Boston Celtics assistant coach and 16-year NBA veteran Sam Cassell gave his take on a battle of the eras on Draymond Green’s podcast. Cassell compared former teammate Hakeem Olajuwon with the reigning three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, saying that Hakeem would comprehensively beat Jokic in a hypothetical matchup.
“Dream (Hakeem) is a beast in every sense on the floor. He’s in the Top 10 in every NBA category—steals, rebounds, points. I think Jokic would score more points, but Hakeem would win because he would constantly pressure him. Jokic wouldn’t be able to do damage in the post; it simply wouldn’t happen.
“On the other end of the court, Jokic wouldn’t stand a chance. You think Joel Embiid gave him problems offensively, and he wouldn’t have any hope against Hakeem… I believe Hakeem would have an answer for whatever Jokic tried defensively.”
(Starts at 7:20)
Cassell is right to credit Hakeem’s versatility as a center on both ends of the floor as something that gives him a massive advantage over Jokic in a matchup. Jokic might be the best offensive center in NBA history with his ability to pass and score, but Hakeem is the same for the best defensive center in NBA history. The all-time blocks leader could guard virtually every spot on the floor and had a solid offensive game which was very challenging to stop.
I love Jokic and understand his accomplishments are in a more talent-rich modern era, but Hakeem is arguably the perfect example of what a modern center is expected to be as a non-shooter. These are two historic players, but a straight matchup would anyway favor Hakeem’s style of play over Jokic’s. However, Jokic might be a better bet over a full-length NBA season.
Hakeem is a one-time league MVP and a two-time Finals MVP, with 12 All-NBA and All-Star selections to his name. He has won two Defensive Player of the Year trophies, along with being a two-time season leader in rebounds and a three-time total blocks leader. Olajuwon is one of four players to have ever recorded a quadruple-double. He averaged 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks over his 18-year career.
Jokic has won three MVPs, one Finals MVP, is a six-time All-NBA selection, and a six-time All-Star selection so far in his career. He doesn’t have the defensive accomplishments Hakeem has, but Jokic has already established himself as the greatest passing center in NBA history. His current career averages are 20.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists over nine seasons.
Selecting between the pair isn’t easy and it’s hard to say either answer is wrong, but I’d still lean towards Hakeem because of his greatness on both ends in an era of high-level centers. It’s hard to say if more achievements by Jokic can change my opinion, as this is purely based on style of play. Unless Jokic becomes an elite defender, it’ll be hard for many fans to firmly disagree with Cassell saying Hakeem would beat Jokic.
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