Luka Doncic is one of the league’s most dominant players, also making him one of the league’s most exciting players. Meanwhile, he isn’t afraid to let his emotions and voice be heard on the court. Regardless of his on-court antics, Doncic has the upside as one of the NBA’s most dangerous players. Doncic, who turned 23 in February, wowed fans in the playoffs, leading his fourth-seeded team to the Western Conference finals. Doncic averaged 31.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists in the playoffs. He averaged 28.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 8.7 apg in the regular season. His career playoff scoring average is 32.5 ppg. However, not everyone thought he would become the star that he is today and some still doubt him.
Today’s video will be about what NBA players and analysts really think of Luka Doncic.
1. Lebron James
The incredible play Luka Doncic has offered during his time in the NBA has commanded the respect of many. The Dallas Mavericks superstar has a big fan that many may know: LeBron James.
There are clear similarities shared between Doncic and James. Both players see the floor multiple steps ahead of the defense as passers and execute with exceptional accuracy and timing. They both hunt mismatches aggressively and can fill up the box score in each main category.
During a conversation on HBO’s “The Shop” on episode four of season five, James highlighted the exceptionally talented Doncic. James was especially impressed with how Doncic can accomplish being practically a point guard with such a size advantage.
“His size. I mean he’s gigantic. A 6-8 point guard. He’s 225 pounds. He has the ball on a string. And more importantly, his vision. That’s why I love him,” James said.
2. Stephen Curry
The Golden State Warriors played the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals last season. Having closed out the Memphis Grizzlies in six games, Golden State had the opportunity to sit back and observe Game 7 between the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks. The game of course ended up being a blowout, with Luka and the Mavericks essentially eliminating the Suns by halftime.
3. James Harden
The Harden-Doncic comparisons were more apt when Harden was in Houston, in large part because they played a similar, iso-heavy, stepback-filled style of basketball.
James Harden sees some similarities between himself and Luka Doncic, acknowledging that the Dallas Mavericks have a “special” player in the All-Star guard after Dallas’ win over the Brooklyn Nets back in February 2021.
“He never lets anyone speed him up, and he gets what he wants. That’s rare for a guy at a young age.
Doncic averaged 27.7 points, 8.6 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game that season, numbers that put him in elite company. In his fourth NBA season, Doncic is well on his way to a Hall of Fame career.
4. Skip Bayless
Zion was and is a freak of nature. A physical specimen that can dominate anyone in the paint with his size, speed, and athleticism. Zion has been great, but Skip Bayless believes he is the best player under the age of 25. Even putting him ahead of Luka Doncic.
Recently, NBA executives around the league voted for the best players under the age of 25. The likes of Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Ja Morant, and Zion Williamson made the list.
5. Stephen A. Smith
Despite lacking adequate depth and experience, the Dallas Mavericks were able to get as far as the Western Conference finals before ultimately falling to the rejuvenated, championship-proven Golden State Warriors. Luka Doncic — who made the All-NBA First Team for the third consecutive year — was the main catalyst for the Mavs’ success.
6. Richard Jefferson
Following quite an impressive Rookie of the Year campaign, Luka Doncic took the league by storm during his sophomore year, embarrassing defenders and leading his Dallas Mavericks in the race for a spot in the playoffs. He had earned a lot of praise around the league for the way he’d been playing, and truth to be told, you could have made a case for him being a top-5 player in the NBA, even in that season.
However, Richard Jefferson was still wary of giving him such a high distinction, as he claimed during his appearance on ESPN’s First Take in 2019:
Doncic had put up averages of 29.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game while shooting 47.7% from the floor by the time this comment was made, so he definitely had a strong case about being a top-5 player, at least when it came to that season.
And what is your opinion? Do you think Luka Doncic is one of the best players in the league? Can he win the MVP this year? I would love to hear what you think so please let me know in the comment section. Oh, and don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to our channel for more amazing NBA stories. Thanks for watching!
#lukadoncic #luka #doncic #nba
2 Comments
I have followed Luka closely since he has been in the NBA. I found that it all depends on how motivated one is to achieve a certain goal. He is very systematic and realistic in his expectations. He himself knows best that the achievement of certain goals requires circumstances that he cannot influence. This year, Dallas is organized in such a way that they can reach the very top of the NBA. Luka will adapt accordingly. He is well physically prepared, he will choose the right tactics and achieve his goal. Watch his first season video on how his NBA career will pan out. Everything he predicted is actually happening according to his predictions. Only injuries and racism can stop him in his tracks.
Luka is the best player in the world PERIOD