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Clearly the two best players in the NBA.

How close is the gap between these two, if there is a gap?

Jokic. Giannis has the better offensive player by his side and Jokic still produces basically 50/50+ win teams year in year out. You do know Bucks bat around .500 and positive SRS/net without Giannis during his peak years.

Holiday/Lopez/Middleton core at their best with or without DDV + Portis = Playoffs even if Giannis never existed. Nuggets rock a 32ish% W/L without Jokic because they can't play a lick of defence and they definitely can't run as an offensive one.

Giannis would not get that 2022 squad to 48 wins in the West give me a break.

Both have shown their warts in Playoffs settings more fails for Giannis, one series it was basically hack a Giannis and you win.

There's an obvious gap between the two. Im highly for if Jokic had a more defensively orientated outfit with what Shaq had at his peak he would get the same results.... Win, again and again.

The gap is availability. Is Giannis going to be available to play in the playoffs with his run into the wall playstyle?

He barely appeared in the 2021 Hawks series or the 2023 Heat series and he didn't show up in the 2024 Pacers series.

Another issue with Giannis is that you need 4 shooters around him. Stretch 5s like Brook Lopez don't grow on trees.

Jokic would be even better if he had 4 shooters around him, but if anyone can play well without shooters, it's Jokic. AGs lack of shooting is a very underrated issue imo.

Jokic
Daylight
Anyone else

I think people will remember that Giannis has two all star team mates and start to knock him for that

For a season, I like Jokic. For a playoff series, it's a toss up to me if theyre both healthy. For 1 game to decide it all, I like Giannis. The dude plays with immense heart and will play at 200% energy on both ends.

I think it's fairly big. I actually don't feel great saying that, because Giannis is one of my favorites of all time and I think he's insanely good, even great. Jokic is just un-plan-for-able.

When I say big, I mean like the way the gap between say Jordan and Magic is big (not precisely that - it's just an analogy). Like, it's more of a compliment to Jokic than a knock on Giannis.

Giannis has been significantly more impressive and imposing this season than Joker, but i must add I have seen quite a few more Bucks games than Nuggets so far this season, but my testimony may not be reliable.

Over their careers, Joker gets the nod, but I strongly feel Giannis has been the best, most consistent player in the NBA so far THIS season..

Either way, we are fortunate to be able to enjoy such dynamic and amazing Euro Stud players in their prime.

Both have enriched the NBA for the better with their presence and will leave an indelible legacy both here and in their native Greece and Serbia for generations to come.

sammo89 wrote:I think people will remember that Giannis has two all star team mates and start to knock him for that

1. Dame.

Luka is the best player ATM followed by Giannis and sga. Jokic is a good offensive player but putrid defensively and he's getting exposed this season for what he is. A stats guy that can't string together wins without good teammates.

I think that Jokic is 1st by clear margin. He showed this year that if he tries he can easily average 35 pts on great TS%.
Giannis has defensive advantage ofc, when he is right he is amazing on that size.
What does separate Jokic from him and everyone else is the fact that he elevates his teammate as no1 has ever done. His teammates are clueless without him. If he missed a season they would get top 3 pick probably.
I went in a details why is that the case so i will not do it again, but if you start your franchise right now, and you draft a team from the league just for one season, or lets say 3 year span, 30 out of 30 GMs are taking Jokic #1.

What amazes me, i almost forgot it since Giannis was missing a lot of time in last 2 seasons. He gets so much better whistle then Jokic its amazing. And i would understand it if he flops, but he doesnt. He ofc gets more FTs bcs people often hack him to send him to FT line but im not talking about that.
Last night, just in first 5 minutes he showed a guy in 2nd row whith his right hand while driving to the basket and and it was called as foul on Cavs player. He hooked a guy with an elbow during "spin move" 2 times, and they didnt call it. Nuggets fan know that if Jokic does it will be called as an offesnive foul.
It is not only Giannis. Jokic gets worst whistle for a superstar since i watch the nba (early 2000s), probably since the league exist but i can testify on that.

TheShow2021 wrote:Another issue with Giannis is that you need 4 shooters around him. Stretch 5s like Brook Lopez don't grow on trees.

Jokic would be even better if he had 4 shooters around him, but if anyone can play well without shooters, it's Jokic. AGs lack of shooting is a very underrated issue imo.

Giannis needs spacing around him to work, Jokić creates spacing

With KCP gone and and Murray's injury, Jokić had logged 70+ minutes with the lineup of Christian Braun, Westbrook, MPJ and Gordon, that's 3 non-shooters and this lineup has +28 net rating. His efficiency around the rim has dropped because of the spacing but still managed to make it work by movements

giannis is a super unique likable personality but he travels a lot. it's nice to pretend he's some super great player but technically he is turning the ball over whenever he holds the basketball like a football and runs to the rim and dunks. being athletic and dunking is the most entertaining aspect of the NBA but that's not how the game is scored, especially not if you have to cheat to achieve that result

doogie_hauser wrote:Giannis has been significantly more impressive and imposing this season than Joker, but i must add I have seen quite a few more Bucks games than Nuggets so far this season, but my testimony may not be reliable.

Over their careers, Joker gets the nod, but I strongly feel Giannis has been the best, most consistent player in the NBA so far THIS season..

Either way, we are fortunate to be able to enjoy such dynamic and amazing Euro Stud players in their prime.

Both have enriched the NBA for the better with their presence and will leave an indelible legacy both here and in their native Greece and Serbia for generations to come.

He's been unreal.

Head to head stats looks like a tossup.

As of this moment in time I’d rather have Giannis

UglyBugBall wrote:Luka is the best player ATM followed by Giannis and sga. Jokic is a good offensive player but putrid defensively and he's getting exposed this season for what he is. A stats guy that can't string together wins without good teammates.

There is so much wrong with this comment lol

Firstly, the irony of downplaying Jokic because of his defensive limitations only to put Luka at #1 ..

Secondly, he lead a team that consisted of Austin Rivers, Jeff Green & Monte Morris in the starting lineup to 48 wins.

If this troll job, you’re not very good at it. Jokic is better than Luka.