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

[hawkmanreturns]

I'm still good with Trae. If this is his floor, I feel confident in what he will become when the games really matter. I'm surprised the expectations on a rookie pg are so high. Everyone was preaching patience at first, now he has to be better than a guy who played pro ball overseas in year one? Once again, if this is his floor, I'm still good with the trade.

[Atlanta Hawk Fan]

I'm still good with Trae. If this is his floor, I feel confident in what he will become when the games really matter. I'm surprised the expectations on a rookie pg are so high. Everyone was preaching patience at first, now he has to be better than a guy who played pro ball overseas in year one? Once again, if this is his floor, I'm still good with the trade.

Doncic's success and the Maverick's record are what increase the pressure - people see that and see what we passed on and fixate on the downside for the pick. Expectations for Trae should be independent of that. Judge Schlenk by that - not Trae.

He has exceeded my expectations so far this season. He needs some patience.

[Spud2nique]

Doncic looked pretty piss poor tonight! Mavs start this losing streak baby lets go!

[pssshhhrrr87]

Doncic looked pretty piss poor tonight! Mavs start this losing streak baby lets go!

NOOO Mavs need to keep winning! Go Doncic! Go Mavs! Give us your #6 pick!

[Jamaaliver]

In latest meeting, Young, Doncic alter few opinions



When the Hawks drafted Luka Doncic and immediately traded him to Dallas for its later pick, Trae Young, and another lottery-protected 2019 pick, of course the spontaneous reaction on this end of the deal was to label it horrid. Doncic would be a difference-maker. Young would keep us entertained for a while. Just as sure as night follows day and a stink follows a rodeo.

That the Hawks lost the game to Dallas – 114-107 – was almost inconsequential. The matchup between Young and Doncic – who will be linked forever, like daytime TV and personal-injury lawyer ads – was bigger than any one game. There were preconceptions to justify.

And the judgment: Down somewhere in my soul, past where the little accountant works the numbers, Doncic just looks like the better choice. He shows more the potential to be special, but then it is always easy in this game to default to the 6-foot-7 guy over the 6-2 one as both are bringing it up the floor and both are maneuvering around the basket. I remain skeptical of the deal. How ’bout you?

This head-to-head was not quite as conclusive as I anticipated. Not exactly the kind of game in which one could scream at the TV: “See, there, I told you.” Sometimes after a game like this, all you get to keep at the end are your suspicions.

But, while the Hawks and Mavs are through with each other this season, there will be plenty of other chances to measure these two in years hence. Keep the couch warm. The court of public opinion is always in session.

AJC

[Jamaaliver]

The Atlanta Hawks’ Most Famous Bust Considers Trae Young and Luka Doncic



In 1985, with the fifth over-all pick of the N.B.A. draft, the Atlanta Hawks selected Jon Koncak, a seven-footer from Southern Methodist University who could touch the rim without jumping or putting his shoes on. Big men were in higher demand back then. But Koncak was a bust. In a career lasting ten years and more than seven hundred games played, Koncak—who was picked ahead of the future Hall of Famers Chris Mullin and Karl Malone—averaged four and a half points and as many rebounds per game.


In June, with the third pick in the 2018 draft, the Hawks selected Luka Dončić, a nineteen-year-old Slovenian player of both immense promise and early accomplishment: he led Real Madrid to the 2018 EuroLeague title, winning the M.V.P. award in the world’s second-best basketball league. The Hawks promptly traded him to the Dallas Mavericks for a wispily built point guard from Oklahoma named Trae Young, who was also nineteen and had played a single year of college basketball in his home state

About a third of the way into the season, Young is performing abysmally in a number of esoteric statistical categories deemed important by the mathematically inclined. oung occasionally looks brilliant in the N.B.A., as when he beat the Spurs with a last-second heave. Sometimes he looks like he wandered into the wrong gym. As for Dončić, he’s the current favorite for Rookie of the Year. A recent Ringer story said that Dončić “moves like a star and thinks like a veteran,” and that he “has a sixth sense.” The phrase “Luka Mania” has some currency.

Koncak has followed Dončić and seen the comparisons made between the two traded players. “Everyone wants to compare everything instantly,” he told me..."I think three years from now, who’s in the playoffs and who’s on an All-Star team, that’s what I would look at.”

New Yorker

[Atlanta Hawk Fan]

Doncic looked pretty piss poor tonight! Mavs start this losing streak baby lets go!

NOOO Mavs need to keep winning! Go Doncic! Go Mavs! Give us your #6 pick!

If they keep winning at the same pace, it will be mathematically impossible for us to get the #6 pick from them. We need them to finish with the 2nd worst to 6th worst record to have any chance of that.

[Spud2nique]

Doncic looked pretty piss poor tonight! Mavs start this losing streak baby lets go!

NOOO Mavs need to keep winning! Go Doncic! Go Mavs! Give us your #6 pick!

If they keep winning at the same pace, it will be mathematically impossible for us to get the #6 pick from them. We need them to finish with the 2nd worst to 6th worst record to have any chance of that.

I’m still sticking with my original ..pick lands 8-12.

[Spud2nique]

Doncic looked pretty piss poor tonight! Mavs start this losing streak baby lets go!

NOOO Mavs need to keep winning! Go Doncic! Go Mavs! Give us your #6 pick!

They win like this they get into playoffs and our pick is late teens. We need a losing streak now from them.

[Jamaaliver]

I’m still sticking with my original ..pick lands 8-12.

They win like this they get into playoffs and our pick is late teens. We need a losing streak now from them.

I like the optimism. And Luka has definitely cooled the last 10+ games.

The frustrating this is...Mavs have still won most of their games over that span. (7-3)

[Spud2nique]

I’m still sticking with my original ..pick lands 8-12.

They win like this they get into playoffs and our pick is late teens. We need a losing streak now from them.

I like the optimism. And Luka has definitely cooled the last 10+ games.

The frustrating this is...Mavs have still won most of their games over that span. (7-3)

Wait ..Luka has cooled over the last 10 games? I thought he’s been hot. No? In any event I don’t see Wes Matthews and other Mavs keeping this up.

[hawkmanreturns]

I’m still sticking with my original ..pick lands 8-12.

They win like this they get into playoffs and our pick is late teens. We need a losing streak now from them.

I like the optimism. And Luka has definitely cooled the last 10+ games.

The frustrating this is...Mavs have still won most of their games over that span. (7-3)

Wait ..Luka has cooled over the last 10 games? I thought he’s been hot. No? In any event I don’t see Wes Matthews and other Mavs keeping this up.

He hasn't. But you wouldn't know that with all of the hype and people wanting to tell the Hawks, "I told you so". You'd think he was playing a lot better than what he is until you look at the numbers. Don't get me wrong, he started out really well, but he's settling back down to what should be his "floor" as a rookie. That's why realistic expectations and patience with Trae is so important. Comparing Trae to Curry and Doncic to Lebron or Harden and then expecting them to carry a team in year one is unfair.

[Atlanta Hawk Fan]

He had that really dramatic game against Houston that over shadowed a relative shooting slump recently.

[Bob8]

Doncic looked pretty piss poor tonight! Mavs start this losing streak baby lets go!

I agree, standards for rookies should be high. But not being a native speaker, I have a problem, you should be able to solve. If 13/5/6 with 50% shooting is piss poor, how would you call 9/3/3, Fg 18%?

For additional help, that’s how piss poor looks,

Watch on YouTube

[EazyRoc]

I feel like this is all pointless until about Year 3 or 4. It isn’t an apples to apples comparison. Luka plays with better players, has pro experience, and isn’t their PG. Young is flashing ELITE skills offensively with his passing and penetration (I admit that I thought he would struggle much more with penetration). I don’t like the trial by fire approach the Hawks are taking with Young. I think Pierce IS starting to do more to reign him in slowly but surely. Young is a force when he’s attacking the basket and it seems week by week, he’s adjusting to the length in the lane. Just chill and let things run their course. Trae is legit.

[tbhawksfan1]

I feel like this is all pointless until about Year 3 or 4. It isn’t an apples to apples comparison. Luka plays with better players, has pro experience, and isn’t their PG. Young is flashing ELITE skills offensively with his passing and penetration (I admit that I thought he would struggle much more with penetration). I don’t like the trial by fire approach the Hawks are taking with Young. I think Pierce IS starting to do more to reign him in slowly but surely. Young is a force when he’s attacking the basket and it seems week by week, he’s adjusting to the length in the lane. Just chill and let things run their course. Trae is legit.

How legit is Trae? He has unquestionable skills, but also very evident limitations. If we ran a poll where would you forcast Trae in 3 years; Fringe starter, avg starter, star, supa star?

Have to see how things play out, but that #3 pick last year could end up being the best we get. We really need to pull some TOP talent out of these drafts.

I don't think anyone outside of Ga or Hawk fan is questioning DAl side of the trade. They are happy to have given up this years pick for Doncic. Time will tell, but the time for Schlenk to nail it was last draft

[marco102]

I feel like this is all pointless until about Year 3 or 4. It isn’t an apples to apples comparison. Luka plays with better players, has pro experience, and isn’t their PG. Young is flashing ELITE skills offensively with his passing and penetration (I admit that I thought he would struggle much more with penetration). I don’t like the trial by fire approach the Hawks are taking with Young. I think Pierce IS starting to do more to reign him in slowly but surely. Young is a force when he’s attacking the basket and it seems week by week, he’s adjusting to the length in the lane. Just chill and let things run their course. Trae is legit.

How legit is Trae? He has unquestionable skills, but also very evident limitations. If we ran a poll where would you forcast Trae in 3 years; Fringe starter, avg starter, star, supa star?

Have to see how things play out, but that #3 pick last year could end up being the best we get. We really need to pull some TOP talent out of these drafts.

I don't think anyone outside of Ga or Hawk fan is questioning DAl side of the trade. They are happy to have given up this years pick for Doncic. Time will tell, but the time for Schlenk to nail it was last draft

They won't question it because of the hype Machine that is ESPN. Like most of us have said. Luka's past 14 or 15 games, he's not shooting at the same efficiency as he was earlier in the season.

If that continues the rest of the season, were he's still average a solid 14 pts 5 assists and 6 rebounds on 35% shooting and 25% from three. Which are very solid for a rookie, you'll see the hype train cool off.

Just last week, people were comparing Luka to Lebron. That's a bit insane. Give these kids time to find who they are in the league. Doncic will be very good though. I'm hoping Trae will be very good too. I've seen flashes. I want to see more consistency next year. Trae's level as of late has been much better. Not earth shattering numbers, but he's been consistent and hasn't been turning the ball over as much and shooting slightly better.

[Bob8]

I feel like this is all pointless until about Year 3 or 4. It isn’t an apples to apples comparison. Luka plays with better players, has pro experience, and isn’t their PG. Young is flashing ELITE skills offensively with his passing and penetration (I admit that I thought he would struggle much more with penetration). I don’t like the trial by fire approach the Hawks are taking with Young. I think Pierce IS starting to do more to reign him in slowly but surely. Young is a force when he’s attacking the basket and it seems week by week, he’s adjusting to the length in the lane. Just chill and let things run their course. Trae is legit.

How legit is Trae? He has unquestionable skills, but also very evident limitations. If we ran a poll where would you forcast Trae in 3 years; Fringe starter, avg starter, star, supa star?

Have to see how things play out, but that #3 pick last year could end up being the best we get. We really need to pull some TOP talent out of these drafts.

I don't think anyone outside of Ga or Hawk fan is questioning DAl side of the trade. They are happy to have given up this years pick for Doncic. Time will tell, but the time for Schlenk to nail it was last draft

They won't question it because of the hype Machine that is ESPN. Like most of us have said. Luka's past 14 or 15 games, he's not shooting at the same efficiency as he was earlier in the season.

If that continues the rest of the season, were he's still average a solid 14 pts 5 assists and 6 rebounds on 35% shooting and 25% from three. Which are very solid for a rookie, you'll see the hype train cool off.


Just last week, people were comparing Luka to Lebron. That's a bit insane. Give these kids time to find who they are in the league. Doncic will be very good though. I'm hoping Trae will be very good too. I've seen flashes. I want to see more consistency next year. Trae's level as of late has been much better. Not earth shattering numbers, but he's been consistent and hasn't been turning the ball over as much and shooting slightly better.

I always admired how stats can be manipulated by anyone with 5 minutes time. It’s my turn now. Luka had 21.6/7/7, Fg.49%, less than 14 attempts/game in last 3 games. That’s elite and much better than his average. Maybe he’s in positive trend now?

Stats works only with big numbers. Shortening data because you want to prove your right just distorts any real meaning of them. And then you even extrapolated this shortened data for laughable 14/6/5, Fg. 35%, 3pts. 25%. Do you even understand, what his % must be, to come from 43/36 % to your 35/25 %? To help you, much worse than horrendous shooting of Trae.

[macd-gm]

The truth is that Luka is playing great and playing better than Trae. There is no getting around that. But the other truth is that if it were not for Luka (and the trade) everyone would be friggin ecstatic about Trae despite his poor shooting. So many people thought he either couldn't compete at this level or he needed a lot of time to get going. He's already the clear 2nd best player on the team. Had we had the number 5 pick from the beginning we'd be still celebrating landing Trae.

[hawkmanreturns]

The truth is that Luka is playing great and playing better than Trae. There is no getting around that. But the other truth is that if it were not for Luka (and the trade) everyone would be friggin ecstatic about Trae despite his poor shooting. So many people thought he either couldn't compete at this level or he needed a lot of time to get going. He's already the clear 2nd best player on the team. Had we had the number 5 pick from the beginning we'd be still celebrating landing Trae.

In a vacuum without all the outside "noise" Trae looks like a future star at PG to me. This kid was playing high school ball a little over a year ago now? He's a prodigy. The kid is going to kill it next season with better strength and conditioning over the summer.