Sunday afternoon it was rumored that the European star, Luka Doncic, who was once projected to go number one could fall as far as fourth. Both the Sacramento Kings and the Atlanta Hawks have both been rumored to be taking big men with their picks. So, Is Doncic a good fit in the 901?
Being a writer is fun, because I have the ability to argue from both sides of the table, and keep keep an open mind about things. With Memphis there seems to be a heavy group that would love for Doncic to fall to that fourth pick, and then there is a group that would rather draft a bucket of garbage before that. What would Doncic bring that Memphis has been missing?
Play-making?
I get it, the kid is slow off the dribble, but his basketball IQ is unreal, and coming to the NBA will only keep his mind growing. Remember when former Head Coach David Fizdale made it known that he wanted Mike Conley to play off the ball more? Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons was supposed to play a huge role in that. Of course injuries hit Parsons, but Doncic could possibly be that guy in Memphis for Conley.
Unfairly judged?
Possibly. A lot of people have a good point, but so does he. Towards the end of the regular season, Real Madrid had numerous injuries to key players, so Doncic put it on himself, and his percentages dropped, similar to Trae Young at Oklahoma. Young fell in the draft because of his percentages dropping, and Doncic seems to be going through the same thing.
Another thing people talk about is his lack of burst off the dribble. I can understand why that could be a problem, especially being a ball handler in the NBA.
Whether you think Luka is a good fit in Memphis or not, he is going to be very good player in the NBA in the future, remember, he’s only 19.