NBA Champion Gets Honest About Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic

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One of the many things that makes Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic so special is his ability to dominate the game at his own pace. Never getting sped up, Jokic dictates the pace he plays at, which is almost always much slower than other star players.
Another superstar who plays at his own pace is Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic. Recently drawing this parallel between Doncic and Jokic, former NBA All-Star Tyson Chandler spoke on the similarities between these two players during an episode of All The Smoke.
"Luka and Jokic, these slow, un-athletic players that are like moving at a different pace," Chandler said. "We're athletic and move fast, they just slow down. And [Luka] does it in practice, he does stuff I've never seen before. And that's difficult."
Speaking on how both Jokic and Doncic can slow the game down, Chandler believes the two players are similar in that way. This is truly a unique ability, because while it may not always look remarkable, there's a reason not all players can effectively dictate the pace of a game. It takes a special feel for the game to play the way Jokic and Doncic do, which is why they are two of the best players in all of basketball.
During his NBA career Tyson played for the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Hornets, Charlotte Bobcats, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets - winning a title with Dallas in 2011. Having been around Doncic a lot, and having played against Jokic, Chandler knows the challenges they bring.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.