Luka Doncic

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#1
He deserves his thread.
According to Aza Petrovic, coach of Croatia national team and Drazen's brother, the best player came out of Europe in the last 15 years.
After the Eurobasket title with Slovenia, now he's dominating the Euroleague and he's not 19 yet.

 
#2
Doncic is the clear cut #1 prospect right now. College basketball season is coming around. It'll be fun to see if anyone can take the title away.

I don't think any other prospects in this class is even as versatile as Doncic. He can play PG, SG, SF, point forward, scoring guard, off guard, etc.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#3
Doncic is the clear cut #1 prospect right now. College basketball season is coming around. It'll be fun to see if anyone can take the title away.

I don't think any other prospects in this class is even as versatile as Doncic. He can play PG, SG, SF, point forward, scoring guard, off guard, etc.
Versatility is great but for whatever reason modern NBA scouting seems value athletic potential over skill so I could see Bagley or Bamba overtaking him based on "potential" alone. Not saying it's right but it's something we've seen again and again.
 
#4
Doncic is my guy this draft.

He was eye catching last year, let alone the start of this season. For a guy so young to dominate against older competition is astounding. If we were lucky enough to draft this guy I would be ecstatic.

Got me dreaming of this lineup:

Fox
Bogdan
Doncic
Skal
WCS
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#5
I like Doncic a lot, and watched several of his games on his run toward the championship. He's going to be a really, really good player. I'm curious to see how he measures you at the end of next season. That said, I'm not quite ready to write down his name as the number one pick in the draft, which bodes well for the draft. That means there are several players that are capable of challenging him for that spot. I can't wait for the college season to start. I have both DVR's cleaned up and ready to go.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#6
Doncic is my guy this draft.

He was eye catching last year, let alone the start of this season. For a guy so young to dominate against older competition is astounding. If we were lucky enough to draft this guy I would be ecstatic.

Got me dreaming of this lineup:

Fox
Bogdan
Doncic
Skal
WCS
That would be a dream lineup. But we would have to have a top two or three pick to have a chance at getting Doncic. I would be happy with either of these lineups as well.

Fox
Bogdan
Porter
Skal
Willie

Or:

Fox
Bogdan
Bridges
Skal
Willie.

Bridges is my fall back if we end up picking anywhere in the 6 to 8 range. Of course all this is based on current information. That could all change in a couple of months.
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
#9
Beast.

It's too early for me to get my heart set on specific prospects, but apparently this draft is looking real good in the top 5.

I'm all in on lins this season. I admit it.
It wouldn't suck to get a big time player out of the draft to go with Fox and BB8 and our other young guys....and Giles actually is a CWebb lite.....wouldn't suck at all.
 
#10
All I will say is that, given the connections the front office already has to Doncic and the club atmosphere, if Stern were still in charge I would feel VERY comfortable that we were getting Doncic. VERY comfortable.

Of course I said the same thing about Fox during March Madness and look how that turned out.
 
#14
How will he fair on the defensive side? Looks slow/heavy footed. How does he perform when covered by an experienced and NBA level athlete?
Oddly, Doncic has gotten a little bit faster and stronger in the span of a year. It's unusual to see players get faster after 16/17 yearsold. I think his defense will ultimately come down to his measurements. If he's big enough to guard SFs, he'll have no problem on either end of the floor. If he's a bit smaller, then he might struggle to defend SGs and get by them.
Right now, he's listed at 6'7 218lbs. Wingspan is unknown.

He is a bit heavy footed, but he does do a good job at recovering when getting beat. He puts effort on the defensive side, but he's limited to SG/SFs.
 
#15
Oddly, Doncic has gotten a little bit faster and stronger in the span of a year. It's unusual to see players get faster after 16/17 yearsold. I think his defense will ultimately come down to his measurements. If he's big enough to guard SFs, he'll have no problem on either end of the floor. If he's a bit smaller, then he might struggle to defend SGs and get by them.
Right now, he's listed at 6'7 218lbs. Wingspan is unknown.

He is a bit heavy footed, but he does do a good job at recovering when getting beat. He puts effort on the defensive side, but he's limited to SG/SFs.
Actually, it is normal for guys to get faster and more athletic after 16/17. Most men don't hit their physical peak till their mid 20s.
 
#16
Oddly, Doncic has gotten a little bit faster and stronger in the span of a year. It's unusual to see players get faster after 16/17 yearsold. I think his defense will ultimately come down to his measurements. If he's big enough to guard SFs, he'll have no problem on either end of the floor. If he's a bit smaller, then he might struggle to defend SGs and get by them.
Right now, he's listed at 6'7 218lbs. Wingspan is unknown.

He is a bit heavy footed, but he does do a good job at recovering when getting beat. He puts effort on the defensive side, but he's limited to SG/SFs.

I think he can guard some PF's with the way the NBA is now. He did that at times last year when I saw him play. He's a big dude for a wing regardless of length.
 
#17
If Willie had an ounce of toughness to him, adding Doncic would put a young prospect at every position on this team. But now I'm worried that we may need a big man who can rebound and block shots more than a guy with Docic's skill sets. It's hard to depend on Giles so even with Doncic, we're going to struggle to man the paint.
 
#18
Actually, it is normal for guys to get faster and more athletic after 16/17. Most men don't hit their physical peak till their mid 20s.
It's really rare to see a non-athletic 16yearold basketball player to suddenly become more athletic when they get older. I'm not saying Doncic is nonathletic, but you just don't see 16/17 yearolds get much faster than they already are at that age. I have no scientific proof of this and don't want to spew BS, but it's just something I've noticed. 17yearsolds are lighter, making them faster and sometimes more explosive. As they add more muscle and weight, they're start to peak.

With Doncic, he's added more weight, but he's also gotten quicker. If I knew nothing about him except that game. I would suggest that he'd lose weight to get more quicker. But since I do know him... it's weird, because when he was smaller and lighter, he was slower.
 
#19
I think he can guard some PF's with the way the NBA is now. He did that at times last year when I saw him play. He's a big dude for a wing regardless of length.
He doesn't have the lower body strength to guard PFs. He might be able to guard Anthony Tolliver, but that's about it. Even Ryan Anderson would punish him in the paint.

He's only 6'7 with a 218lb frame. He doesn't have a chance at playing PF unless we're seeing 3-guard lineups.

If Willie had an ounce of toughness to him, adding Doncic would put a young prospect at every position on this team. But now I'm worried that we may need a big man who can rebound and block shots more than a guy with Docic's skill sets. It's hard to depend on Giles so even with Doncic, we're going to struggle to man the paint.
Unless Fox shows that he can be a franchise player, Kings are at a position where they have to take BPA. What's the point in drafting a role player at #3 when we don't have anyone who can score on a nightly basis?

You find a franchise player first because you can be selective on who to pick and how to fit players.
 
#20
He doesn't have the lower body strength to guard PFs. He might be able to guard Anthony Tolliver, but that's about it. Even Ryan Anderson would punish him in the paint.

He's only 6'7 with a 218lb frame. He doesn't have a chance at playing PF unless we're seeing 3-guard lineups.


Unless Fox shows that he can be a franchise player, Kings are at a position where they have to take BPA. What's the point in drafting a role player at #3 when we don't have anyone who can score on a nightly basis?

You find a franchise player first because you can be selective on who to pick and how to fit players.
I completely agree with you and we will know much more about not only Fox, but the players slated to go in the lottery by the beginning of next summer.

I'm not advocating taking a guy that's slated to be Clint Capela over a kid like Doncic but there are some pretty talented big men that are slated to go before or right around where Doncic may get picked. It'll be interesting to see. The good thing is that there should be a handful of guys in the lottery that should fill a need for us.
 
#21
It's really rare to see a non-athletic 16yearold basketball player to suddenly become more athletic when they get older. I'm not saying Doncic is nonathletic, but you just don't see 16/17 yearolds get much faster than they already are at that age. I have no scientific proof of this and don't want to spew BS, but it's just something I've noticed. 17yearsolds are lighter, making them faster and sometimes more explosive. As they add more muscle and weight, they're start to peak.

With Doncic, he's added more weight, but he's also gotten quicker. If I knew nothing about him except that game. I would suggest that he'd lose weight to get more quicker. But since I do know him... it's weird, because when he was smaller and lighter, he was slower.
I would simply point out that if you look at track&field, the best in the world are almost all between the ages of 25 - 35. This is not a coincidence IMO.
 
#22
He doesn't have the lower body strength to guard PFs. He might be able to guard Anthony Tolliver, but that's about it. Even Ryan Anderson would punish him in the paint.

He's only 6'7 with a 218lb frame. He doesn't have a chance at playing PF unless we're seeing 3-guard lineups.


Unless Fox shows that he can be a franchise player, Kings are at a position where they have to take BPA. What's the point in drafting a role player at #3 when we don't have anyone who can score on a nightly basis?

You find a franchise player first because you can be selective on who to pick and how to fit players.
Tolliver would be some. There are more Tollivers than brutes at PF these days. He's also still quite young and he's going to probably fill out even more in time.
 
#24
Vlade will take this kid if we land the number 1. Simple as that. He won't care for the domestic prospects
I think Vlade will take whoever they think is the best player, which could very well end up being Doncic. It is way too early with too many talented players to make that prediction.
 
#25
I think Vlade will take whoever they think is the best player, which could very well end up being Doncic. It is way too early with too many talented players to make that prediction.
you're right

to rehash what i said, i feel it wont be hard for Vlade to see this kid as the best prospect and most talented. He will see him as the best
 
#26
He will probably be the most NBA ready player within the top picks, as usually outstanding freshmen go on top, and we don't have the next year draft pick. I cannot see how can Vlade pass him if he's available, I have no doubt.
 
#27
He will probably be the most NBA ready player within the top picks, as usually outstanding freshmen go on top, and we don't have the next year draft pick. I cannot see how can Vlade pass him if he's available, I have no doubt.
There's still Porter Jr who might be a more talented scorer than Doncic.

I'm still not sure which position Doncic plays. Don't think he can guard PGs or SGs. Could play SF if he bulks up. Will he be fast enough to get to the rim? Lots of odd factors. I don't think he's a bad athlete per say, but if he were quicker, my concerns would be washed away and I'd be ready to declare him as the next Lebron/Hayward combo.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#28
Oddly, Doncic has gotten a little bit faster and stronger in the span of a year. It's unusual to see players get faster after 16/17 yearsold. I think his defense will ultimately come down to his measurements. If he's big enough to guard SFs, he'll have no problem on either end of the floor. If he's a bit smaller, then he might struggle to defend SGs and get by them.
Right now, he's listed at 6'7 218lbs. Wingspan is unknown.

He is a bit heavy footed, but he does do a good job at recovering when getting beat. He puts effort on the defensive side, but he's limited to SG/SFs.
When I was 14 years old I ran the 100 yrd dash in 10.1 seconds. When I was 18 yrs old, I ran the 100 yrd dash in 10.0 seconds. So I gained one tenth of a second. Probably through improved technique. So I think you can improve a tad, but not really very much as far as overall speed goes. Laterally is a different story. You can improve quite a bit by improving your technique. By the way, Doncic has never looked slow footed to me. I certainly wouldn't call him an elite athlete, but I'd say he's a little above what would be considered NBA average.

You know I hear this sort of thing every year prior to the next draft. He's too slow! He can't jump! He's undersized! While all those things may be true, many times they're not true. I argued with people on this forum that thought Harden was a poor athlete. I had people tell me that Griffin was undersized and not athletic enough. Why don't we wait and find out some of it at the combine. That doesn't mean you can't be curious about those things. I'am! But until we have confirmation, who the hell knows.:rolleyes:
 

hrdboild

Hall of Famer
#30
You know, the thing about Luka is... he really reminds me of the starting PG version of James Harden we've seen since D'Antoni took over in Houston. He doesn't play fast but he's so in control of the ball and where he's trying to go and where his teammates are that he doesn't need to play fast. And looking at what James Harden is doing to the league this year, well it makes me question whether "he's just a scorer" is a valid criticism any more. Does Houston care all that much if James is taking it easy on defense when he's dominating games like that? I seriously doubt it. My preference in the draft has been for two-way players or dominant bigs but it's become impossible to ignore the way the league is currently being dominated by guards and wings who are capable of creating off the bounce. And isn't a complete offensive wrecking machine like James Harden more valuable than a guy who's going to be above-average on both ends but isn't ever going to lead a team? I don't know really. It's an open question. In the past I've always preached defense-first and balanced scoring loads instead of superstars but James Harden and Steph Curry have forced me to question everything I thought I knew about basketball.

What I'm trying to say is that it would be a hard choice for me right now between Luka and DeAndre at the top of the draft. There are strong arguments to be made for both of them. And when you're looking at a generational kind of talent, the whole concept of "best fit" goes right out the window. I've vacillated a bit on putting Doncic at #1 because of the whole "white guys can't play defense bias" -- just being honest -- but I think Harden has finally broken me down. We all mocked him for his complete lack of defensive intensity but it looks like he's got the last laugh. I still don't quite get how he does it, but I'm trying to understand. If you have the size, ball skills, vision, toughness, and competitive edge to score 30 a game and account for another 20 or so points in assisted baskets, what else is there to say? That is the game of basketball.

Enough about Harden though. Doncic is legit. If you could buy stock in a prospect I'd be all in. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do in the NBA next year, whichever team he ends up on.
 
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