European basketball fans are already familiar with the young man from Slovenia, Luka Doncic. Next year, he could be one of the few lucky aspirants who get selected in the NBA Draft.
Being the youngest member of Real Madrid, the 6’8” 18-year old point forward has already caught the attention of many NBA teams and talent scouts. Some even say he has the potential to become the top draft pick next year. But what are the qualities that Doncic can offer?
A class above everyone
For Croatian basketball team head coach Aleksandar Petrovic, there hasn't been any dominant court general in the EuroLeague who played for the past ten or fifteen years the same way Doncic dominates the game.
“Seeing what Luka does on the floor during those years, I think that for a long time there was no player in Europe who was so complete, mentally and athletically,” Petrovic said.
Petrovic believes that Doncic's playing style is simply above everyone else. Doncic will get the chance to prove Petrovic right after his Real Madrid teammate and reigning EuroLeague MVP Sergio Llull suffered an ACL injury last week.
Would expect Luka Doncic's role to increase in Real with Llull out. Looking forward to seeing Doncic with Slovenia in Helsinki @ Eurobasket.
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) August 10, 2017
As per scouting reports, Doncic is currently ranked among the best 18-year old basketball players in the world.
Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports reported that the so-called “Wonder Boy” has averaged 14.1ppg, 8.1rpg, and 6.5apg per 36 minutes while shooting 57.9 percent last season. That’s an equivalent of 18.2 player efficiency rating (PER).
Like many basketball analysts, Rohrbach believes Doncic is bound to seek greatness in the NBA. From 3-pointers and pick-and-rolls to breaking down defensive rotations with his quickness and remarkable court vision not to mention making thunderous dunks, this “Wonder Boy” certainly has the qualities of an NBA superstar.
Possible replacement for Isaiah Thomas
Luka Doncic is indeed NBA-ready, says most NBA talent scouts who saw him play. Many believe this 18-year old Slovenian is the European prodigy of Magic Johnson or at the very least, Toni Kukoc in a supporting role. At 6’8”, he can play both backcourt positions; sometimes even at No. 3 spot.
SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell suggested that Doncic would be a very good long-term replacement for Boston Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas. With Gordon Hayward and Al Horford already reaching the $60 million ceiling, signing Thomas to a max deal would prove to be difficult.
But can he help bring the NBA championship back to Boston? That’s a very hard question to answer. Yet the only thing for sure is, the Boston Celtics will surely look like a championship caliber team. Here’s why -- Luka Doncic, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.
