Might be time to stop worrying about augmenting Lebron on the perimeter, and augment AD in the paint. Especially on D.
This doesn't include the amount of times his lurking in the background, forces teams out of their preferred actions. AD has been elite on defense in this playoffs.
I agree. We went away from the formula that worked when we had Dwight and JaVale helping him out. More energy for AD to shoot more makes a lot of sense.
mcgee didn't play much in that series but dwight physicality did help tire out jokic but ad was still able to guard him 1on1 unlike this series
He could guard him because he was fresher. We had just Molly wopped Houston, that started 5 guys under 6'7.
It’s unfair to compare Jokic to AD, they’re just different calibre of players. AD is a generational defender though, so I don’t want to let that go.
why though? bubble ad was consider top 3 big men back than maybe even the best....not comparing pure production but its arguable if AD has improved any since then while Jokic has shown hes even that much better since the bubble
I agree with you, I’m saying it’s unfair because of the separation between them now. Unfair to AD in the sense that he just isn’t that calibre of player. Jokic has won two MVPs and ascended into the greatest center of all time discussion.
He's lost quite a bit of his athleticism since then. Injuries and age adding up. Also, he was shooting his jump shot like he was Dirk in the bubble. Just check those percentages.
Talent wise, apart from passing, AD is similarly talented, if not more. So of course they should be compared.
AD is an amazing defender. Jokic is the best passing big man of all time, the best mid range shooter of all time across any position and is the best post player of his generation. He may go down as the best center of all time.
Going to be hard to pass Kareem for anyone. I think he can pass Wilt though. If he can get two rings as the main man averaging a 30 point triple double while being credible on defence, I mean it’s hard to argue with his impact.
I'm sorry, but I disagree on AD being as talented as Jokic. I do think AD is tremendously talented. His athletic ability is obviously miles above Jokic and defensively speaking he tends to be the better player. But lets be real, I think it's safe to say Jokic is the best passing center of all-time, his ability to create his own shot has proven to be way above AD's level, as he can usually create something on offense out of nothing in a way AD just can't (and this is not even a bash to AD). Jokic is proving to be an extremely consistent player when it matters and he is a very intelligent rebounder (they are similar in the rebounding aspect, being athleticism vs positioning). As a whole, I think Jokic biggest talent is in his head, it's his comprehension of the game of basketball. He just has an understanding of the game that's very rarely seen, if ever. No version of AD comes close to that. But that's no bash to AD, as Jokic is really one of a kind. AD is an amazing player, and he was the anchor of our team during most of the Playoffs. He has an amazing athletic ability and he is a very intelligent defender most of the time. At least through 2 rounds, he was far and away the best defender in the Playoffs, and hands down the best defender in the league at least during the final portion of the regular season. He's lacking consistency on offense, but he's still a great offensive player. But no, he's not Jokic. He's not on the level of Jokic, and that's completely fine. He doesn't need to be as good as Jokic, although he does need to be really good, and he mostly is.
when AD is on, he's a top 3 player in the league. but his issue is health and consistency don't think there's any question jokic is the better player though
Meh..if Jokic was tasked to play defense at AD'S level, he's incapable of producing similar results. They are different players, with different strengths, their teams uses their talents differently. The real difference in the outcome of the series was the supporting cast. Denver was healthy, Lebron was not. AD did his job, so did Jokic.
AD is not mobile as he used to be and it hurts him on the offensive end . He is who he is at this point , awesome defensive player but not good enough on O to lead a team to a title .
Wow...but he's avg 5 less points, but 2 more blks and 5 more rebounds, than he did in the bubble, while shouldering more of the load defensively. It's all about the offense?
So he’s Dwight Howard on steroids? hope he’s healthy for next year, and that both he and Lebron decide to work on their back to the basket post game. I don’t know what happened to AD’s handles, but I feel like I’ve never seen him fumble so many balls before.