Former NBA superstar O'Neal has spoken out many times in recent days, believing that Alexander deserves to be elected regular season MVP more than Jokic. Soon, a new topic caused heated discussions: Jokic vs O'Neal, who is the more offensive big man?
Jokic led the Nuggets to a championship last season and was named Finals MVP for the first time in his career. Who was the last center to win this accolade? O'Neill in 2002. And before O'Neill? Or O'Neill! He was also honored as an FMVP in 2000 and 2001.
The two centers are in different eras, and it is difficult to reach a conclusion about Guan Gong vs. Qin Qiong, but the American media still started such a discussion. Because many of Jokic's stats have reached the top of history, he really has the capital to be on par with the big sharks.
Let's take a look at the basic information of the two first-
O'Neal is 2.16 meters tall and weighs 147 kilograms, he is an unstoppable big shark in the penalty area, and has many nicknames, one of which is "Superman", and his "Kryptonite" in his playing days is free throws.
Jokic is not as tall and ferocious as O'Neal, he is 2.11 meters tall and weighs 128 kilograms. But Jokic has a wider range than O'Neal, and he can score from almost any position (including, of course, the free-throw line). Jokic, nicknamed "The Joker," is most often questioned about his athleticism.
Two journalists in Los Angeles discussed the topic. Lakers reporter Dan Woike said: "To me, they're like apples and oranges. Shaq is physically dominant, which no center can match. Jokic's all-around efficiency on the offensive end is again unprecedented at the center position. I think I'd lean more towards Shaq because he's proven himself many times, but it's more fun to watch Jokic play. ”
Clippers reporter Andrew Greif commented: "I think the most interesting thing is that Jokic is leading people who watch the NBA and work out of it to reevaluate what 'domination' is. Shaq's version of 'domination' is to squeeze an opponent under the basket and then dunk on his head. Jokic is another version of big man domination, and even those who have watched the NBA for many years will tell you that they've never seen an interior player like this. ”
As the two reporters said, O'Neal and Jokic dominate the game in very different ways, and it's hard to compare them in the same dimension. O'Neal relies more on himself to kill opponents and win games, while Jokic is a team-based center who can attack on his own and play a more important role in activating his teammates.
O'Neal's career shooting percentage is 58.2 percent, which is a bit higher than Jokic's (55.7 percent), but considering that the defensive intensity in the past was significantly higher than it is now, the gold content is higher. O'Neal had 10 seasons in his career that ranked first in the league in field percentage, and the 36-year-old still had a 60.9 percent shooting percentage. Of course, O'Neal's free throws are a fatal shortcoming, otherwise there would be no so-called "shark cutting tactics".
O'Neal made only 5,935 of the 11,252 free throws he made in his regular season career, shooting 52.7 percent from the free-throw line. He himself once lamented that if he could make more accurate free throws, his career total would reach new heights. O'Neal scored a total of 28,596 points in the regular season, and if he can make a slightly more accurate free throw, he should have a good chance of breaking 30,000 points.
Jokic is more well-rounded than O'Neal, not only because he has a larger offensive range, but also because he has a better ability to play the ball. Just in the last game of the Tianwang Mountain battle, Jokic surpassed O'Neal in assists in his playoff career, O'Neal played a total of 216 playoff games, and Jokic only needed 78 playoff games to complete the surpass.
Jokic's versatility is also reflected in the player efficiency value (PER). Currently, Jokic's career PER value of 28.08 ranks first in league history, even higher than Jordan (27.91) and James (27.06), Bushy (26.84) ranks fourth, and O'Neal (26.43) ranks fifth.
Of course, we are only comparing the offense of the two, and when it comes to defense, O'Neal's power is significantly higher than Jokic's, and he has been selected to the All-Defensive Team three times in his career, and Jokic has yet to receive any accolades on the defensive end.
The American media also compared the two of their most dominant playoff journeys. In the 1999-2000 season, O'Neal averaged 30.7 points, 15.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in the playoffs, shooting 56.6% from the field, 45.6% from the free throw line, none from three-point range, plus or minus 8.0 in offensive statistics, and 3.6 in offensive victory; Jokic in the 2022-23 season averaged 30.5 points, 13.4 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game in the playoffs, shooting 54.5% from the field, 80% from the free throw line, and 47% from three-point range. The offensive stats are plus/minus 9.0, and the offensive victory contribution is 3.5. Of the eight data, four of each side are superior.
Jokic or O'Neal, who is more dominant on the offensive end? Feel free to leave a message to express your opinions.