Luka

LUKA

THE NEXT NBA ALL-TIME GREAT

by Alex "Moose" Strizak

It's a fantastic time in the National Basketball Association. There is young talent spread throughout the league, while future Hall of Famers still roam the court to teach young'uns a lesson.

One of my favorite topics to discuss is the Who would you start your franchise with?

With Carmelo signing a non-guaranteed deal in Portland, it reminds us that it wasn't too long ago we were debating LeBron vs. Carmelo. And does the fact that LeBron is still dominating while Carmelo is irrelevant give you even more confidence to pick him even in his mid 30's?

Does Giannis' pure athleticism and potential make him your must-take future star?

Does Kawhi's domination in the postseason while being able to be a top scorer and top defender, being the fastest up and down the court mean that he's a no-brainer?

There is a legitimate 10 to 20 players you could pick from and they could immediately be or develop into the key piece of your franchise. And yet, the Knicks still stink... But I digress...

These are the debates that lead to a healthy NBA. These debates are what give fans hope for the present and future of their favorite franchise.

And for those in Dallas, I have good news in the form of Luka Doncic. He is, when healthy, the next all-time great of the sport that will constantly be competing against Giannis in a battle for the best of the generation we haven't seen since Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson.

I always like making the pick that will turn heads, and here I'm going to do the same by stating I would rather start my franchise with Luka Doncic than Giannis.

First, let's introduce you to how Luka got to the NBA in the first place...

Luka Doncic was born in Ljubljana which is smack-dab in the middle of and is the capital of Slovenia. He was raised by both his mother and father until they separated in 2008 and his mother took primary custody. However, his father would continue to coach him in basketball.

By the separation, Luka was already addicted to the game. He was already shooting around on a miniature hoop by one year old and was heavily involved in youth basketball leagues by age 7.

When Doncic turned 8 years old, he was quickly moved up to play in the eleven year old league because within 16 minutes of his first 8 year old game, he was seen as too dominant. Luka would then go on to practice with the 14 year old team, but had to play with the 12 year old team due to league rules.

Imagine not being allowed to play UP in age, when it seems like the controversy is always kids playing in an age class they're too old for. By the time Luka was 13 years old, he was the youth league MVP averaging 34.5 points per game. In their championship game, Luka Doncic put up 54 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

This was enough to get Luka, a reminder he is 13 FREAKIN' YEARS OLD, a contract in Real Madrid where he immediately impressed on the 16 year old team.

By the time Luka was actually 16 years old himself, he was named MVP of the 18 year old league.

However, it wasn't until the 2017-18 season that Luka Doncic became a world-wide potential NBA prospect. After his team lost their star player Sergio Llull, Luka burst onto the scene.

He would average about 26 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists a game. For those unfamiliar with the EuroLeague, these are very impressive stats and were enough to have him named EuroLeague MVP. This title also brought on the NBA scouts who were interested, but also nervous about how Luka could compare to the talent in the NBA, as young EuroLeague stars had a history of not being strong enough or quick enough for the competition that comes in the NBA...

When the 2018 NBA Draft arrives, a trade is made. The Atlanta Hawks traded back two spots and took Trae Young, while the Dallas Mavericks traded up two spots and gave up a 2019 first round draft pick to move up. This led many NBA analysts to praise the Hawks for getting a potential future star guard while also adding another first round pick to their rebuild.

I'm not saying Atlanta was not smart to accumulate the picks, but I'm not saying they're not dumb for letting Doncic go. Because Dallas absolutely made the right call in taking the risk on this EuroLeague star.

I remember on draft day texting our NBA analyst Ben Huff that I felt Doncic was by far the best player in the draft, where Ben warned me to remember Doncic will have to transition to the level of competition the NBA presents...

Not only has he accumulated to what the NBA "grind" will ask of him, he dominated it. So much so that I confidently wagered with my friend that he would be a guaranteed Rookie of the Year.

Doncic did not disappoint, playing 32 minutes a game and putting up 21.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, and a steal per game. But more than that, Doncic demonstrated how well trained and prepared he truly was for what NBA defenses could throw at him.

Raised by his father, Sasa Doncic - a Slovenian basketball coach and former player, Luka Doncic has shown the most difficult skill-set to attain in the NBA. He is able to dribble through the first line of defense and know when to pass it out, pass it in, drive in for the layup, or step back for the three. And he can do any of these options to almost near perfection.

He has erupted to start the 2019-20 NBA season, and is already, in my mind, in the top 5 of the NBA MVP discussion with LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, and Anthony Davis. If you don't believe me, watch a game.

When you watch, notice how it looks like Doncic isn't quite that fast, isn't quite that athletic, isn't quite that coordinated. Because the second you think that, is when he carves you like a Thanksgiving turkey.

He has something that cannot be measured: A feel for the game. We've seen this with players like Willie Mays, Mike Trout, Lebron James and Sidney Crosby as examples. They do things that look impossible and that you believe are impossible. And even when they do it right in front of your face, you still believe it is impossible.

Dallas fans, buckle up. Luka Doncic has arrived, and it is going to be fun to watch.