NBA teams are always looking for a jewel in the draft, often picking European players hoping they will be great. That is something that teams have been doing for a long time. Many still remember the infamous Darko Milicic over Carmelo Anthony pick from the Detroit Pistons in the 2003 NBA Draft.
In the last couple of years, teams have been picking young Europeans very early in the draft, and every time they did it their fans were concerned. Many people lost faith in the young Europeans after Darko, but there were some good picks. Kristaps Porzingis was picked fourth in the 2015 NBA Draft and has been a star in his time in the league.
Dario Saric was a high pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, and he came in second place in this year's race for the Rookie of the year.
Luka Doncic may be the best European prospect of the 21st century
Luka Doncic is an 18-year old Slovenian basketball player who plays for Real Madrid. Luka started playing for Real Madrid when he was just 16 years old, and he has been improving each season. His hype train is just getting started. He is currently playing for his home country, Slovenia, in the 2017 Eurobasket.
His team eliminated Kristap Porzingis' Latvia in the last round and will now face Spain in the semi final of the EuroBasket tournament. He played a great season in the Euroleague, leading Real Madrid to the final four.
He has recorded better stats than Porzingis, Jokic, Saric, and Nurkic has when they played in Europe. One of the greatest European players in the NBA history, Pau Gasol, made a statement about Doncic before their semi final matchup to Marca.com. ''Doncic is a great talent and a key factor in his team's success in this year's Eurobasket.
He will be one of the main players in the NBA. He has all the necessary qualities for that.'', said the San Antonio Spurs center.
What are his strengths?
Luka Doncic is an incredibly productive player, finishing the season sixth in scoring, second in assists and fourth in rebounds for Real Madrid. He is currently averaging 15,7 points, 7,7 rebounds and 3,1 assists for Slovenia in the Eurobasket playing only 20 minutes a game.
He is a great all-around player and has a great combination of size, skills, and production at a very young age. Doncic is a great passer, has a high basketball IQ, can run a pick-and-roll very well, and can make plays in the open court. He is also a great shooter, who can shoot off the dribble or the catch and has great footwork. Doncic isn't quite explosive going to the rim, and his defense needs to improve, but those are the things that can be worked on. He has a high upside and barring any injuries is a lock to be a top 5 picks in the 2018 NBA Draft.
