Luka Doncic

[Rasho Brezec]

If they want to compete with the NBA, they should standardize the regulations. Same court dimensions, same playing time, same rules. Part of the reason why NBA players are more athletic is because they have to adapt to bigger courts. You can't hide stiffs in team defense there.

Everyone in Nba is playing great D?

Everyone in the NBA is physically capable of playing better defense than 95% of players in other leagues.

[XTraderXL]

If they want to compete with the NBA, they should standardize the regulations. Same court dimensions, same playing time, same rules. Part of the reason why NBA players are more athletic is because they have to adapt to bigger courts. You can't hide stiffs in team defense there.

Everyone in Nba is playing great D?

Everyone in the NBA is physically capable of playing better defense than 95% of players in other leagues.

Thats a bunch of nonsense. You really think that the Euroleagues best defensive players of each team are not defensively better than the worst players on NBA teams?? Actually, I could probably name at least 10 EL players who would be considered close to elite defensively in the NBA without even looking at the rosters.

For sure NBA players are better on average but come on man

[Bob8]

If they want to compete with the NBA, they should standardize the regulations. Same court dimensions, same playing time, same rules. Part of the reason why NBA players are more athletic is because they have to adapt to bigger courts. You can't hide stiffs in team defense there.

Everyone in Nba is playing great D?

Everyone in the NBA is physically capable of playing better defense than 95% of players in other leagues.

I don't know how capable they are, but the fact is that you can see many games, especially in regular season, with very little defense in Nba. And there are some players who more or less can't, won't or don't need to play D.
But you can see many times in Euroleague situation, where coach bench a player because he doesn't put his max. in defense. One or 2 bad defenses and you're out. Even Larkin, probably the best Baskonia player was criticized and benched some times by his coach. Even Teodosic, who is really bad defender, has to work in defense.
Players in Nba are of course on average more capable of playing good D, but not everybody. And I simply don't believe that D. is that important in Nba if you're one of the best scorers of the team.

[jinxed]

Who would be a good comparison for Doncic? I can't get a sense from just watching highlights. He doesn't seem anything more than an average athlete (is that a correct interpretation?) but is very skilled.

[Mirotic12]

If they want to compete with the NBA, they should standardize the regulations. Same court dimensions, same playing time, same rules. Part of the reason why NBA players are more athletic is because they have to adapt to bigger courts. You can't hide stiffs in team defense there.

EuroLeague has no control over basic major rules of the league. They made a deal with FIBA around like 2004 or 2005. They are 100% controlled by FIBA from a major rules standpoint. They can change little small rules, that don't mean much, but no way can they ever change anything to NBA rules. They have zero power to do so.

EuroLeague has been asking FIBA to change to NBA court and 3 point line for many years (at least since like 2008), and FIBA simply refuses. FIBA isn't changing, despite numerous requests by EuroLeague, and EuroLeague has zero authority to make those rules changes.

All the rules across European basketball are uniform, so EuroLeague simply can't be given permission to change them on their own. So unless FIBA changes those rules, EuroLeague is never getting permission to do so on their own. If it was up to EuroLeague they would have had NBA court size and 3 point distance years ago. The 48 minutes though...I am fairly sure that EuroLeague would never agree to that change. At 40 minutes, the maximize their TV profits, at 48 minutes, they wouldn't.

Also, as far as same rules overall - that will never happen. European basketball is never going to implement things like no hand check rule and defensive 3 seconds. I don't think they could get a single person to ever vote to put in defensive 3 seconds. That's never happening anywhere except NBA.

Who would be a good comparison for Doncic? I can't get a sense from just watching highlights. He doesn't seem anything more than an average athlete (is that a correct interpretation?) but is very skilled.

He reminds me some of Marko Jaric (for an NBA player), or maybe Nikos Zisis (for a EuroLeague player). He's an unsual type of player, so it's very hard to make player comparisons, since the type of player he is, is one of the least common player types.

[SkyhookinUrMom]

Who would be a good comparison for Doncic? I can't get a sense from just watching highlights. He doesn't seem anything more than an average athlete (is that a correct interpretation?) but is very skilled.

Bodiroga ?

[Mirotic12]

Who would be a good comparison for Doncic? I can't get a sense from just watching highlights. He doesn't seem anything more than an average athlete (is that a correct interpretation?) but is very skilled.

Bodiroga ?

He's really not anything like Bodiroga.

[jinxed]

..nm

[jinxed]

Why is he not like Bodiroga?

[Bob8]

@mirotic12

Zisis is incredible bad shooter, very close to Calathes. And he's not good rebounder either. I don't see many similarities except movement.

Jaric is maybe more similar, but he's worse shooter than Doncic. I have the feeling that shooting ability will help Doncic a lot to overcome some athletic minuses.

[Goon]

My NEW video of Doncic ... Road to Final 4!

How do you like it?

Watch on YouTube

Don't think games from the spanish league fit a video titled "road to the final 4." But otherwise a good job.

[Ettorefm]

Everyone in Nba is playing great D?

Everyone in the NBA is physically capable of playing better defense than 95% of players in other leagues.

Thats a bunch of nonsense. You really think that the Euroleagues best defensive players of each team are not defensively better than the worst players on NBA teams?? Actually, I could probably name at least 10 EL players who would be considered close to elite defensively in the NBA without even looking at the rosters.

For sure NBA players are better on average but come on man

Maybe, MAYBE defenders look better in Europe because they're not facing players who are elite?

Playing great defense as a SF in Spanish league and in the NBA is completely different. Put good defenders in europe to face Lebron, Kawhi, Giannis and Durant and see if they dont get embarrassed

Sure is easy to be a great post defender when you face dudes who would be role players in the NBA. Try defending Cousins.

This idea that NBA players are bad defenders or don't care about defense is ridiculous. I mean, I'm sorry, but Doncic, a below average dude athletically (NBA wise) is dominating defenders.

Also, people keep repeating that the way fouls are called, and the different rules makes it more difficult to score in Europe. Fine, But how is that the players' merit? If rules and zone hide defenders better, improving overall defense, you can't have the balls to say individually defenders are actually that good.

Also, nothing that you said made sense. Rasho never said better defenders, he said capable of playing better defense, physical-wise. Learn to read.

[Bob8]

Everyone in the NBA is physically capable of playing better defense than 95% of players in other leagues.

Thats a bunch of nonsense. You really think that the Euroleagues best defensive players of each team are not defensively better than the worst players on NBA teams?? Actually, I could probably name at least 10 EL players who would be considered close to elite defensively in the NBA without even looking at the rosters.

For sure NBA players are better on average but come on man

Maybe, MAYBE defenders look better in Europe because they're not facing players who are elite?

Playing great defense as a SF in Spanish league and in the NBA is completely different. Put good defenders in europe to face Lebron, Kawhi, Giannis and Durant and see if they dont get embarrassed

Sure is easy to be a great post defender when you face dudes who would be role players in the NBA. Try defending Cousins.

This idea that NBA players are bad defenders or don't care about defense is ridiculous. I mean, I'm sorry, but Doncic, a below average dude athletically (NBA wise) is dominating defenders.

Also, people keep repeating that the way fouls are called, and the different rules makes it more difficult to score in Europe. Fine, But how is that the players' merit? If rules and zone hide defenders better, improving overall defense, you can't have the balls to say individually defenders are actually that good.

Also, nothing that you said made sense. Rasho never said better defenders, he said capable of playing better defense, physical-wise. Learn to read.

why is Doncic below average athlete?

he might look below average because he plays with adults in very physical league and is barely 18 years old, but is he really bellow average for his position and his years? would he looked average in high school? how curry, harden and others looked when they were in high school? If we compare him with the best athletes in their prime years, he's below average, but is it fair to compare 18 years kid to the best players in Nba? and even if we agree that he's below average, isn't then even more incredible what he's doing in Euroleague? 18 years old, below average athlete, one of the most important player of Real Madrid and being 4 times Mvp of the round.

To be honest I really can't understand how we almost always talk only about physical qualities of prospects. Imho there's no one in 2017 and 2018 class who is even near to Doncic in pure basketball skills. And in the end all prospects will play basketball and won't have competition in running, long jump, high jump or body building.

[Ettorefm]

and even if we agree that he's below average, isn't then even more incredible what he's doing in Euroleague?

Yes. Dude is a fine player.

[Rasho Brezec]

Physical tools are more important than skill level. Always have been, always will be.

[XTraderXL]

Everyone in the NBA is physically capable of playing better defense than 95% of players in other leagues.

Thats a bunch of nonsense. You really think that the Euroleagues best defensive players of each team are not defensively better than the worst players on NBA teams?? Actually, I could probably name at least 10 EL players who would be considered close to elite defensively in the NBA without even looking at the rosters.

For sure NBA players are better on average but come on man

Maybe, MAYBE defenders look better in Europe because they're not facing players who are elite?

Playing great defense as a SF in Spanish league and in the NBA is completely different. Put good defenders in europe to face Lebron, Kawhi, Giannis and Durant and see if they dont get embarrassed

Sure is easy to be a great post defender when you face dudes who would be role players in the NBA. Try defending Cousins.

This idea that NBA players are bad defenders or don't care about defense is ridiculous. I mean, I'm sorry, but Doncic, a below average dude athletically (NBA wise) is dominating defenders.

Also, people keep repeating that the way fouls are called, and the different rules makes it more difficult to score in Europe. Fine, But how is that the players' merit? If rules and zone hide defenders better, improving overall defense, you can't have the balls to say individually defenders are actually that good.

Also, nothing that you said made sense. Rasho never said better defenders, he said capable of playing better defense, physical-wise. Learn to read.

I think its you who should learn how to read. The guy said 95%, thats where the disagreement was and I pointed it out. I also said on average of course NBA players are better defenders (or capable playing better defense), thats why they are in the NBA. You took my comment completely out of context and then telling me I should learn how to read. LOL

[Bob8]

Physical tools are more important than skill level. Always have been, always will be.

tell that to Curry.

[reanimator]

there's no one in 2017 and 2018 class who is even near to Doncic in pure basketball skills

lol absurd

[Bob8]

there's no one in 2017 and 2018 class who is even near to Doncic in pure basketball skills

lol absurd

nice to see, that your contribution to the debate is like always very productive.

[Rasho Brezec]

Physical tools are more important than skill level. Always have been, always will be.

tell that to Curry.

Curry is an above average athlete.