Luka Doncic (pre and post-draft discussion thread)

[Sactown ExPat]

Kings PR person laying the groundwork in case Luca doesn’t want to come to Sac.

https://www.google.com/amp/amp.sacb...amento-kings/kings-blog/article211249164.html

This post rankled some others, but my antenna did go up when Givony kind of floated this on the latest Woj pod. Doncic came off as more glamor-seeking than I anticipated him to be in the ESPN profile of him. Madrid is a world-class city that attracts a lot of athletes with HUGE international profiles—if he’s expecting something equivalent in the NBA then we’re in trouble.

Having said that, I’m not sure what the play is for him and his agent if they don’t want to go to the Kings. There’s not going to be a better on-court situation for him than the Suns or Kings, and both have staffs that are very familiar with him. Atlanta is a big, but poorly supported, market. Memphis? No. Dallas? I don’t know—it’s glamorous for sure, but not a basketball town and the DSJ fit would be interesting to say the least.

His agent is based out of the Bay Area—proximity would be beneficial I assume. It might take some recruiting by Vlade, Peja, Brandon Williams, and Joerger...but I just don’t see a better situation for Luka than the Suns or Kings.

 

[ParniValjak]

Luca is currently a marketable player in a 6.8M town. His agent wants him to go to a large market. With the Rookie salary cap we are limited what we can pay him.

It’s not a certainty he comes over.

You are clutching at straws there! Dončić will play in the NBA next season wherever he gets drafted.

 

[Hansel]

Kokoskov doesn't have lots of doubts about his 1st pick apparently...

Don’t ask new Suns coach Igor Kokoskov whom they should take if they win the No. 1 pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery.

Kokoskov may be a rookie head coach, but he’s not about to say whether he prefers Arizona center Deandre Ayton or Slovenian guard Luka Doncic, whom Kokoskov coached on the Slovenian national team last summer.

“I can’t compare those two guys because I lived with Luka. I coached Luka,” Kokoskov said. “I’ve watched highlights of the other kid. I don't ever run away from my opinion, but other guys have seen him play a lot more than me.”

Phoenix has the best odds to get the No. 1 pick in the lottery, which will be revealed at approximately 5:20 p.m. during a 4:30-5:30 p.m. ESPN show. The Suns, who finished with the NBA’s worst record (21-61), have a 25 percent chance to get the top pick and a 64.2 percent chance of landing a top-three selection. Phoenix can fall no further than No. 4 in the lottery. Rookie forward Josh Jackson will be Phoenix’s representative at the lottery.

While Kokoskov couldn’t be lured into the Ayton-Doncic debate, he did offer a scouting report of the 6-foot-8, 19-year-old Doncic, whom some scouts have called the best prospect to ever come out of Europe.

“We call him wunderkind,” Kokoskov said. “He’s an upcoming, rising star. Luka is a very talented player. His ability to pass, that’s the hardest part of the game, the most difficult part to teach. To be a good passer you have to understand the game. It’s basketball IQ. He’s really unique and special at that age to understand the game well and to be a team player. He’s not necessarily playing point guard but he’s a playmaker who makes everybody else better on the court.”

Some scouts have questioned Doncic’s ceiling because they’re not sure if he’s athletic enough to be a star in the NBA. Kokoskov doesn’t share those concerns.

“Hopefully (this is) not a final product of Luka Doncic,” Kokoskov said. “He’s 19. If you ask me, ‘Does he have space to get better in every aspect of his basketball game?’ He can be better. He’s a great passer. He can be better. He’s a good shooter. He can be better. Can his body be better? No question. I think there is a lot of room for him to improve.”

 

[ESP47]

Finally someone pointed this out. It was very frustrating reading the above. People forming their own opinions on the spot by misreading information.

I read the information correctly. The article mixed the assist and rebound numbers up in the chart. I had no way of knowing that without fact checking on another site.

 

[roasthawg]

Assists and Rebounds stats are inverted.
Gallinari averaged 4.2 REBOUNDS and 1.7 ASSISTS.
He was also one year older than Doncic is right now.

That would make a lot more sense!

 

[roasthawg]

I read the information correctly. The article mixed the assist and rebound numbers up in the chart. I had no way of knowing that without fact checking on another site.

Same here... Although it did seem strange, should've caught it right away in hindsight. Makes Luka's numbers pop more though in comparison to Gallinaris for sure.

 

[sactowndog]

Come on, man. You spent like a year with doom and gloom about how Bogdan wasn't going to come over.

Spoiler

He came over

Now you're starting in on Doncic?

When did I say Bogdan wouldn’t come over. I wanted him to come over earlier and skip Eurobasket because I felt he would integrate easier and be rested for the season.

 

[Blob]

Kokoskov doesn't have lots of doubts about his 1st pick apparently...

Don’t ask new Suns coach Igor Kokoskov whom they should take if they win the No. 1 pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery.

Kokoskov may be a rookie head coach, but he’s not about to say whether he prefers Arizona center Deandre Ayton or Slovenian guard Luka Doncic, whom Kokoskov coached on the Slovenian national team last summer.

“I can’t compare those two guys because I lived with Luka. I coached Luka,” Kokoskov said. “I’ve watched highlights of the other kid. I don't ever run away from my opinion, but other guys have seen him play a lot more than me.”

Phoenix has the best odds to get the No. 1 pick in the lottery, which will be revealed at approximately 5:20 p.m. during a 4:30-5:30 p.m. ESPN show. The Suns, who finished with the NBA’s worst record (21-61), have a 25 percent chance to get the top pick and a 64.2 percent chance of landing a top-three selection. Phoenix can fall no further than No. 4 in the lottery. Rookie forward Josh Jackson will be Phoenix’s representative at the lottery.

While Kokoskov couldn’t be lured into the Ayton-Doncic debate, he did offer a scouting report of the 6-foot-8, 19-year-old Doncic, whom some scouts have called the best prospect to ever come out of Europe.

“We call him wunderkind,” Kokoskov said. “He’s an upcoming, rising star. Luka is a very talented player. His ability to pass, that’s the hardest part of the game, the most difficult part to teach. To be a good passer you have to understand the game. It’s basketball IQ. He’s really unique and special at that age to understand the game well and to be a team player. He’s not necessarily playing point guard but he’s a playmaker who makes everybody else better on the court.”

Some scouts have questioned Doncic’s ceiling because they’re not sure if he’s athletic enough to be a star in the NBA. Kokoskov doesn’t share those concerns.

“Hopefully (this is) not a final product of Luka Doncic,” Kokoskov said. “He’s 19. If you ask me, ‘Does he have space to get better in every aspect of his basketball game?’ He can be better. He’s a great passer. He can be better. He’s a good shooter. He can be better. Can his body be better? No question. I think there is a lot of room for him to improve.”

Interesting, the new Suns coach referred to DeAndre Ayton as the "other kid".

How willing is the Suns GM committed to give his new coach the player he wants?

That is the question!

You hire a new coach.

How willing are you to help him succeed?

I would hope very willing...you hired him!

Hence, give him the player he wants as long as it is consistent with your own GM philosophy, to the extent you have one.

Subsequently Ayton will be ours!

De'Andre + De'Aaron = De'Lightful

McDonough is on thin ice. His job as a GM has been Vlade-esque. If he believes Chriss and Bender can still be impact players, and they need a savvy playmaker like Luka to unlock their potential, that is another check mark in the column of the Slovenian Sensation. I think there is validity to this way of thinking, though I don't know how good they suddenly become. I think they are still fairly marginal. Boggy showed as much with Willie. You can make your teammate look better, but they have to carry his own weight independent of your assistance. Regardless it is not fait de complete the Suns are taking Ayton despite what the fans on Bright Suns of the Sun want you to think.

 

[CelticsFan]

From rotoworld something to keep an eye on

Luka Doncic - G - Player
“Luka Doncic said he hasn't made a decision about joining the NBA in 2018-19.
He's currently focused on his season with Real Madrid and won't make a decision until later in the summer. "Ι’m not sure if these are my last two games [in EuroLeague]," Doncic said. "We have yet to make this decision. Perhaps after the season." Maybe he doesn't want to upset his current teammates during their title run or maybe his camp is using this is as leverage to steer him to a specific destination, but this is a story to monitor closely over the next few weeks.”

 

[allrightythen]

From rotoworld something to keep an eye on

Luka Doncic - G - Player
“Luka Doncic said he hasn't made a decision about joining the NBA in 2018-19.
He's currently focused on his season with Real Madrid and won't make a decision until later in the summer. "Ι’m not sure if these are my last two games [in EuroLeague]," Doncic said. "We have yet to make this decision. Perhaps after the season." Maybe he doesn't want to upset his current teammates during their title run or maybe his camp is using this is as leverage to steer him to a specific destination, but this is a story to monitor closely over the next few weeks.”

This makes for more debate, but I don't doubt the Kings or the Suns will know exactly what his plan is before making their picks next month. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they already his decision.

 

[206Fan]

He also said the same thing about declaring regarding Michael Porter. And Jontay. And Wendell Carter. It's getting old.

MPJ, Johntay, and Carter did say things about going back to school though.

 

[206Fan]

https://twitter.com/x/status/997114483922362368

https://twitter.com/x/status/997115160958554112

 

[Capt. Factorial]

When did I say Bogdan wouldn’t come over. I wanted him to come over earlier and skip Eurobasket because I felt he would integrate easier and be rested for the season.

My bad, you weren't even registered on the board at the time. My mistake.

 

[Jkbiker]

Well season is over on 5/20 so he can talk with Vlade the next day to calm his chain smoking nerves LOL

 

[Joshoua]

You think Doncic is gonna come out and say ya I’m leaving before the season ends. That’s actually funny only Lonzo Ball does stuff like that

 

[Dime Dropper]

I read the information correctly. The article mixed the assist and rebound numbers up in the chart. I had no way of knowing that without fact checking on another site.

Fair enough, I was quick to judge. The first few sites I checked out had it correct, so I was a bit baffled as to what people were looking at. Not your fault if the website jumbled them up.

 

[ppine]

Great vesatility is a huge asset. I can see Doncic at the 1, 2 or 3 depending on the matchups. Bogdan is also versatile. I can't see Doncic at the 4 at all. It takes a whole different mind set to bang in the NBA with the big guys.

 

[sactowndog]

My bad, you weren't even registered on the board at the time. My mistake.

Thanks for the acknowledgement. When I post something like that I have my sources whom I consider credible. Now the sources can be wrong or things can change as Vlade is a pursuasive guy, but I’m not just spit balling stuff for a reaction.

 

[sactowndog]

MPJ, Johntay, and Carter did say things about going back to school though.

Correct and if you look at my posts I said it was possible they don’t declare. They all considered returning.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Thanks for the acknowledgement. When I post something like that I have my sources whom I consider credible. Now the sources can be wrong or things can change as Vlade is a pursuasive guy, but I’m not just spit balling stuff for a reaction.

I made the same mistake. There was definitely a guy making irrational posts about how Bogdan may not come over for this past season. He was particularly hard-headed about it and ignored all evidence to the contrary. I thought you were the same guy doing it again!

 

[sactowndog]

I made the same mistake. There was definitely a guy making irrational posts about how Bogdan may not come over for this past season. He was particularly hard-headed about it and ignored all evidence to the contrary. I thought you were the same guy doing it again!

Nah I may be hard headed but I don't ignore evidence.

 

[burekijogurt]

so if he does decide not to come to nba right away, do we draft him anyway? i guess not and we move on to the next player, Bagely most likely...

 

[Folsomkingsfan]

Luca is currently a marketable player in a 6.8M town. His agent wants him to go to a large market. With the Rookie salary cap we are limited what we can pay him.

It’s not a certainty he comes over.

Then he's an idiot and is screwed. The first major market team drafting this year are the Mavs at 5 and he won't make it that far. The Grizzlies aren't a draw at all and the Hawks have 15 total fans in the entire world. We're small market but at least we have a solid international fanbases in India and parts of Europe.

 

[hrdboild]

Gallinari averaging more assists and less turnovers in Europe than Rubio and Doncic is surprising to me. Wonder what happened to that part of his game or why it didn't translate?

It's a typo Somebody swapped the rebounds and assists for Gallo by mistake. Here's his official stat page -- those numbers are also over only 11 games so there's some small sample size aberration in there. Luka's stats are over 31 games so far this year.

EDIT -- Probably should have read the whole thread first. I see that this has already been mentioned several times.

 

[Folsomkingsfan]

This post rankled some others, but my antenna did go up when Givony kind of floated this on the latest Woj pod. Doncic came off as more glamor-seeking than I anticipated him to be in the ESPN profile of him. Madrid is a world-class city that attracts a lot of athletes with HUGE international profiles—if he’s expecting something equivalent in the NBA then we’re in trouble.

Having said that, I’m not sure what the play is for him and his agent if they don’t want to go to the Kings. There’s not going to be a better on-court situation for him than the Suns or Kings, and both have staffs that are very familiar with him. Atlanta is a big, but poorly supported, market. Memphis? No. Dallas? I don’t know—it’s glamorous for sure, but not a basketball town and the DSJ fit would be interesting to say the least.

His agent is based out of the Bay Area—proximity would be beneficial I assume. It might take some recruiting by Vlade, Peja, Brandon Williams, and Joerger...but I just don’t see a better situation for Luka than the Suns or Kings.

Dallas isn't a basketball town? You're crazy. They are always in the top 3 or 4 for attendance and have filled their arena passed 100% capacity for years.

 

[hrdboild]

Kings PR person laying the groundwork in case Luca doesn’t want to come to Sac.

https://www.google.com/amp/amp.sacb...amento-kings/kings-blog/article211249164.html

The best thing about that article to me is the DeAaron interview clip at the bottom. Every time I hear that guy speak I'm reminded why I'm sold on him as a player. He's a great combination of easy going but also focused on what's important. That's why he's been an assassin in close games -- he's calm enough to not let the nerves bother him but he's also able to turn up his intensity level when he needs to. I'm feeling very good about our future right now.

 

[Kingster]

The best thing about that article to me is the DeAaron interview clip at the bottom. Every time I hear that guy speak I'm reminded why I'm sold on him as a player. He's a great combination of easy going but also focused on what's important. That's why he's been an assassin in close games -- he's calm enough to not let the nerves bother him but he's also able to turn up his intensity level when he needs to. I'm feeling very good about our future right now.

It also reminds me of why interviews are important to assess talent. A player doesn't have to speak in King's english to gain my favor, but he does have to show there is something between the ears. I can't remember a great player who wasn't smart. Even though Bamba and Sexton aren't my favorite players in this draft, I do give them points for being smart guys.

 

[Bosnian Diehard]

so if he does decide not to come to nba right away, do we draft him anyway? i guess not and we move on to the next player, Bagely most likely...

Correct me if I’m wrong but he said he isn’t sure if he will declare for the draft. Therefore, it’s not the typical “get drafted and stay in Europe for one or two years.” It’s whether he will even be up for selection in this draft.

 

[Joshoua]

This gets dumber buy the second so Doncic has a final four game tomorrow. The **** would he declare for the draft the day before a big game, journalism these days man smh

 

[funkykingston]

Correct me if I’m wrong but he said he isn’t sure if he will declare for the draft. Therefore, it’s not the typical “get drafted and stay in Europe for one or two years.” It’s whether he will even be up for selection in this draft.

My understanding (and someone - probably Capt. Factorial, it's usually Capt - can correct me if I'm wrong) is that international players don't have to declare for the draft at all. Once they reach a certain age, they are available to be drafted by an NBA team. It is then up to them whether they want to go to the NBA or not.

The Kings did this with Peja and had to wait, with Hido who came over immediately, and with Bodiroga who decided to never come to the NBA at all.

More recently guys like Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Papagiannis came over right away while Saric and Bogdanovic chose to wait. But they were draft eligible as soon as they reached a certain age.