Gilbert Arenas Says Lakers Can Take Down Nuggets in Playoffs [Video]

After the impressive performance against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night, some of the commentary within the NBA media seems a bit overreactionary. In the LeBron-led era, the Lakers are now 2-14 against the Nuggets, and with Luka Doncic recently added, many fans believe this game foreshadowed a potential playoff matchup—including former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas. However, few are considering that in a seven-game series, when teams face each other repeatedly, adjustments are made. Nevertheless, Lakers fans are convinced they can make it to the NBA Finals without a true big man.

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Gilbert Arenas pointed out that the difference between Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic is Luka’s ability to rack up 10 assists per game, which helps offset Nikola Jokic’s impact. He also suggested that every other matchup in the series would favor the Lakers.

“He brings the equalizer to Jokic. Jokic against the Lakers is putting up about 50-60 total points that Jokic himself was bringing in,” Arenas said on his show Gil’s Arena. “Anthony Davis couldn’t match that because he was just a rebounder and a scorer, didn’t have assists. Well, with Luka, Luka gets to cancel that out. That’s what we gained from Luka that people don’t realize when you’re talking about straight mathematics. So if Luka could cancel out Jokic and Jokic doesn’t have that 20-point spread on them, that means you got LeBron versus Murray—he wins that matchup. Then you have Austin [Reaves] against MPJ [Michael Porter Jr.], he wins that one.”

Arenas’ argument, rooted in analytics, was challenged by former NBA player Kenyon Martin, who called him out for focusing on numbers rather than evaluating the game through a traditional basketball lens.

“Ain’t no way y’all beat them,” Martin told Arenas and his crew. “On paper, I hear you. You want to keep throwing the stats and all that s@&%—I hear you, absolutely. But when you go between that 94 and 50, y’all can’t f@$^ with him.”

Martin is correct—Jokic is the best basketball player in the world, and he has proven that multiple times against the Lakers, both in the regular season and the playoffs.