All Things Luka Doncic

[Yallbecrazy]

Heard this about Mario Hezonja, who is a bigger, quicker and stronger Euro. Can't waste your lottery picks on longshots like this who haven't proven themselves against similar NBA talent growing up. Any team that thinks they're playoff bound with him running the show are gonna be sad when he can't stay in front of anyone on D or beat anyone off the dribble.

What a clueless and ignorant post ... He's white, both from Europe so they must be the same right?

Tbh your reply is what is clueless and ignorant. I stated Hezonja was "bigger, quicker, stronger", i'm glad you let off some steam though chump. Try add some discussion in other than a pointless idiotic thought.

Hezonja is bigger, stronger, faster than Steph Curry too. I don't see your point

[PLO]

He's fantastic and clearly ahead of Porter Jr, Bamba and Ayton; I haven't seen enough of Bagley to make any comment. I just mentioned in another thread how old Bamba and Ayton actually are. Markelle Fultz is actually younger than Mo Bamba. Porter has holes in his game I think will become evident this coming season though hopefully for him I'm wrong - he's also already 19 years of age. Doncic will be drafted as one of the most complete prospects the game has ever seen and frankly could be playing in the NBA right now. Yes there are question marks over his athleticism and therefore his ceiling but for his age he's a freak.

[ChuckChilly]

This guy carries the ball every single dribble he takes.

[Yallbecrazy]

Best prospect in the 2018 draft? Absolutely! In the world? Probably, RJ Barrett is up there too though.

[baldur]

This guy carries the ball every single dribble he takes.

so he is nba ready?

[GrandTheftRondo]

I always hear bout these legends like Dragon b3nder and Mario and all these guys and there garbage

Why didn't you also list garbage like Porzingis and Dragic? Or they don't fit your agenda?

Porzingis is a 7'3 unicorn.

Dragic is a handy point guard, but if you're drafting at pick 1 do you really want to be drafting the next Goran Dragic? Not comparing their playstyles but I think a tall guard/forward combo out of Europe with athletic limitations has serious doubts about their ceiling.

Larry Bird was the last player to thrive like that and he is unlike any player we've ever seen since.

[dantheman74]

Well, here we go, now you at least trying to make a reasonable point. You could have started with this to begin with, instead of bringing Hezonja, who has nothing to do with anything. You received hostile responses, because your comparison was just not bright at all.[/quote]

tbh i said he wouldn't be capable of playing point guard in the nba (which is the great hype about his running the offense and the amount of time he has the ball in his hands in euro play) in my second comment, but i guess you aren't too bright either. Best prospect is such a stretch, highest ceiling in a delusional world sure you can have that as a point forward thats worth a top 5 pick haha.

I actually think i pissed off the Slovenians by mentioning Dirk, TP and the Gasols being the best that Europe has come up with, none of them are Slovenian. Makes me think, has there been an almost star level for 10 year-career in the NBA other than Vlade from that vicinity? Definitely not at the wing position from my memory. No disrespect to Goran, he is an awesome point guard and competitor.

[UcanUwill]

I am glad people are not throwing ''he is playing against grown men'' argument, because I absolutely hate that argument. To begin with, it doesn't guarantee jack. And Second, most of the time when defenders throw that argument at you, know that it means they really have nothing solid to say. Hezonja, Bender, Vesely... Are they good, can they dominate, what are their elite skills? Well... aaaa. mmm... They play against grown men already... :/

Doncic not only plays far better competition than college, he is actually dominating that competition. He is unprecedented 18 year old in European basketball.

[queridiculo]

Plays point, projects as two guard, looks like he'll struggle to defend the leagues prototypical small forwards.

For all the talent that he seems to possess I'm always leery of tweeners, but from watching highlights he does seem to possess an offensive game that's way ahead of where you'd expect someone of his age to be.

Every move he makes seems to serve a purpose but I also see a guy who may lack the quicks to play two guard effectively in the NBA.

Intriguing prospect but if he's the best in the world then that's more of an indictment of the other guys that are starting to make a name for themselves.

[brutalitops]

Tbh your reply is what is clueless and ignorant. I stated Hezonja was "bigger, quicker, stronger", i'm glad you let off some steam though chump. Try add some discussion in other than a pointless idiotic thought.

After equating Doncic and Hezonja despite their playing styles not even remotely being similar, you said "The young Bulls forward looks good though but he's 7 feet", as if he's somehow relevant, and then said "Forgot about Giannis but he's not white".

You've completely eradicated your credibility when it comes to European prospects with your senseless drivel that paints all white Europeans with the same brush. Nobody will take you seriously. Tough break.

Did you not read that i stated Dirk, TP and the Gasols are the only above decent Euro players the NBA has seen. That Hezonja was equally as hyped and turned out a bust. That giannis isn't white and that's why i didn't include him in the conversation, if that's racist in your opinion maybe you should go challenge Usain Bolt to a 100m running race. Lauri is really a different kind of player, he's a legit 7footer that can shoot, not a plodding wing that does a bit of everything and gets people excited like he's the next great white hope lol. EDIT: What position do you think Doncic can excel and start at, he's not either of the guard positions, and too slow to play SF(let alone defend them), tell me more how awesome he's gonna be and how he should be a lottery pick.

Current guy whos early favourite for the mvp is a euro but whatever


Also Petrovic was great. Sabonis was outside his prime and he was a very good player

Dont be an idiot

[queridiculo]

Current guy whos early favourite for the mvp is a euro but whatever

You'd be surprised how many people don't consider him euro because of his skin color.

[brutalitops]

After equating Doncic and Hezonja despite their playing styles not even remotely being similar, you said "The young Bulls forward looks good though but he's 7 feet", as if he's somehow relevant, and then said "Forgot about Giannis but he's not white".

You've completely eradicated your credibility when it comes to European prospects with your senseless drivel that paints all white Europeans with the same brush. Nobody will take you seriously. Tough break.

Did you not read that i stated Dirk, TP and the Gasols are the only above decent Euro players the NBA has seen. That Hezonja was equally as hyped and turned out a bust. That giannis isn't white and that's why i didn't include him in the conversation, if that's racist in your opinion maybe you should go challenge Usain Bolt to a 100m running race. Lauri is really a different kind of player, he's a legit 7footer that can shoot, not a plodding wing that does a bit of everything and gets people excited like he's the next great white hope lol. EDIT: What position do you think Doncic can excel and start at, he's not either of the guard positions, and too slow to play SF(let alone defend them), tell me more how awesome he's gonna be and how he should be a lottery pick.

Current guy whos early favourite for the mvp is a euro but whatever


Also Petrovic was great. Sabonis was outside his prime and he was a very good player

Dont be an idiot

[leolozon]

I always hear bout these legends like Dragon b3nder and Mario and all these guys and there garbage

Please find any quote saying that Bender and Hezonja were "legends". You are a liar and as such, you are worthless in this discussion.

Doncic is probably the best euro prospect of at least the past 10 years. Bender and Hezonja were never seen as such.

Does it mean that Doncic is going to pan out? No. But I'm sure you don't think that all tall American players will fail because some became bust. Am I right? So why are you being so lazy when it comes to Euros?

[GrandTheftRondo]

After equating Doncic and Hezonja despite their playing styles not even remotely being similar, you said "The young Bulls forward looks good though but he's 7 feet", as if he's somehow relevant, and then said "Forgot about Giannis but he's not white".

You've completely eradicated your credibility when it comes to European prospects with your senseless drivel that paints all white Europeans with the same brush. Nobody will take you seriously. Tough break.

Did you not read that i stated Dirk, TP and the Gasols are the only above decent Euro players the NBA has seen. That Hezonja was equally as hyped and turned out a bust. That giannis isn't white and that's why i didn't include him in the conversation, if that's racist in your opinion maybe you should go challenge Usain Bolt to a 100m running race. Lauri is really a different kind of player, he's a legit 7footer that can shoot, not a plodding wing that does a bit of everything and gets people excited like he's the next great white hope lol. EDIT: What position do you think Doncic can excel and start at, he's not either of the guard positions, and too slow to play SF(let alone defend them), tell me more how awesome he's gonna be and how he should be a lottery pick.

Current guy whos early favourite for the mvp is a euro but whatever


Also Petrovic was great. Sabonis was outside his prime and he was a very good player

Dont be an idiot

With Nigerian parents and absurd athletic ability.

[Pachinko_]

I think people have totally unrealistic expectations from their top draft picks. They keep imagining things like Lonzo taking the Lakers to the playoffs and things like that, and every year they get disappointed. The reality is that 19 year olds don't carry teams to jack **** in the NBA. It takes them 3 years just to learn the fundamentals. The KAT/Wiggins/Jabari/Okafor types are still struggling with basic defense. Some are good scorers and get lots of points, some even get assists, but this is nowhere near enough to carry teams anywhere, their teams start bad and stay bad for a long time. This is the rule and the exceptions are very few and far between.

So, with that in mind, Doncic is not going to be any different. His only difference is that he will be more polished than the average 19yo because he has been playing significant roles for years against grown men at the second highest level after the NBA. Very successfully too. That's night and day from the typical AAU superstar who spends a few months in the NCAA and then looks like he never had a coach in his life. So Doncic will look good to start with, and he will have a high floor, he will look like an NBA starter pretty much immediately. What happens next and what is his ceiling, this is entirely up to him, what kind of team he plays for, how hard he works. Most kids coming through the draft have a high ceiling and then they screw up or the never get enough opportunity or enough patience or they face too high expectations and they burn out.

The comparisons to Hezonja are a joke of course.

[Jables]

Not a number 1 pick, he looks fine on a fastbreak but not explosive from the perimeter, although in his defense the same was said about the much taller Simmons (and I disagreed). There's also nothing crafty about how he blows past those guards. Does look very good though, really doubt he's the best prospect is all.

[SlowPaced]

I always hear bout these legends like Dragon b3nder and Mario and all these guys and there garbage

Bender was a rotation player for Maccabi and Hezonja was a rotation player for Barcelona. Neither of them played roles in their national team. Doncic is a key player for Real Madrid and was the 2nd best player on the Eurobasket winning Slovenia. What an utter joke of a post.

[TankCommander17]

Im not sure if there's even point in replying to you, since you obviously have your own agenda and know nothing about European basketball.
NBA teams shut down their better, older players after the all star break in order to develop younger players and tank for higher draft picks and you're telling me he wont get chance to develop his game as a top 5 pick?
There's no incentive to lose in Europe, you get nothing in return. And please stop with "NBA scrubs" are stars in Europe, thats why Doncic can do whatever he can, this isnt China. Anthony Randolph is a solid player, but he averaged 9.5 ppg last year, what a superstar. You put him on Nets right now and he'll average that.

No he won't. He was out of the league by age 24 but has a job in europe.

He definitely would. I think there is a decent chance he returns to NBA, maybe even next season. There is no way he will not average 10 ppg. Randolph is a better player now compared to his NBA years.

But I could care less about euroball.

That much is obvious, even though I don't know what this expression really means.

I see his lack of athleticism and bad defense as things that will hamper him. And his offensive game is not refined enough due to this lack of athleticism to compensate for that.

Hamper him in what way? I mean, you could find SOMETHING that hampers every player in the league, that doesn't mean anything.

Rubio, Gallo and Jokic are not star players. None of them have been an all star game and none are franchise players. They are good solid starters however and that is the level he can get to when he moves to the nba. But the #1 pick needs to be a franchise player or perennial all star. So the answer to the topic headline is no.

Jokic is not a star player? At this point I have a picture of you that is not very flattering. And no, the answer to the topic headline is not no. He will be the number one pick so the answer is yes. Your opinion can't change the draft outcome, you are not nearly as informed or knowledgeable as the NBA teams' professionals.

Someone will take him because he is the shiny new euro that they hope is the next Dirk or KP.

Well, I think it's pretty clear that you are biased against European players at this point.

I never said anything about him being white.

Didn't want to say it before, don't want to say it now, but... yeah. Not cool, man. Not cool.

Now get off your euro high horse and go praise Doncic some more just cause Euro.

Yeah, just cause Euro. And you are not bashing him just cause Euro...

Man, when you think nobody can "outsmart" Mirotic12, this guy comes along.

What is Luka's wingspan? Could be around 6'11? He doesn't have freakishly long arms, but seem long for a Euro player.

I don't think that his wingspan was measured, but standing reach was and it was pretty good. I know this will sound weird, but basically... his neck is not very long, his arms are starting quite high already. Take Chris Bosh and Kevin Durant for an example. Bosh is 2 inches taller, but his standing reach is an inch shorter. Doncic has above average standing reach for his height and I believe his vertical reach is also quite good from the tests.
Ok, just saw it was posted later...

not sure what that has to do with 8rpg/8apg predictions

Which part of his prediction bothers you most and how would you change it? And why? By why I mean what do current 8/8 players have that Doncic will not have in his prime? You need to have Westbrook's athleticism to average 8 assists or what?

I don't know that he has gotten more athletic.
Maybe a little stronger but his burst and verticality are about where they've been.

You know what, forget about my question, no need to answer. I know everything now.

Is he getting more athletic all of sudden? He really looks special out there.

It's not more suddenly, he has been getting more athletic for a long time now, he has been working on it for year and half at least. He was really not athletic few years ago and that's where this myth about him being a 6-8 blob came from. Whoever has watched him during these years was seeing the progress all the time. Now he is finally getting to the level where his athleticism will not be a liability.

Never forget that top lottery teams are usually there for a reason. We're not talking about the Spurs doing the picking.

Haha, quote of the thread. Yeah, some of these franchises I've been following for 30 years and I just don't understand what's going on there. One bad decision after another. I just googled 485 000 hits arguing that Knicks are the worst run franchise in pro sports.

European LeBron James.

One guy in this thread would say that Euro LeBron James is basically NBA 12th man. Cause Euro.


The bottom line for me is that I enjoy watching these games, he plays great basketball and the basketball fans should be happy. I couldn't care if he is drafted 1st or 3rd. It's gonna be fun so enjoy the ride.

Your answers literally accomplished nothing to get your point across other than to see your extreme euro bias.

You know who is european and I LOOOOOOVVVEEEE that he is on my team? Porzingis. As a matter of fact as soon as we got the 4th pick he is who I wanted. And i jumped for joy when we got him even though most idiot knick fans booed him. You know why?

Because I saw a mobile 7 footer who could hit 3s and didn't back down from anyone. I could see a place for him in the nba and if he bulked up he could be a star. 3 years later he is one of the best young players in the nba and probably and all star this year.

You know who I don't think has that same trajectory? Doncic. Because he lacks the athleticism and foot speed to play and guard the 3 position in the nba.

You can go ahead and enjoy him all you want. But I just hope my team doesn't pick him. This has nothing to do with him being white or european. It has everything to do with him lacking mobility.

You know who else I think that off? Michael Porter. I want nothing to do with him due to the same issue. He is american. He is not going to be very good in my eyes.

You guys need to stop being all sensitive about Doncic as if he is your son.

[xBulletproof]

Im not sure if he's the best prospect, but I'm a believer. I keep hoping NBA GM's screw this up because I don't think my Pacers will be bad enough to be in the top 5, but maybe 6-10 range. I keep hoping we are there, and he falls there.

It would be the most excited I've been since the Paul George pick. Which local radio hosts saw my Facebook post about the PG13 pick and roasted me. Then 3 years later I heard him on his radio show say he only gives 1 guy credit in all of Indiana for calling that and thinks everyone else is making it up that they wanted Paul George. Let's do that again with Luka.

[XTraderXL]

Looks like he is already outgrowing Euroleague level of competition. How often players from Euroleague title contenders reach 40 PIR, very rarely, I am not even talking about the fact he is 18. Ridiculous.

Really improved his foul drawing rate, which is very demanding skill if you want to be a star, and I am not sure if these guys are just cant box out, or is he just that good at getting in position for offensive rebounds.

His rebounding was alwys great, even when he was 13 and playing with older boys. Back then he was weak, slow and smaller than everyone else (other guys were 2-3 years older), but he still put up 10+ rebounds per game consistently.


He has the anticipation and timing you can not teach. Its just one of those things. If you watch him closely, he follows the ball trajectory and slides into position for a rebound before everyone else. Thats why he is always in the mix for a rebound on defense and most of the time when he goes for offensive rebound he is at least in vicinity of the ball.

I dont really know other guys in this draft but I will be watching the NCAA this year more closely. They must be really something if they are even considered to be picked before Doncic. I have seen some clips of them but those were non competitive games against highschool competition. I want to see how they do against real competition altough still not even close to Euroleague.