The defending champions shocked the Lakers in a historic comeback victory in Game 2 of their first round, with Murray burying a winning buzzer-beater. The Purple and Gold are struggling to find an answer to the Nikola Jokic named puzzle. The former Lakers center, Dwight Howard extended a helping hand to his former team giving a secret mantra to tackle the Joker and his out-of-the-box plays. Rightly so, the 8-time NBA All-Star has limited the triple-double machine to just 16.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, in 13 matchups between them. Additionally, the former DPOY has openly expressed his will to join the King’s squad on multiple occasions.
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Howard is qualified to help the Lakers, as the 38-year-old had one of the best defensive performances against Jokic, in the 2020 Western Conference Finals. Taking to his X account, Howard recently posted a link to an episode of his show, ‘Above The Rim with DH 12’, hinting that the video clip had pointers on stopping Jokic, “I’m trying to give y’all the answers”. While the Lakers might not take Howard’s help, the former Rockets player revealed his plan on guarding Jokic anyway,
“It’s a mental game. I spent the whole summer studying him [Nikola Jokic], I watched clips, of everything he did. I learned how to do some things like him, not so I could do them, but so I would know what to do to stop him…That’s the mental aspect of the game that people don’t even realize.”
Jokic has been a problem for the Los Angeles Lakers for some time now. In 17 games, since the start of the 2020-21 season, the Serbian superstar has averaged 26.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 9.4 assists against the LA side. He has also led his team to 10 consecutive victories against the Lakers, as James and Co. still look to secure their first win against Denver this season.
While Jokic buried the Lakers with his recent performances, Howard managed to contain the Serbian well during their 2020 Western Conference match-up. With Dwight on him, Jokic only averaged 21.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, a far cry from the near triple-double he has averaged against the Lakers ever since. On these claims, Howard has publicly wished to join the Lakers.
Dwight Howard tries to make it to the Lakers squad
After dominating overseas, Dwight Howard has once again returned stateside, in an attempt to secure a gig in the NBA. The three-time Defensive Player Of The Year has since adopted an ingenious strategy of marketing himself to teams. Using social media, he drew attention by posting about the Lakers’ recent struggle, drawing comparisons between himself and LeBron.
The 38-year-old seemed confident in his abilities, as he recently marketed himself against King James. Talking about his physical conditioning, Howard wrote,
“Lebron 39 I’m 38! I’m still in shape ya saying that was 3 years ago but I’m still in shape lol.”
Lebron 39 I’m 38! I’m still in shape ya saying that was 3 years ago but I’m still in shape lol
— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) April 21, 2024
Howard would follow up his tweet by posting a video of his defense of Nikola Jokic during the 2020 Western Conference Finals. While some fans called him out for his biased posts, others recognized Howard as the only “Jokic Stopper” in the league. With the series against Denver heading towards a sweep yet again, James and Co. will miss Howard as they head home for Game 3.
