This guy is so good, it’s not funny. He’s not overly athletic, but he can shoot it. He can pass like (Steve) Nash. He has that competitive toughness that they have."
Rank | Name | School/Team | Class/Age | HT | WT > Projected
1. Luka Doncic | Real Madrid | 19 | 6-6 | 218 > High Lottery
For two years, NBA types have watched in amazement as Doncic has not just played in the best league in the world outside the NBA, the ACB in Spain, but has dominated men 10 years older than him and teams that have been around since before he was born. Playing for Real Madrid, Doncic has handled that storied program’s EuroLeague schedule just fine this season, averaging 17.1 points, five rebounds and 4.6 assists. Most importantly, on a continent where coaches often sit players with NBA-level potential either to discourage them from leaving or to keep NBA teams that come over to see and scout them -- or some combination of each -- Doncic plays 25-plus minutes a night for Real.
And when he didn’t play for Real last year, he teamed with Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic in leading their native Slovenia to the EuroBasket championship last September. In the quarterfinals, Doncic scored 27 points in Slovenia’s defeat of Latvia -- and Knicks unicorn Kristaps Porzingis. In the semis, Doncic went for 11, 12 and 8 assists in a rout of the storied Spanish national team featuring the Gasol Brothers, Ricky Rubio, et.al. In the final against Serbia Doncic only scored eight on 3 of 10 shooting, but Dragic went for 35 in his last game for his country as Slovenia won the gold, 83-75.
Rank | Name | School/Team | Class/Age | HT | WT > Projected
1. Luka Doncic | Real Madrid | 19 | 6-6 | 218 > High Lottery
For two years, NBA types have watched in amazement as Doncic has not just played in the best league in the world outside the NBA, the ACB in Spain, but has dominated men 10 years older than him and teams that have been around since before he was born. Playing for Real Madrid, Doncic has handled that storied program’s EuroLeague schedule just fine this season, averaging 17.1 points, five rebounds and 4.6 assists. Most importantly, on a continent where coaches often sit players with NBA-level potential either to discourage them from leaving or to keep NBA teams that come over to see and scout them -- or some combination of each -- Doncic plays 25-plus minutes a night for Real.
And when he didn’t play for Real last year, he teamed with Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic in leading their native Slovenia to the EuroBasket championship last September. In the quarterfinals, Doncic scored 27 points in Slovenia’s defeat of Latvia -- and Knicks unicorn Kristaps Porzingis. In the semis, Doncic went for 11, 12 and 8 assists in a rout of the storied Spanish national team featuring the Gasol Brothers, Ricky Rubio, et.al. In the final against Serbia Doncic only scored eight on 3 of 10 shooting, but Dragic went for 35 in his last game for his country as Slovenia won the gold, 83-75.