Luka Dončić Discussion - Year 2

[Archx]

So excited to see how Luka will use the offseason.

He will have a full 5 months to improve all around before the season starts.
I would hope he really focusses on getting his body in perfect shape, lose about 10 pounds and do a lot of strength work, explosive training,quickness and agility.

For his game it is just about polishing what is already there. Most importantly get more consitent as a shooter overall (bringing his 3pt % up to 36-38 % and FT up to 80%), but also taking care off the ball.

If he really goes to work, I could see him becoming a Top15 (possibly even Top10) player by next year, averaging 27/7/7.

What are your thoughts and hopes for him next season?

He said that he will take a long break. Wouldn't surprise me if that means up to 2 months because he played a ton of basketball in the past 3 years. He won't be in perfect shape in my opinion for another 2 years. But he can obviously start working on his core strength and conditioning.

[RebelWithACause]

So excited to see how Luka will use the offseason.

He will have a full 5 months to improve all around before the season starts.
I would hope he really focusses on getting his body in perfect shape, lose about 10 pounds and do a lot of strength work, explosive training,quickness and agility.

For his game it is just about polishing what is already there. Most importantly get more consitent as a shooter overall (bringing his 3pt % up to 36-38 % and FT up to 80%), but also taking care off the ball.

If he really goes to work, I could see him becoming a Top15 (possibly even Top10) player by next year, averaging 27/7/7.

What are your thoughts and hopes for him next season?

He said that he will take a long break. Wouldn't surprise me if that means up to 2 months because he played a ton of basketball in the past 3 years. He won't be in perfect shape in my opinion for another 2 years. But he can obviously start working on his core strength and conditioning.

Yes, that’s why I said 5 months, because between Seasons end and next seasons start there’s almost 6 1/2 months break (April 11th - October 22nd ).

[Dirk]

Spoiler:

Doncic's father. Comment on his status, influence and role in Slovenia's basketball and also his relationship with Luka, sounds like "it's still in a complicated" status.

https://siol.net/sportal/kosarka/slovenska-navijaska-invazija-v-zda-kaj-pa-oce-doncic-493834

[Archx]

Spoiler:

Doncic's father. His status, influence and role in Slovenia's basketball and also his relationship with Luka, sounds like "it's in a complicated" status.

https://siol.net/sportal/kosarka/slovenska-navijaska-invazija-v-zda-kaj-pa-oce-doncic-493834

His parents had a nasty divorce and even before the draft there were some legal problems regarding his agent or something like that. Some dirt came out like his dad did something dirty to him and they took it to the court but i think it was all BS.
All in all, they are not on good terms but they do talk from time to time as far as we know. They keep their relationship incredibly private. He distanced himself from his dad that's why you see only his mom all the time.

[Dirk]

I remember reading this letter last year: https://www.sportraits.org/specials/family-stories/8_luka-my-son

Never really understood whether it was genuine or not. The translation is very rough.

What is the timeline. When did they break apart son/father? Parents divorce in 2008. But he trains Doncic. Moves to Spain with mum, but father still ok. I remember the dad was at the Euros in 2017. The issue started exactly when?

Just off the interview I read (on the link about the rookie of the year thing), his father came across well. And seems to be very knowledgeable, so it's interesting that they had such a major fallout that it still isn't fixed.

[mixerball]

Spoiler:

Doncic's father. His status, influence and role in Slovenia's basketball and also his relationship with Luka, sounds like "it's in a complicated" status.

https://siol.net/sportal/kosarka/slovenska-navijaska-invazija-v-zda-kaj-pa-oce-doncic-493834

is this a question or what?

his father fell in love with a younger model (made family with her) and left his mother. i think luka never forgave him about that. that was 2008. luka was 9.
yeah, its definetly weird. we all know father exists but kinda not really.
he is a coach for a club in second slovenian league. he also does commentating for national team. in fact he was there when luka won eurobasket with national team. they did hug on camera and excange a few words but that was sorta it.

funny part his father is basketball player but cant experience this nba thing with him.

[Bob8]

Spoiler:

Doncic's father. His status, influence and role in Slovenia's basketball and also his relationship with Luka, sounds like "it's in a complicated" status.

https://siol.net/sportal/kosarka/slovenska-navijaska-invazija-v-zda-kaj-pa-oce-doncic-493834

is this a question or what?

his father fell in love with a younger model (made family with her) and left his mother. i think luka never forgave him about that. that was 2008. luka was 9.
yeah, its definetly weird. we all know father exists but kinda not really.
he is a coach for a club in second slovenian league. he also does commentating for national team. in fact he was there when luka won eurobasket with national team. they did hug on camera and excange a few words but that was sorta it.

funny part his father is basketball player but cant experience this nba thing with him.

Sasa Doncic lived wild life back then. parties and women.

he's coaching Ilirija, which is in first slovenian league.

[mixerball]

Spoiler:

Doncic's father. His status, influence and role in Slovenia's basketball and also his relationship with Luka, sounds like "it's in a complicated" status.

https://siol.net/sportal/kosarka/slovenska-navijaska-invazija-v-zda-kaj-pa-oce-doncic-493834

is this a question or what?

his father fell in love with a younger model (made family with her) and left his mother. i think luka never forgave him about that. that was 2008. luka was 9.
yeah, its definetly weird. we all know father exists but kinda not really.
he is a coach for a club in second slovenian league. he also does commentating for national team. in fact he was there when luka won eurobasket with national team. they did hug on camera and excange a few words but that was sorta it.

funny part his father is basketball player but cant experience this nba thing with him.

Sasa Doncic lived wild life back then. parties and women.

he's coaching Ilirija, which is in first slovenian league.

why tell me that?

regarding the club, they will probably go down to second league as they have no quality to remain in the first.

[Bob8]

is this a question or what?

his father fell in love with a younger model (made family with her) and left his mother. i think luka never forgave him about that. that was 2008. luka was 9.
yeah, its definetly weird. we all know father exists but kinda not really.
he is a coach for a club in second slovenian league. he also does commentating for national team. in fact he was there when luka won eurobasket with national team. they did hug on camera and excange a few words but that was sorta it.

funny part his father is basketball player but cant experience this nba thing with him.

Sasa Doncic lived wild life back then. parties and women.

he's coaching Ilirija, which is in first slovenian league.

why tell me that?

regarding the club, they will probably go down to second league as they have no quality to remain in the first.

because he didn't leave his mother, it was vice versa. Ilirija might go down, but at the moment they are in first league.

[mixerball]

Sasa Doncic lived wild life back then. parties and women.

he's coaching Ilirija, which is in first slovenian league.

why tell me that?

regarding the club, they will probably go down to second league as they have no quality to remain in the first.

because he didn't leave his mother, it was vice versa. Ilirija might go down, but at the moment they are in first league.

he was a womanizer who got himself a young new model wife. she might have divorced him, but he left.

[BoardCrusher]

How ever the divorce happened and who left who isn't really important, but you can be sure that after that the mother had full influence over Luka and that's most likely the reason the two of them are not close. The thing with the agent probably added some fuel on the fire, so the outcome is the current state. Sasa surely has some bitter taste, he probably doesn't have any monetary gain from his sons success apart from occasionally being called to act as a Co-commentator for national games and has to work for a rather small paycheck just to survive. I still remember I think it was 2012 or 2013 when he was publicly explaining how Luka was gonna be a star someday and he surely wasn't wrong there

[Zion Wembanyama]

[Dirk]

Bad

Spoiler:

Gfycat Video - Click to Play

Good

Spoiler:

Gfycat Video - Click to Play

. He had banged his knee with another player early in the game, leaving briefly, and he limped around the locker room afterward with iced wrapped around it. His corner locker was swarmed by the media for minutes while he answered queries in multiple languages. While he was occupied, some teammates wandered onto the court and returned wide-eyed.

“You’ve gotta get out there, Luka,” Tim Hardaway Jr. pleaded with him when Doncic started towards the shower. “Just walk out there and wave, and you can be done with it.”

Doncic acquiesced without much hesitation. He walked onto the court and it exploded with noise at his appearance. He couldn’t stop smiling when he walked back to the locker room a couple of minutes later.

Grega Dezman played basketball with Doncic growing up, and his girlfriend surprised him with the trip last weekend. They left the next day. “We always knew he was a special guy,” Dezman said, “because he always wanted to do more.” Four more Slovenians, students in their 20s, freaked out when Doncic’s mother, Mirjam Poterbin, walked by their seats. She’s now a Slovenian celebrity, too. They each took photos with her.

https://theathletic.com/894613/2019/03/29/luka-doncic-vs-goran-dragic-meant-everything-to-each-player-and-even-more-to-slovenia/

[Clyde Frazier]

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[Imon]

Luka makes an appearance in Bleacher Report's "Game of Zones" trailer.

I've been a fan of this series for a few years now. I think the two creators of the series are Sixers fans and they're usually on-point with the NBA story lines. I wonder what the Luka story line will be ... could be another rookie episode or maybe about the Mavs starting lineup getting traded away or maybe something about Dirk. Can't wait!

Watch on YouTube

[leolozon]

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He still has a chance to end up top 30 in the 3 categories. He's currently 33rd in rebounds and he just grabbed 12 rbs. Gasol is falling since getting to Toronto. Griffin and Vonleh also don't average as many rebounds in the past 2 months (it doesn't help if they're not playing like today though). If he averages 10-12rpg in the last 4 games, he's in a good position depending what the other guys are doing. Long shot shot, but top 30 would be only Giannis, Westbrook and him.

[Dirk]

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He still has a chance to end up top 30 in the 3 categories. He's currently 33rd in rebounds and he just grabbed 12 rbs. Gasol is falling since getting to Toronto. Griffin and Vonleh also don't average as many rebounds in the past 2 months (it doesn't help if they're not playing like today though). If he averages 10-12rpg in the last 4 games, he's in a good position depending what the other guys are doing. Long shot shot, but top 30 would be only Giannis, Westbrook and him.

LL, what is a Canadian doing, being so devoted to Doncic? I see you on the GB all the time defending the guy. Did you follow him before the NBA or you were just hooked watching him play at the start of this season?

With regards to these categories, the most amusing thing is that while he clearly has not been at his best... he still walks away from games with 20+ points, ~9 rebounds, ~7 assists. It's quite a rookie wall.

It's good to see him make some plays like these

Gfycat Video - Click to Play

Gfycat Video - Click to Play

And, what's the verdict on the final play?

https://streamable.com/uhdxk

a) I love when Doncic creates for others in the clutch and I hope he continues to do so --- prefer that over dribbling around and jacking up a 3.

b) in this particular situation, I felt that it was almost impossible for JB to expect to get the ball given the time on the clock, so yeah... I felt (live) that Luka should have taken the shot --- he clearly didn't expect that MIN great defender to slip or get all twisted around - so he didn't have to step back

After watching multiple replays, I think for the future, JB will always just be ready to take that shot and expect the ball from Luka.

On a different note, let's hope next year he exploits the mid range area as opposed to what we see this year where he at times doesn't take advantage of space available.

[Archx]

And, what's the verdict on the final play?

https://streamable.com/uhdxk

a) I love when Doncic creates for others in the clutch and I hope he continues to do so --- prefer that over dribbling around and jacking up a 3.

b) in this particular situation, I felt that it was almost impossible for JB to expect to get the ball given the time on the clock, so yeah... I felt (live) that Luka should have taken the shot --- he clearly didn't expect that MIN great defender to slip or get all twisted around - so he didn't have to step back

After watching multiple replays, I think for the future, JB will always just be ready to take that shot and expect the ball from Luka.

I think he did the right thing overall. Him and Brunson are rookies who will learn from eachother, it's also a nice time to do that. Next year they'll probably know how to prepare for these type of situations. Every player should be prepared to get the ball, even if its LBJ or Kobe going for the last shot, you just have to be ready.

On a different note, let's hope next year he exploits the mid range area as opposed to what we see this year where he at times doesn't take advantage of space available.

Now this is where i think he can raise his point average by A LOT. And it's also one of my biggest criticisms about his game for the past 2 years probably?
He creates so much space in the mid game, and is so deadly with those lob passes that i think defenders intentionally leave him open now because they rather close out the lane to prevent a lob pass to Powell or whoever it is. If he can develop a deadly mid range shot, then you'll basically have to guard him so close that he will be able to just drive by you. With better or improved team mates around him, i also think he'll have a lot more open shots next year so i see no reason why he wouldn't take those mid range jumpers on a regular basis.

[leolozon]

LL, what is a Canadian doing, being so devoted to Doncic? I see you on the GB all the time defending the guy. Did you follow him before the NBA or you were just hooked watching him play at the start of this season?

Yeah, it's not usual, but I love basketball and don't really have a favorite team. I'm from Montreal and like the Raptors, but they're not my team. Some teams I like, some I don't, some I'm neutral about. I became a basketball fan because of Steve Nash and can find as much enjoyment being a fan of players rather than a team. But after Nash retired I didn't really find a player I loved as much. I thought Wiggins would be my next favorite player, but after following him in college I realized he didn't have the right mentality. I liked some guys (Curry, Jokic, Giannis), but no one I wanted to follow.

Then I heard about Doncic, started following him in Europe last year and that was it. I just love the way he plays and the way he carries himself. Then the draft happened. Phoenix and Dallas are actually two teams I like and follow (because of Nash, but also Nowitzki, I was rooting hard for Dallas in 2011), but I'm pretty neutral about Atlanta and Sacramento, so when Dallas traded to get Doncic it was the best case scenario for me. I didn't expect it and it was perfect.

So, here I am.

AS for the last play, as I said in another thread, I think passing is the right play. But I would have prefered if he went forward instead of backward. He could have taken a jumper from the FT line, which would probably have been a better option, or he could have gone to the basket with Powell and Kleber being maybe better options to pass to. I'm not sure about going back to the 3pt line once your defender is down and you're essentially at the FT line.

But I loved that he passed the ball, because I think sometimes he tries to do too much by himself. Plus, he's not shooting the 3 well lately, so I think passing to the open Brunson was a winning play. Lebron is also his idol and that's something Lebron would do. So I'm not surprised.

[Archx]

Doncic already started training hard for the next season

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