Luka Doncic Awareness Thread

[Somebody]

I think people throw around Bird a lot in these compassions due to his skin complexion and I don’t agree with it.

Nah, Luka is a point forward. Prior to last season, the Mavs were even thinking using him at the 4! Bird and LeBron are the best SFs of all time. It's only logical for Luka to be compared to those guys.

Thinking is different from actually doing so (he's playing in the guard spots right now!). He's more of a big guard in the vein of Magic than a combo forward like Bird and LeBron.

[Amonkey]

I think if you mixed Jokic and Doncic you have nice Larry Bird clone.

Watching Jokic play, he kind of reminded me of Shaq in terms of being physical to get under the basket and those old school low post moves like the mini hook shots. Obviously there are a lot of other aspects that are different but that was the player that came to mind.

Luka is not as physical as Lebron so I think that comparison goes out. I think Luka is a better shooter and crafty while Lebron could physically power people for points. At this point, I think it’s hard to see where he goes since he’s such a unique player.

[Jvalin]

I think people throw around Bird a lot in these compassions due to his skin complexion and I don’t agree with it.

Nah, Luka is a point forward. Prior to last season, the Mavs were even thinking using him at the 4! Bird and LeBron are the best SFs of all time. It's only logical for Luka to be compared to those guys.

Thinking is different from actually doing so (he's playing in the guard spots right now!). He's more of a big guard in the vein of Magic than a combo forward like Bird and LeBron.

I would argue he's a PG on offense and a SF on defense. He isn't quick enough to stay in front of guards on the defensive side of the ball.

[Somebody]

I think people throw around Bird a lot in these compassions due to his skin complexion and I don’t agree with it.

Nah, Luka is a point forward. Prior to last season, the Mavs were even thinking using him at the 4! Bird and LeBron are the best SFs of all time. It's only logical for Luka to be compared to those guys.

Thinking is different from actually doing so (he's playing in the guard spots right now!). He's more of a big guard in the vein of Magic than a combo forward like Bird and LeBron.

I would argue he's a PG on offense and a SF on defense. He isn't quick enough to stay in front of guards on the defensive side of the ball.

Which was what Magic did on defence, it didn't stop him from being classified as a point guard. Doncic functions like a lead guard more than an elite wing: he runs an offence by being a ball-dominant quarterback who puts up video game numbers (in both box and non-box metrics, a feather in his cap) and hides on the weakest perimeter player on the opposing team on defence. He's a guard to me, not a point forward.

[GreenFaith1819]

I think people throw around Bird a lot in these compassions due to his skin complexion and I don’t agree with it.

^this tbh. I think their playstyles are quite a bit different even though they have some skills that are similar.

That would be ME - I've made such comparisons to Luka before. I apologize if it's made anyone uncomfortable.

When I was a young 12 year old growing up in inner city Richmond Va in 1981 I became a Boston Celtic fan because of a dude that looked a bit different from many of his fellow players....

I took some flack because of this...MANY of my peers loved LAL....they'd say "Man why do you like BOS?" I'd reply "Larry Bird" and they'd then nod their heads approvingly.

Not only did he LOOK different...dude PLAYED differently. His GAME was unlike ANY OTHER, outside of Magic Johnson.

Boy some of these young bucks growing up nowadays only have NBA 2k on XBOX or youtube to see Larry but MAN I watched this man in REAL TIME doing some of the CRAZY stuff he did......Larry (and Magic) did CRAZY stuff in their games ALL THE TIME.............

Fast Forward to NOW? Luka Doncic reminds me SO MUCH of Larry Bird as far as his flair..his game play. His passes aren't as flashy (YET) but he isn't that far off.

I think Luka's FLOOR defensively can be Larry's....I can see him getting AT LEAST some 2nd team defensive awards...he appears THAT ACTIVE on the defensive end, to me at least.

Luka isn't even technically White - only in America, unfortunately - do we place such labels. Dude is Slovenian I thought.

[GreenFaith1819]

If Larry Bird or Magic Johnson played the game TODAY they'd break the internet...these dudes would be going viral almost daily.

[Somebody]

I think people throw around Bird a lot in these compassions due to his skin complexion and I don’t agree with it.

^this tbh. I think their playstyles are quite a bit different even though they have some skills that are similar.

That would be ME - I've made such comparisons to Luka before. I apologize if it's made anyone uncomfortable.

When I was a young 12 year old growing up in inner city Richmond Va in 1981 I became a Boston Celtic fan because of a dude that looked a bit different from many of his fellow players....

I took some flack because of this...MANY of my peers loved LAL....they'd say "Man why do you like BOS?" I'd reply "Larry Bird" and they'd then nod their heads approvingly.

Not only did he LOOK different...dude PLAYED differently. His GAME was unlike ANY OTHER, outside of Magic Johnson.

Boy some of these young bucks growing up nowadays only have NBA 2k on XBOX or youtube to see Larry but MAN I watched this man in REAL TIME doing some of the CRAZY stuff he did......Larry (and Magic) did CRAZY stuff in their games ALL THE TIME.............

Fast Forward to NOW? Luka Doncic reminds me SO MUCH of Larry Bird as far as his flair..his game play. His passes aren't as flashy (YET) but he isn't that far off.

I think Luka's FLOOR defensively can be Larry's....I can see him getting AT LEAST some 2nd team defensive awards...he appears THAT ACTIVE on the defensive end, to me at least.

Luka isn't even technically White - only in America, unfortunately - do we place such labels. Dude is Slovenian I thought.

I'm from Asia and I do consider Doncic to be white lol, it's not just America that labels a person who's mainly European in blood as white. Also the comparisons don't make me feel uncomfortable, it's just somewhat weird to me because they approach the game in very different ways from what I've seen (Bird was an off-ball maestro, Doncic is an on-ball engine). I disagree that Doncic's defensive floor is Bird's defensive peak btw, early Bird was a fringe All-Defensive player and I don't see Doncic becoming that as a wing sized player with unspectacular athleticism and non-Bird instincts/hands on defence. I don't even think that Doncic has a defensive ceiling that has him becoming an All-League defender, apologies if it offends you but I just don't see him being that impactful on defence.