How is it strange? Is Doncic known for his defense? No. Is he known for his outside shooting? No. He's known for his playmaking ability. So what the hell stat should I be looking at, Padrino? Shot blocking?
If you have stats showing "hockey assists" in euro land please feel free to share. I'd love to see them! What is strange is your abnormal obtuseness in the face of glaring obviousness.
If you have stats showing "hockey assists" in euro land please feel free to share. I'd love to see them! What is strange is your abnormal obtuseness in the face of glaring obviousness.
You yourself have said in other threads that player demeanor and mental fortitude are important factors in evaluating talent. It's why you like to focus on player interviews ahead of the draft. Doncic has been a winner at every stage of his professional career, in part because of these intangibles. He's not out there assist-hunting like Rajon Rondo. He's out there evaluating his options and making the right play. He's also intensely competitive, but it doesn't come at the expense of what's best for the team. His poise at 19 years old is rather impressive.
On the biggest stages in the second-best league in the world, Doncic wasn't the type to fold under pressure, even when things weren't going his way. In other words, his ego's not writing checks his body can't cash. The kid's a baller, and it's hard not to like a player who's already so damn grown at 19, rather than all "untapped potential," like your Ben Mclemore's or your Skal Labissiere's.
And when we discuss whether or not Player X "makes his teammates better," we're not chalking it up to assist numbers or some other raw statistic. Again, you know that quality when you see it. Even in an age of in-depth statistical analysis, sometimes the eye test is sufficient, especially when it can be difficult to grasp how a player's stats will transition from college to the NBA or from Euroleague to the NBA.
For years, you were firmly in the camp that a team built around Demarcus Cousins could not win, in part because he doesn't make his teammates better. For all of his statistical excellence, and for all of the mistakes the Kings made in failing to build around him, it was reasonable to wonder if Boogie was simply fools gold. Luka Doncic unequivocally makes his teammates better. He knows how to make the right pass. He sees the court better than just about any other player his age. He's skilled enough to "wow" you like this...
...but disciplined enough to avoid the kinds of highlight-seeking mistakes that Jason Williams would regularly make early in his career.
Now, none of this is to say that Luka Doncic is a guaranteed all-star in the NBA. A lot of his biggest boosters like to talk him up as if he's the second coming of Magic. I don't know that he is. The limits of his athleticism are a big question mark for me, as are his defensive potential and his ability to become a go-to scorer. I have him ranked below both Ayton and Bagley on my personal big board because I'm not convinced he's got that "franchise player" value one typically looks for in a potential top-3 pick. But I do think Doncic is going to be a legitimate starter on or near day 1, and I think he's going to have a very productive career, with the possibility for all-star success. I'm still familiarizing myself with his game, but I like him a lot, and I don't necessarily think it would be a mistake to draft him at two, especially since concerns about defense abound amongst other top picks like Ayton, Bagley, and Porter Jr.
