Gilbert Arenas warns rest of NBA on facing Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic in playoffs
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas warns the league to keep an arm's length from Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic in the playoffs.
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Gilbert Arenas warns the league to avoid Luka and Jokic in playoffs
Both Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic are a testament to how much the level of international basketball has improved since the “Dream Team” ran through every single country in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Today, these two MVPs are the strongest contenders for the championship and have been for the past couple of years.
The panel of the Gilbert Arenas Show highlighted this in a recent episode. The mere notion of going against Doncic and Jokic in the playoffs gives players nightmares and cold sweats.
They aren’t just stat machines but also alpha competitors, which makes them formidable opponents. This is why we consistently see them advancing deep into the playoffs. Reflecting this viewpoint, Gilbert Arenas issued a warning to the rest of the league.
You don’t really wanna play Luka in the playoffs—Luka or Jokic at this point—because they put up so… the numbers they put up are just ridiculous. I mean, just the totals that they put up, you’d be like, ‘F—, you know what I mean.’ It just naturally keeps you in the game ’cause they are gonna combine themselves for about forty-two to fifty-something points. Like, what did Luka have? 45 [points], 11 [rebounds], and 13 [assists].
Gilbert Arenas remarked
Jokic and Luka are always legit threats to reach the Finals ? pic.twitter.com/R82stLhyoj
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) December 20, 2024
Being a three-time NBA All-Star himself, Gilbert Arenas and other members of the panel like Kenyon Martin Sr. and Nick Young, who have also had a long career in the league, understand the nightmare of going up against such guys who produce at such an elite level.
Their dominance isn’t just limited to individual numbers; it’s their ability to elevate their teammates that makes them a genuine threat. Teams need a near-perfect strategy to contain them in a seven-game series. For now, they can only hope to avoid crossing paths with these two European goliaths.
Gilbert Arenas explains why he “fell in love” with Luka Doncic
Expressing his admiration for the Slovenian superstar, Arenas elaborated on the several aspects of Luka Doncic‘s game that made him fall in love with the Mavericks’ guard. Like everybody else, Arenas was full of skepticism when he was first drafted. However, he admitted that he was wrong in a sit down with Whistle Sports.
I really fell in love with Luka. I was watching him coming to the draft process, and I was like, the guy is too slow. I have no idea how he’s going to take his shot off. Luka is just different. At 6’8, 6’9, being a point guard, being a shooter, being able to understand the fundamentals versus raw athleticism. There is a reason he is performing the way he is versus others in the past. Just give him the ball and let him go, no matter if it’s at the one or the two spot, his dominance still shows.
Gilbert Arenas expressed in the interview
With the playoffs just a couple of months away, teams across the NBA will be preparing for the challenge that is Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. Gil was wise to warn the league about steering clear of them, in case they have forgotten.
This season, both of them are averaging around 30 points a game, along with 8 to 10 assists and rebounds. These triple-double monsters don’t need much to be reignited to have a 50-point game.
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Anubhav Bajpeyee
(255 Articles Published)