29 NBA Teams On Alert As Shaquille O’Neal Exposes Nikola Jokic’s Problem

Imagine Prime Shaq vs Prime Joker. Who would come out on top? We will come back. For now, it is a fact that with the claims of Most Dominant Ever, Shaquille O’Neal’s relationship with other centers is always interesting. Not just feuding with the former generation of Bigs, the Lakers legend always expects more from the current generation, too. Case in point, his strenuous relationship with Dwight Howard, which we feel might finally come to an end after the Hall of Fame weekend. Even for Nikola Jokic, Shaq previously had a lot of praise, but recently claimed that he would dominate the Nuggets star. But he has a reason that teams might love to pick.

His playoff average against the Serbian? “Playoffs, I would probably be 40, 14 rebounds, three blocks. You know, he’s a different player”. This is not the first time the Big Aristotle has made claims of dropping 40 points against Jokic, as other teams are taking notes. “Slavian chicken, or wherever he’s from. Slovenian chicken. I’m getting 40.” His stance has not changed, thanks to Dwight Howard.

Shaquille O’Neal and Nikola Jokic never came face-to-face during their time. But there was another Superman who laced up against the Joker. Seeing those clips, the Lakers legend came to his conclusion. “If he was a post player and I would just have to focus on them, he wouldn’t get that much cuz I saw when he was playing in the post against Dwight Howard, he had problems. But because they run a lot of pick and rolls, you have to help on the guard; they throw it back, he shoots. But him guarding me, I’m averaging 40.”

Shaquille O’Neal has a point; Nikola Jokic’s defensive limitations are clear. He isn’t a traditional rim protector, and his lateral quickness in open space is constrained by his athletic profile. These traits make him vulnerable in one-on-one situations, particularly against faster, more explosive players. Yet judging Jokic purely by these metrics would overlook the full scope of his impact on defense.

Jokic thrives through positional awareness and anticipation, directing teammates to optimal spots and orchestrating team defense. He often subtly nudges opponents or guides teammates to disrupt passing lanes and cutting angles, so much so that Tyrese Haliburton once admitted it’s difficult to predict where to move against him. Coupled with his ability to secure defensive rebounds after correctly reading and spoiling plays, Jokic’s contributions extend far beyond individual defense, creating measurable benefits for his entire team.

Let’s not forget that Shaq gave Jokic credit and even stated, “So, he probably average 27-30 because he’s a great shooter and I would have to be off of him.” That’s why, previously, too, O’Neal gave the Joker credit and called him, “you’re the best big man in the league…by far.” And if you look at the 3x MVP’s performance, his player efficiency rating is off the roof. Jokic’s PER (32.2) is the second-highest ever, trailing only his own 2021-22 campaign (32.9), when he won his second consecutive MVP award.

But there is a chink in his armor, where he is not a great defender and not a traditional center in the post play. The opponents shot 70% at the rim when Jokic was on the court, which is his worst rim protection mark in his career. Shaquille O’Neal is looking to exploit this during their hypothetical battle. The Joker’s dominance has been largely unchallenged due to the modern NBA’s shift away from physical post-battles. Centers today stretch the floor rather than bang in the paint.

Shaquille O’Neal set a challenge for Nikola Jokic to enter the top 5 list

Using physical force on the Joker is not only Shaq’s plan. Even previously, Dwight Howard urged the same. “My goal is to tire him out…Hitting him in the chest, boxing him out. Every time I’m hitting him somewhere, I’m doing something illegal.” The physicality that Howard was put through was against the likes of Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Yao Ming. So certainly, the 3x DPOY feels he can be more physical, as we have seen less of Jokic being the best defender in the league.

Even though there is a certain evolution in the league, Nikola Jokic still has to deliver. The list that Shaquille O’Neal is talking about is the best 5 centers of all time. Be it offensively, defensively, accolades, but winning championships count the most. In fact, Shaq would not put himself on the list. “I wouldn’t put myself in there. But, people judge talent in many ways. Stats, of course, is one of them. Championships are one of them. He has one. I think if he gets up in the three-championship realm, he’ll definitely be on that list. ” So, who is on O’Neal’s list?

“You always gotta count the guys who made me who I am. Kareem, Mr. Chamberlain, and Mr. Russell.” Surely, the championships count, but Jokic continues to drop a double-double on a nightly basis. Last season, his average was 29.6 points, 10.2 assists, with 41.7% scoring. Great numbers for modern big!