry and Fisher to hit all the series-saving shots? Pretty important, since being an unreliable front-runner who couldn't take the last shot (bc he couldn't shoot) was the big criticism levied against Shaq... a handi-cap that no longer mattered once Kobe became Kobe.
I get that it's been well over 20 years since "Shaq and Kobe" and over half the ppl in this thread never actually watched them play in real time nightly with the same microscope they use to dissect current teams and players...but for those of us who did... (and can recall that his career didn't just start in 1999/2000...) Shaq was great just like Giannis is great but oooh boy imagine how all of Giannis's shortcomings would disappear over time if he was traded to OKC and they went on to 3-peat with SGA as his "sidekick".
THIS IS WHERE WE PRETEND
MURRAY ISNT THE NUGGETS
POST SEASON CLOSER
OR IGNORE THE FACT
JOKIC HAS NEVER MADE IT
PAST THE 2ND RD IN ANY
OF HIS MVP SEASONS.
YOUNG SHAQ ROUTINELY
MADE CONFERENCE FINALS BEFORE
GETTING OVER THE HUMP
Hakeem is the all time leader in blocks and top 10 in steals for a big too. Defensively there is no comparison between the two.What happened to Shaq against undersized Hakeem?
Now how much you think Jokic is putting up?
Shaq vs Joker would go like this, both would get their numbers up until the point Joker gets in foul trouble trying to guard shaq. Then he will the spend rest of the game as a turnstile while shaq dominates him. just like he did against pretty much every big outside of Hakeem
People acting like Shaq didn't face his share of HOF bigs.
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Neither player is stopping the other on defense, but Jokic has much more range and ways to score.
If they played straight up 1on1 that would be
If they played straight up 1on1 that would be
VegetasHairline
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Copy Ninja
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Shaq is embarrassing in that he don't even know where Jokic is from.
That said, there's nothing Jokic could do against Shaq on defense. It would be buckets on command for Shaq.
Jokic can get his offense off in the perimeter, but he's not gonna bully Shaq down low like he does to a lot of centers today.
That said, there's nothing Jokic could do against Shaq on defense. It would be buckets on command for Shaq.
Jokic can get his offense off in the perimeter, but he's not gonna bully Shaq down low like he does to a lot of centers today.
Alot of us like to gatekeep our favorite players form other players but I can sit here and tell you shaq would get flamed. Jokic is over her doing mid range and 3 pt shots. This would require shaq having to guard on the outside too 