"Did the guy on TNT watch last night's game?” - Skip Bayless rips Charles Barkley apart for calling Nikola Jokic as the best player
TNT analyst and NBA legend Charles Barkley stated that Nikola Jokic was one of the best players in the NBA. This was especially true in light of his tremendous performance in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the LA Lakers. While this may be true, Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless had a very different opinion.
Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was nothing short of dominant against the Lakers at home. With yet another 30-point triple-double, "Joker" helped his team take a significant lead early on.
Jokic rightfully garnered a lot of praise for his performance. 'Inside the NBA' host Charles Barkley went as far as to call Jokic one of the best players in the league. Barkley even defended him when an NBA MVP voter didn't have the big man in their Top 5.
It was very evident that Barkley holds Jokic and his skill in very high regard. However, 'Undisputed' host Skip Bayless had a very different take on the matter.
Bayless called out Barkley in his recent tweet and highlighted an interesting statistic pertaining to Jokic's performance.
He said:
"Did the guy on TNT watch last night's game??? Joker: 0-2 in the 4th quarter. The 'unstoppable best player in basketball' looked lost vs Hachimura with AD lurking. But ... maybe I need to get a new TV."
Did the guy on TNT watch last night's game??? Joker: 0-2 in the 4th quarter. The "unstoppable best player in basketball" looked lost vs Hachimura with AD lurking. But ... maybe I need to get a new TV.
The "Joker" notched most of his points early in the game. He dominated the rebounding glass in the first half. However, the gradual drop-off was interesting to note.
The fourth quarter particularly could be attributed to a late-game defensive adjustment made by the purple and gold franchise. With Rui Hachimura doing a spectacular job on Nikola Jokic, the Lakers may have a template to follow with regard to containing the Nuggets big man moving forward.
Rui Hachimura may start as the primary defender on Nikola Jokic in Game 2
LA Lakers forward Rui Hachimura was made to guard Nikola Jokic late in Game 1. Although Hachimura gave up a few inches to the Nuggets big man, he did a tremendous job of positioning himself and forcing Jokic to make tough decisions.
The switch from Davis to Hachimura also freed up Davis to act as a help defender in the paint. This was a crucial move as it amped up the Lakers' defense drastically.
Jokic, for all his brilliance, notched 0-2 from the field in the fourth quarter as a whole as Bayless highlighted. Hachimura guarded him for six plays and managed to force two turnovers out of the former MVP.
As per Bleacher Reports' Chris Haynes, Darvin Ham may consider starting Hachimura for Game 2. However, the Nuggets will undoubtedly be prepared for this.
Charles Barkley on Nikola Jokic:
"Anthony Davis was good... But lemme tell ya'll something, we gotta appreciate... Shaq, what'd you tell me the other day?"
Shaq: "Joker's a bad dude."
Also, @ChrisBHaynes reports on Darvin Ham "considering" Rui Hachimura will start Game 2. https://t.co/l6CAh3Dbfo