Miami Heat: Why Stats And Numbers Without Context Are Never Enough
Miami Heat: Why Stats And Numbers Without Context Are Never Enough
Here is another recent example of such a phenomenon. It’s a comparison of two of the best big men that the league has ever seen, though one’s resume isn’t anywhere nearly as deep as the other.
Player A is Nikola Jokic's last three seasons. Player B is Shaquille O'Neal's three-year peak. pic.twitter.com/ms43PeGN49
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) August 24, 2021
According to this poll and its results, Nikola Jokic should be the preferred player and big man over Miami Heat champion and NBA Legend, Shaquille O’Neal. Really?
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What more really needs to be said? Well, let’s try anyway.
Playing devil’s advocate, the stats might actually lean towards Jokic, but not by much. Where Jokic edges Shaq out on the offensive side of the ball, the defensive statistics, mostly, go in Shaq’s favor.
What you should be thinking about though is how each of these guys went or goes about getting it done and which eras they did it in. That’s important.
While Jokic is a very talented big man, he is no Shaq. The era with which Jokic plays in… is extraordinarily easy on a big man of his talent and caliber when compared to Shaq’s.
When you think about the fact that Jokic is among the biggest dudes in the league, among a group of only several with his size, ability, and role, while Shaq, the biggest dude himself, played with a ton of other guys who were equally as big.