Stephen A. Smith snubs Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic from his Top 5 players list
Stephen A. Smith, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic
Stephen A. Smith doesn't think Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic are among the Top 5 players today. He made his selection based on part nostalgia, rings, and dominance in the league but did he make the right choices?
Stephen A. Smith's Top 5 players
SAS named his current top five NBA players. He mentioned LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry and Joel Embiid. Surprisingly, he excluded the Slovenian wunderkind and The Joker from his list. Stephen A. mentioned that he would consider the Denver Nuggets star if he's considering the stats alone.
"I gotta tell you even though everybody loves Jokic because his numbers is great and I gotta give him consideration. If it's numbers, we're going with Jokic, if it's talent I'm going with Embiid."
Stephen A. Smith, I AM ATHLETE
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There are a lot of times SAS blasted KD for having subpar games this season, but he still thought highly of him and named him one of the best forwards in the league. James, when healthy, remained one of the top players in the NBA and was even an MVP candidate last season until injuries derailed his chances. But when it comes to the best big man today, it's a toss-up between Embiid and Jokic. But when it comes to trophies, SAS should have included Nikola over Joel. The Serbian star has two MVP awards to his name.
The Greek Freak pick was a given. If Antetokounmpo shows a more consistent jumper from the rainbow arc and the charity stripe this season, it's all over for the rest of the players aiming to win the MVP.
Luka Doncic over Steph Curry
Steph Curry is Steph Curry, but SAS considered his MVPs and trophies over Luka Doncic, who is fast becoming the face of the league. Curry could shoot more consistently from 3s, and that's about all his edge over Luka skills-wise, who could rebound, pass and create like an elite point guard.
If all the players are picked according to how they play now, without factoring in the trophies and MVPs, Jokic and Doncic could make a strong case for replacing Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, or LeBron James. It's not a knock on these three players, but the Mavs star is simply playing out of this world lately. If the Western Conference showdown with the Phoenix Suns indicated great things to come, fans could hope the Mavs would go all the way to the finals.
