Why Nuggets' Nikola Jokic isn't the best center ever, per Lou Williams
24/04/2024 02:41
When Nikola Jokic won his first title last year, many were already placing him in the conversation about all-time greatest centers. After all, his championship ring came about when he already had two MVPs to his name. While some are convinced that the Denver Nuggets star could already be the best five man of all time, Lou Williams isn’t one of them. On an recent episode of the Run It Back show by FanDuel TV, the three-time Sixth Man of the Year revealed who he thinks is the greatest center to ever play.
“Is he (Jokic) the best center of all time?” co-host Michelle Beadle asked Williams and Chandler Parsons.
“I still live in a world where Shaquille O’Neal is the best center I’ve ever seen,” Williams replied. “Period — there’s no science to that.”
The former NBA vet also explained what it would take for him to consider Jokic as such.
“You know the day that I see Nikola Jokic break a backboard, I mean…” Williams added, chuckling.
"I still live in a world where Shaquille O'Neal is the best center I've ever seen, period. It's no science to that."
Lou Williams talks about where Nikola Jokic ranks in the list of all-time great centers
(via @RunItBackFDTV) pic.twitter.com/gLz8e5F4fp
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It’s understandable why Williams would choose O’Neal. Besides the ability to destroy backboards, Shaq’s accolades alone already give him a strong case in the greatest center convo.
Why many people bring up Nikola Jokic in the greatest center conversation
Nevertheless, one could argue that Jokic is headed in that direction too — without the whole backboard thing of course. The Serbian big man is 29 years of age, so he still has a good amount of years to further strengthen his resume before father time starts becoming a nusiance. And looking at the way Jokic plays, it’s difficult to dispute those who already consider him as the best five in the game.
With an all-around skillset that’s consistently resulted in stellar numbers, Jokic’s fundamentally-sound play has made him one of the most unstoppable stars of today. He can score, pass, crash the boards and and put the ball on the floor.
Leave him alone with a defender and it’s an easy basket. Send a double and his court vision will result to an assist. Put the ball in his hands during the dying seconds of a possession and his unorthodox jumper will somehow bail the team out.
The Nuggets offense runs through Jokic. Whenever he demands the ball, his teammates will give it to him, cause they know good things will always happen when the Serbian decides to make a play.
And speaking of Denver, they are, hands down, a contender once again. On a quest for back-to-back titles, the Nuggets currently hold a 2-0 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Their most recent game was a victory that resulted from a 20-point comeback.
Throughout those two games, Nikola Jokic has averaged 29.5 points, 16 rebounds and 8.5 assists a game. The Lakers haven’t found a solution to the big man yet, and the same is expected to happen when Game 3 ensues this coming Thursday.
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