How many Hawks Fans would NOT select Luka Doncic if he somehow fell to #3?

kg01 · Post #221 » by **kg01** » Mon Oct 1, 2018 12:10 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:It's starting earlier than I had imagined...

MAVS GONNA WIN THA SUPAH BOWLLLL!!!!!!!!!

Post #222 » by **Jamaaliver** » Mon Oct 1, 2018 4:55 pm

NBA Power Rankings: Preseason Edition

22. Mavericks | Last season: 24-58, missed playoffs | Final ranking: 27

Luka Doncic is either going to convince NBA fans in the United States that it is time to take the EuroLeague and its budding talent more serious, or get used as a cautionary tale on why teams should just stick with guys who played college basketball as much as possible. It’s not fair, and makes little sense in reality, but this will be life in Dallas for a team that hitched its future on one of the most polarizing players in the class of 2018.

SI.com

Post #223 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed Oct 3, 2018 12:43 pm

Thought I had in rush hour traffic this morning: If Luka Doncic was three inches taller...would he be Nikola Jokic?

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macd-gm · Post #224 » by **macd-gm** » Wed Oct 3, 2018 2:01 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:Thought I had in rush hour traffic this morning: If Luka Doncic was three inches taller...would he be Nikola Jokic?

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Sort of but Luka does love to drive. I'm waiting to see if he can get to the hoop against NBA defenders.

jayu70 · Post #225 » by **jayu70** » Wed Oct 3, 2018 5:42 pm

macd-gm wrote:
Jamaaliver wrote:Thought I had in rush hour traffic this morning: If Luka Doncic was three inches taller...would he be Nikola Jokic?

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Sort of but Luka does love to drive. I'm waiting to see if he can get to the hoop against NBA defenders.

Plus his handle from baseline to baseline is better than Jokic.

Post #226 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri Oct 5, 2018 8:09 pm

Yikes!!!

Luka can't get any separation. Carlisle is gonna have to get creative to help get Luka open.

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steady · Post #227 » by **steady** » Fri Oct 5, 2018 10:03 pm

It's a little bit different playing against actual NBA talent ...

Plus he's had 5 assists and 8 TOs over the past two games.

Post #228 » by **Jamaaliver** » Mon Oct 8, 2018 11:46 pm

These are the overall numbers I expect Luka to produce every night this season:

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Post #229 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Oct 11, 2018 5:17 pm

As Hawks fans everywhere rejoice after Trae's phenomenal performance against the Spurs

Somewhere in Northern Texas, the Boy Wonder prepares...

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macd-gm · Post #230 » by **macd-gm** » Thu Oct 11, 2018 5:20 pm

This is why the trade was so great. Trae's impact on the team and the game will be so much greater even if their abilities and play are roughly equal. Simply because Trae is in control of the ball.

Post #231 » by **Jamaaliver** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 5:34 pm

Present Is Prologue: What to Watch for in the Upcoming NBA Season

Pre-agency, promising rookies, and the ever-expanding 3-point boom. Here is what Kevin O’Connor will be tracking this year.

Believe the Doncic Hype

Luka Doncic made a stellar first impression as a Maverick, but that came against Justin Hamilton and the Beijing Ducks. Skeptics called the hype following his performance an overreaction—even though Doncic had far better games against far better overseas competition—and the rookie forward has responded with even more impressive flashes against NBA competition.

Spoiler:

Doncic isn’t the quickest player off the dribble, and he’s still carrying too much baby fat, but he’s a nifty ball handler who uses different paces and advanced moves to create space. In the clips above, Doncic uses his step-back to make room for his 3-point jumpers. In the clip below, he goes behind his back to get to the rim.

Spoiler:

Doncic, a right-handed player, relies primarily on his dominant hand to finish inside. It was encouraging to see him use his left in this spot, since Joel Embiid would’ve karate-chopped the ball had Doncic gone with his right. Doncic has an advanced feel for reading defenses, and his finishing will only improve as he gains experience and gets into prime shape. In the meantime, Doncic has already shown off his transcendent passing.

Spoiler:

Rookies aren’t supposed to make plays like this. But most rookies haven’t won EuroLeague MVP as a 19-year-old while leading their team to a championship. Doncic is the type of player who could someday make Dallas a destination for free agents looking to join forces with a star who enhances his teammates. This is only the beginning.

The Ringer

Post #232 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:44 pm

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Post #233 » by **Jamaaliver** » Mon Oct 29, 2018 5:05 pm

Ric Bucher wrote:Luka Doncic Has the Goods to Crush the NBA's Euro Bias Once and for All

Someone on Twitter wrote it. American-born NBA rookie Michael Porter Jr. liked it. No international player in the NBA was surprised by it.

"The most overrated person I've seen in my life," the tweet said in response to an ESPN poll that showed Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic as the top vote-getter for who the 2018-19 Rookie of the Year would be. Young and old believe Porter merely expressed a belief still widely held by U.S.-born players, U.S. media and, yes, a faction of NBA executives about international players in general.

What makes Doncic different—and such skepticism particularly egregious—is that his track record and profile are unlike any international player to enter the NBA—ever. None have come close to his dominance at such a young age.

But there remains a perception that the international game doesn't equate to the NBA in style or athleticism and that a dominant playmaker overseas will find the space and angles harder to find against quicker, longer, more agile players. Then there's the concern about taking a young man and air-dropping him into a different culture to contend with a different language. All of which, in the long, heated draft-room debates about who to take at the very top of the draft, can loom large when there's a better-known, already assimilated alternative.

It doesn't take long to see what makes Doncic different. Every time he gets the ball, it's the equivalent of when a conductor picks up his baton. For his part, Doncic shrugs off any thought that he has to validate what he did in Europe or that he's carrying some mantle for international players. "I've lived with pressure since I was 16," he says. "When I go on the court, I just forget about it and enjoy playing basketball."

Bleacher Report

ChokeFasncists · Post #234 » by **ChokeFasncists** » Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:37 pm

For every Dirk, there were many Skitas and Darkos.

Doncic is a prodigy, exception.

Post #235 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Nov 1, 2018 11:52 am

While, admittedly, a step slow. Luka looks like an NBA player out there. As much as anyone else. This clip of him guarding Lebron to a miss has likely already gone viral throughout Western Europe.

(I can't decide if asking for a signed jersey from 'The King' is endearing or a little embarrassing.)

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Spoiler:

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~Wretch~ · Post #236 » by **~Wretch~** » Thu Nov 1, 2018 3:38 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:While, admittedly, a step slow. Luka looks like an NBA player out there. As much as anyone else. This clip of him guarding Lebron to a miss has likely already gone viral throughout Western Europe.

(I can't decide if asking for a signed jersey from 'The King' is endearing or a little embarrassing.)

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Spoiler:

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I thought the same thing when I read the headline. I imagine it was like when Iverson first stepped on the court with MJ and said he was in complete awe. Even though he's a professional, he's still a kid and LeBron is this generation's MJ...especially in the international scene. He was probably in disbelief standing toe to toe with LeBron. I'm not a LeBron fan, but I totally understand the fanboy reaction. If I was a young baller and stepped on the court with Nique...I'd probably lose my sh*t LOL

Yeah... I would have asked for a signed jersey too.

Post #237 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Nov 8, 2018 1:12 pm

So...it's clear Luka isn't a bust. (I thought his best NBA seasons would be 20/5/5. That appears to be his floor!!!)

And while I am satisfied with Trae, it has crossed my mind several times how good Luka would look in a Hawks uni. Particularly if we were still tanking with him here and looking to add a top wing talent in next year's draft.

Luka, Huerter, Nassir Little, John Collins and Taurean Prince would be really fun to root for on the same team.

steady · Post #238 » by **steady** » Thu Nov 8, 2018 10:07 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:So...it's clear Luka isn't a bust. (I thought his best NBA seasons would be 20/5/5. That appears to be his floor!!!)

And while I am satisfied with Trae, it has crossed my mind several times how good Luka would look in a Hawks uni. Particularly if we were still tanking with him here and looking to add a top wing talent in next year's draft.

Luka, Huerter, Nassir Little, John Collins and Taurean Prince would be really fun to root for on the same team.

I think both Trae and Luka are going to be really good for a long time.

Archx · Post #239 » by **Archx** » Thu Nov 8, 2018 10:17 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:So...it's clear Luka isn't a bust. (I thought his best NBA seasons would be 20/5/5. That appears to be his floor!!!)

And while I am satisfied with Trae, it has crossed my mind several times how good Luka would look in a Hawks uni. Particularly if we were still tanking with him here and looking to add a top wing talent in next year's draft.

Luka, Huerter, Nassir Little, John Collins and Taurean Prince would be really fun to root for on the same team.

Crazy to think about it huh? It's not like 90% of EU and rest of the world was telling you guys that he is a beast in the making

I would also love to see what he can do with so much freedom that Trae has. Scary to even think about it.

But like you said, Trae surprised a lot of people, including myself. He is a very solid PG if he is not taking some crazy impossible shots.

steady · Post #240 » by **steady** » Thu Nov 8, 2018 10:58 pm

Archx wrote:
Jamaaliver wrote:So...it's clear Luka isn't a bust. (I thought his best NBA seasons would be 20/5/5. That appears to be his floor!!!)

And while I am satisfied with Trae, it has crossed my mind several times how good Luka would look in a Hawks uni. Particularly if we were still tanking with him here and looking to add a top wing talent in next year's draft.

Luka, Huerter, Nassir Little, John Collins and Taurean Prince would be really fun to root for on the same team.

Crazy to think about it huh? It's not like 90% of EU and rest of the world was telling you guys that he is a beast in the making
I would also love to see what he can do with so much freedom that Trae has. Scary to even think about it.

But like you said, Trae surprised a lot of people, including myself. He is a very solid PG if he is not taking some crazy impossible shots.

Trae is not just a very solid PG , he is a rookie PG a few weeks into his first season as a pro who is already reaching records only Steph and LeBron have reached as rookies in last 20 years -- 35 points and 11 assists in a single game (on 34 minutes I think).

Luka may be better than Trae this year - but he is supposed to be better this year. He has been a pro playing against grown men for several years. I am definitely not ready to say that Luke is long term going to be better than Trae.

And yea, it is nice to say that it would be scary to see what Luka could do with Trae's freedom, but I do not see Luke having anywhere the court vision that Trae has, frankly. Luka is canny, and has high basketball iq, but Trae can be other worldly sometimes. ... and again he is only a rookie. playing the most difficult position for rookies.

And on other hand, Luka gets all the benefits of having better teammates which means defenses cannot double team him in the way they consistently double Trae.

I like Luka too, but I am definitely not wishing the Hawks had Luka instead of Trae, especially given the Mavs first round pick (probably top ten) is coming the Hawks way this year as a result of that trade.