Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are two of the very best basketball players in the world today, and former NBA player Vlatko Cancar has had the fortune of playing with both of them. Cancar was Jokic’s teammate on the Denver Nuggets for six years and has played alongside Doncic for the Slovenian national team.
With that being the case, Cancar was asked to compare the two European superstars on the X&O’s Chat podcast.
“Luka, I think, compared to Nikola, he wants full control of the game at all times,” Cancar said. “Everything needs to run through him and he makes that clear. He’s running pick and rolls, you’ve got to be in the corner ready to shoot… He can be a harda*** if you’re not ready… He’ll get on you. It’s not going to slide easily.
“Whereas Nikola is more reserved,” Cancar continued. “He holds it in for a while, but once he’s full, he blows up… Maybe Nikola’s more efficient just because he plays closer to the rim. He’s a lot bigger, and honestly, there aren’t many centers who can really guard him one-on-one.
“You’re right there at the rim, and if you don’t double-team him… well, once you do start doubling, that ball starts flying around,” Cancar added. “And he’s much closer to the hoop. Luka, on the other hand, often has to start his attack from the three-point line. That takes more energy, more effort, and it’s tougher overall.”
Host Edin Avdic wondered how Doncic is able to pull that off despite not being the fastest and not having insane ball-handling abilities. Cancar, who now plays for Olimpia Milano, had a simple explanation.
“His change of direction,” Cancar stated. “He’s just as slow, but he’s fast as a player. That stop-and-go move; when he stops and then bursts off, that’s how he gets you. And yeah, we all wait for the step-back, but he’s got one main move, and then he’s got a counter to it. So first he goes for the step-back, but if he sees you biting on it, he’ll go between the legs or drive right at you.”
“He catches you off guard all the time,” Cancar added. “That change of direction of his is incredibly tough.”
What also helps Doncic is that while he is slow, he is stronger than you might think. He once spoke about how powerful his legs are and how they give him an advantage on both the offensive and defensive ends.
Doncic has also stated that he is athletic in different ways that people don’t see. The five-time All-Star made it clear that athleticism is not just about jumping and running fast.
Both Doncic and Jokic have shown for years now that you don’t necessarily need to be the fastest or jump the highest to dominate in the NBA. If your basketball IQ is off the charts and you are extremely skilled, you’ll be able to put on a show on a nightly basis.
Jokic has won MVP in three of the last five seasons (2021, 2022, 2024) and led the Nuggets to the NBA championship in 2023. The 30-year-old is generally regarded as the best player in the world, and it’s hard to say the title is undeserved.
Doncic would be hoping to snatch it from Jokic at some point. The Los Angeles Lakers guard hasn’t won an MVP or championship yet, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he accomplishes both of those feats in the coming years.
Doncic has been backed to win MVP in 2026 by an NBA scout, and you wouldn’t bet against him. He has undergone quite the physical transformation in the offseason and enters the 2025-26 campaign in the best shape that he has been in for a while.
