Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley, during a segment of Inside The NBA, raised concerns about the Los Angeles Lakers’ defensive strategy in Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets.
As the Lakers built a significant 20-point lead, they began doubling Nuggets’ star Nikola Jokic, a move questioned by O’Neal and Barkley.
O’Neal emphasized the importance of sustainability and questioned the decision to double Jokic when the Nuggets were struggling with their shooting, suggesting that allowing Jokic to facilitate offense for his teammates might have played into Denver’s favor.
“We talked about sustainability early, the Lakers got up to the 20-point lead and wasn’t able to sustain it. Never been a coach, but I would question the Lakers staff. When you’re up 20, why do you double Denver when they’re not shooting well,” Shaq said.
Barkley echoed O’Neal’s sentiments, highlighting the perplexing nature of doubling Jokic while holding a comfortable lead, which inadvertently allowed other Nuggets players to find rhythm and contribute to their team’s comeback victory.
“Me, Kenny [Smith], and Shaq were talking about that in the back. We’re like, why are they doubling Joker, getting those other guys going? They were up 20 and instead of Joker just getting two, they started doubling him. They kept doubling him up 20,” Barkley said.
The Lakers’ defensive approach, particularly their decision to double Jokic, will likely come under scrutiny as they evaluate their Game 2 performance and make adjustments for the remainder of the series.
