Luka Doncic (pre and post-draft discussion thread)
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Those are some outliers though. He's struggled throughout this season getting by defenders. As I said in another thread, Porzingis is a big man. How will he fair against SFs and even some SGs? If you watched today's game, he struggled the entire game to get by defenders. He constantly just swung it around. I do think that this could lower his ceiling has a scorer. In the NBA more so than Euroleague, there's a heavy emphasis on points down the stretch. Every team needs that 1 player who can take over the game and put the team on their back and get buckets. There aren't many of these guys in the NBA, but can Doncic be that guy? His athletic limitations suggest maybe not.
As I said in the post, I think he needs to slim down, and rebuild his strength properly. I don't want to crap on Euro strength and conditioning, but the NBA could do wonders for him (Gallo, Porzingis, Gasol, Jokic, etc). He was at P3 last summer? in California working on his body. He looked remarkably quicker, but since then, his body has gone back to normal and he's added a bit more weight.
As I said in the post, I think he needs to slim down, and rebuild his strength properly. I don't want to crap on Euro strength and conditioning, but the NBA could do wonders for him (Gallo, Porzingis, Gasol, Jokic, etc). He was at P3 last summer? in California working on his body. He looked remarkably quicker, but since then, his body has gone back to normal and he's added a bit more weight.
Yeah very different players. Peja was just a great shooter while Doncic is more of a jack of all trades offensively. He can create for himself (this will be one of the question in the NBA) and others, has great vision, good handle, rebounds, has a good post game.
While Doncic is only hitting 31% of his 3s, I have no doubt that he can be a 40% shooter from 3 in time.
What Doncic has achieved at 19 has not been achieved by any other European player EVER. How that translates into the NBA is the million dollar question that is keeping the executives up at night. Offensively, I think he will be fine and might eventually be a 20ppg type player. Defensively is where the biggest questions are. Can he defend. Peja was dreadful defender early and developed into a pretty solid and versatile 1 on 1 defender.
If Giles is truly as good as the team has advertised, then you might already have a perennial all-star on your team and Doncic can be a Peja to Giles' Webber (even though they are all completely different players).
While Doncic is only hitting 31% of his 3s, I have no doubt that he can be a 40% shooter from 3 in time.
What Doncic has achieved at 19 has not been achieved by any other European player EVER. How that translates into the NBA is the million dollar question that is keeping the executives up at night. Offensively, I think he will be fine and might eventually be a 20ppg type player. Defensively is where the biggest questions are. Can he defend. Peja was dreadful defender early and developed into a pretty solid and versatile 1 on 1 defender.
If Giles is truly as good as the team has advertised, then you might already have a perennial all-star on your team and Doncic can be a Peja to Giles' Webber (even though they are all completely different players).
Very fair point. Mind you, Vesely is a bit of a freak athlete for his size but the point is valid.
On all the chatter that Doncic might be overlooked by Suns, Kings and Hawks, it is typical smoke screen that teams create EVERY year. When the dust settles I think Doncic won't fall past Atlanta and most likely he will be picked by Sacramento.
On all the chatter that Doncic might be overlooked by Suns, Kings and Hawks, it is typical smoke screen that teams create EVERY year. When the dust settles I think Doncic won't fall past Atlanta and most likely he will be picked by Sacramento.
I’ve been as resistant to the rising tide of pace and space as any NBA fan out there, but I agree. Fox is going to need a serviceable 3-pointer if the Kings are going to become a competitive team, especially since we don’t know what kind of shooting the frontcourt will be providing yet, because the rotation remains in flux. The corners would be a good place for Fox to start. When you look at the modern NBA, it’s just so hard to succeed if your guards can’t create space. I think he can get there. There’s nothing broken about his shot. He’s got solid form. He just needs to get shots up, and from everything I’ve read and seen, the kid is an absolute gym rat, so I’m hoping to see improvement from outside next season.
One thing to consider is that I think Doncic has tired legs. He is a kid who has been playing over a year straight. We always talk about rookies hitting the wall and he isn't a rookie yet (has played much more than the college guys). To me, he looked quicker and better at getting separation at the beginning of the season.
a lot of it is between the ears, he has a good head on his shoulders and he is an intelligent kid. Whether or not that takes him far is yet to be determined. If a team that drafts him feel confident enough to develop those weaknesses into strengths, then that isn't the worst approach to take either. It doesn't mean the player will pan out but the tools and skillset are there and it's about digging in there and bringing it out. That's enticing to a team that's rebuilding and shouldn't always look for impact now players when the rest of the roster needs work.
It really is all irrelevant at the moment. What counts is what we have on our hands in 3-5 years time.
I couldn't care less if our pick wins the ROY next year. I care whether we have a star on our hands in 3-5 years time. Safe pick is for teams who has their franchise level players in place. We are yet to find ours so its swing for the fences time IMHO. I am not saying that should be Bamba but it sure as hell needs to be a player with a HUGE upside and a franchise level potential.
If we had #1 pick, I would want Ayton. At #2, I don't really have an opinion other than the player MUST be a perennial all-star for us. Even though there is really very little room for error for us, this is certainly NOT the time to be safe with the pick either.
I couldn't care less if our pick wins the ROY next year. I care whether we have a star on our hands in 3-5 years time. Safe pick is for teams who has their franchise level players in place. We are yet to find ours so its swing for the fences time IMHO. I am not saying that should be Bamba but it sure as hell needs to be a player with a HUGE upside and a franchise level potential.
If we had #1 pick, I would want Ayton. At #2, I don't really have an opinion other than the player MUST be a perennial all-star for us. Even though there is really very little room for error for us, this is certainly NOT the time to be safe with the pick either.
Jarring today to listen to the Sam Vecenie podcast featuring Cole Zwicker and the Bill Simmons podcast featuring Jonathan Tjarks, and hearing all four rave about Doncic to the point that I’m both convinced that he’s the pick for the Kings but also that the Suns will take him first — and then read here that Givony is reporting that he might not even go top 3-4.
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I honestly think that Ayton will go #1 no matter what. I don't think that PHX will be able to justify passing on him as he too closely resembles elite bigmen throughout NBA history. I will be thrilled if we get him. With that said, Luka is a 6'8 wing with handles that allow him to get away with playing as a pg in europe. I see him kind of the same way I see Bogdon. The differences are that Bogdon is a better shooter, while Doncic has better handles, passing, and is bigger. I imagine the playmaking ability of our team with two Bogdons on the floor and I get really excited. Then I remind myself that Doncic is a superior playmaker to Bogdon and I almost pass out.
Givony always ended up having pretty accurate mock drafts at DX which I, in large part, attributed to him having good connections with NBA teams. So I believe him when he says that he's hearing that the Kings & Hawks will pass on Doncic. But there's no way to know if who he's talking to is telling it straight or blowing smoke. But it's definitely smoke screen season so I struggle to believe that teams are ever being honest with the media this time of year.
What purpose could it serve for the Kings to admit to a soft interest in Doncic if it was true? Just dilutes the trade power of the pick. That's why I feel it is for sure a smoke screen and Vlade is really just trying to discourage people from trading up in front of us for Doncic. He's trying to make damn sure he can grab him at 2.
If Vlade ACTUALLY was leaning to Porter or Bagley it seems he would want to keep that to himself.
But maybe I'm missing something.
If Vlade ACTUALLY was leaning to Porter or Bagley it seems he would want to keep that to himself.
But maybe I'm missing something.
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