Miami Heat: Stats And Numbers Say Take The Joker Over The Diesel…
Have you ever seen a game from the 1990’s? You know, that era where Shaq dominated?
Have you ever watched the NBA On TNT? That’s that super-popular pre-game NBA show that sees Shaq and another NBA legend, Charles Barkley, talk about the many times they literally threw hands or came close.
Have you ever heard of Anthony Mason? How about Charles Oakley?
It wasn’t uncommon and for a long time, especially up through the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but probably up until the mid-2000s, for a guy to get punched in the mouth during a game. It just happened, as the physicality was real and the tempers would flare.
You also have that kind of physicality and aggression factors to consider. The league allowed you to be beat up more when The Diesel was doing it.
There is also this. With everything in the league being so concerned about spacing nowadays, Jokic always has a ton of it to operate, for the most part and with just him and another man on him.
Shaq constantly had to play in a condensed paint, with a ton of guys around him, and often being double or triple-teamed. The mere fact that the numbers are even close, comparable, or justifiable to ask this question, considering the different eras of the game they played in… answers the question.
In an era where it was, simply, just harder to be that dominant as a big man, Shaq still set the bar that Jokic is shooting for. He did the things that Jokic is doing today in a different and easier league to play in, though delivered a bit differently.
They say that men lie, women lie, but numbers don’t… well, that’s until they do. This though, is also a reason and key evidence as to why when it comes to stats and numbers, them without context is never enough.