Around the NBA

[Sunlight]

Luka is a generational player like CP3. When the right pieces are put together around him, this is the end result.
Unfortunately, CP3(Luka) and Saric(Lively) did not stay healthy, so the Suns are not champions.

[sunskerr]

I have no doubt about that, you certainly do a good job of making yourself look like one.

From an asset standpoint:

-Luka is a better player than Booker and KD.
-Kyrie is about as good offensively as Booker and KD.
-We gave more assets up for KD than they did for Kyrie
-Since they gave up less assets for Kyrie, they had some left for Gafford/PJ Washington

never mind, you did it yourself cheers mate

[sunsbg]

Can't believe Dallas has made it this far without having enough time to gel (like us). Seriously, they made the same type of trades we did minus the stupid Beal trade. Instead they picked up two valuable pieces at the deadline in Gafford/Washington.

Its just so surprising. They honestly had the same amount of time to "gel" if not less... and now they are going to the finals.

How did they do it? How did they gel so fast? Unbelievable.

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

They have a true superstar(Luka) and a system(Luka). They didn't have to gel much, just bring players that fit the system. Kyrie is the best player available to play off another ball dominant player after winning a title with Lebron. The rest just need to defend, run, catch lobs and shoot open 3s.

[garrick]

Can't believe Dallas has made it this far without having enough time to gel (like us). Seriously, they made the same type of trades we did minus the stupid Beal trade. Instead they picked up two valuable pieces at the deadline in Gafford/Washington.

Its just so surprising. They honestly had the same amount of time to "gel" if not less... and now they are going to the finals.

How did they do it? How did they gel so fast? Unbelievable.

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

They have a true superstar(Luka) and a system(Luka). They didn't have to gel much, just bring players that fit the system. Kyrie is the best player available to play off another ball dominant player after winning a title with Lebron. The rest just need to defend, run, catch lobs and shoot open 3s.

It's amazing what happens when you have a balanced roster and key role players as well as secondary ball handler.

The Mavs for years have failed at surrounding Luka with enough talent but this season they hit a home run by getting Lively, Gafford and PJ Washington which lets Kyrie and Luka have legitimate lob threats and significantly improves their interior defense.

I was skeptical of Nico Harrison when the Mavs made him their GM but boy has he really made some brilliant moves.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[BurningHeart]

Honestly kinda sorta **** Minnesota at this point.

[kennydorglas]

Passing on Luka won't be as bad as passing on MJ.
More like drafting Oden over KD kinda bad.
What a missed opportunity.

[Calvin Klein]

Passing on Luka won't be as bad as passing on MJ.
More like drafting Oden over KD kinda bad.
What a missed opportunity.

KD was never this good. I think it has the potential to be as bad as passing on MJ. Specially because Ayton is closer to Sam Bowie than to Hakeem.

[BurningHeart]

Luka has more heart and soul in his pinky finger than two Durants combined.

[sunsbum]

Luka is generational. Stop coping.

[Saberestar]

Luka has more heart and soul in his pinky finger than two Durants combined.

That's false.

Easy Money has always played with heart and effort, his passion for the game is unreal.

You are comparing 25 years old Doncic to 35 years old KD, and that's not fair. Doncic is in his absolute prime now.

Just watch everything that KD had accomplished at 25. Everything. He was MVP, he was multiple times a First Team, scoring champion and his team in the Western Conference Finals or NBA Finals.

How Doncic will play being 35 years old? You never know.

What we know is that KD at 35 was fantastic. 2nd All NBA team with good defense but he can't have the same stamina or high motor that he had 10 years ago.

[Son of Ra]

Luka is generational. Stop coping.

100%. I have to admit I prefer watching games at home rather than in the arena these days but I might just have to go to Dallas or back to the Valley when Dallas visits to catch a game of Luka"s. I don't know why it doesn't translate on TV but you can only truly see the greatness of these guys live.

[Son of Ra]

Luka has more heart and soul in his pinky finger than two Durants combined.

That's false.

Easy Money has always played with heart and effort, his passion for the game is unreal.

You are comparing 25 years old Doncic to 35 years old KD, and that's not fair. Doncic is in his absolute prime now.

Just watch everything that KD had accomplished at 25. Everything. He was MVP, he was multiple times a First Team, scoring champion and his team in the Western Conference Finals or NBA Finals.

How Doncic will play being 35 years old? You never know.

What we know is that KD at 35 was fantastic. 2nd All NBA team with good defense but he can't have the same stamina or high motor that he had 10 years ago.

All of your statements are correct but it doesn't change the fact that Luka has more heart and soul in his pinky finger than two Durants combined. That has nothing to do with age.
If challenged by someone now Jordan would still tear himself apart to win. It's a mindset not skill thing.

If you could start a franchise with 25 year old Doncic or Durant, who do you pick? There's only one choice, don't make me create a Beckham meme for you...

[lilfishi22]

People forget what KD was doing in the playoffs before he turned 25. Sure there's every chance Luka can surpass KD but the level of dismissal/discounting of KD as an elite player for a decade and a half because we overpaid for him and we haven't gotten the results we were hoping for is crazy

[sunsbg]

Yep, not DA's fault he was drafted 1st, not KD's fault Suns paid as much for the 35yo version as they should've for 25yo version. It's just a badly run organization.

[Son of Ra]

People forget what KD was doing in the playoffs before he turned 25. Sure there's every chance Luka can surpass KD but the level of dismissal/discounting of KD as an elite player for a decade and a half because we overpaid for him and we haven't gotten the results we were hoping for is crazy

I don't think anyone (at least I'm not) is discrediting KD, he's absolutely an elite player historically and still is very good but that doesn't change the fact that he doesn't have "IT".

[Saberestar]

Luka has more heart and soul in his pinky finger than two Durants combined.

That's false.

Easy Money has always played with heart and effort, his passion for the game is unreal.

You are comparing 25 years old Doncic to 35 years old KD, and that's not fair. Doncic is in his absolute prime now.

Just watch everything that KD had accomplished at 25. Everything. He was MVP, he was multiple times a First Team, scoring champion and his team in the Western Conference Finals or NBA Finals.

How Doncic will play being 35 years old? You never know.

What we know is that KD at 35 was fantastic. 2nd All NBA team with good defense but he can't have the same stamina or high motor that he had 10 years ago.

All of your statements are correct but it doesn't change the fact that Luka has more heart and soul in his pinky finger than two Durants combined. That has nothing to do with age.
If challenged by someone now Jordan would still tear himself apart to win. It's a mindset not skill thing.

If you could start a franchise with 25 year old Doncic or Durant, who do you pick? There's only one choice, don't make me create a Beckham meme for you...

For some people "Heart and soul" means to shout out a lot and make noise and trash-talking. Beverley is all "heart and soul" lol.

Are you gonna tell me with a serious face that Kevin Garnett had more "heart and soul" than Tim Duncan? IMO BOTH of them had that in their bags but one of them was more about shouting and show for the fans.

No one knows how Doncic will play from 26 to 35 years old.

We know for sure what KD has done and what he has accomplished on those years, that's info available for anyone. Do you think that Doncic will be better? Good, that's a legitimate opinion but don't tell me that you see the future and you are right about it because that would be absurd.

People forget too soon...just watch how amazing was KD at 25 and how every fan was behind him in his MVP season. No one could've questioned his "heart and soul". No one.

I am all about giving to Doncic his flowers, he is an amazing player but that doesn't have anything to do with KD. KD has always played the game with heart and passion, but he is older now and the intensity goes down.

[lilfishi22]

People forget what KD was doing in the playoffs before he turned 25. Sure there's every chance Luka can surpass KD but the level of dismissal/discounting of KD as an elite player for a decade and a half because we overpaid for him and we haven't gotten the results we were hoping for is crazy

I don't think anyone (at least I'm not) is discrediting KD, he's absolutely an elite player historically and still is very good but that doesn't change the fact that he doesn't have "IT".

It's kind of a pointless argument because what even is "IT"? People can say it's heart or this or that but how one "measures" it is completely subjective.

As I said, Luka is really really good, absolutely amazing, I was all in on drafting Luka in 2018 and there isn't a week that doesn't go by where I don't think of the what-if in that draft but you're seriously discounting how good KD is/was, call it heart, call it "it", call it whatever you want, that dude was leading his team (which was younger with less NBA experience), to the Finals at 23, and did it all again at 27.

[bwgood77]

Luka has WAY more heart than someone like KD. I mean, I don't even think it should be a discussion.

[handsome salary]

Suns could have had the greatest player they ever drafted in 50 plus years but they chose to build around Booker. Booker who led the worst Suns teams in history season after season. Great eye for talent and team building there owner and front office.