Luka Doncic Discussion: Lean Mean Slovenian Machine

Will those blatant step back travels be called here?

 

#contenders

 

Yes, and Luka will lead the league in technical fouls due to his complaining.

we will be the team everybody loves to root against

 

the league would have some major revisions to make everywhere if they suddenly decide that's a travel again...because everyone does it.

 

I read that the internal analytics by the Mavs on Luka painted him aa overrated with great statistical output that didn’t match his impact. It picked up on things like not getting back in transition, rotating on defence, boxing out and poor conditioning. They also said he was hard to build around.

I get the arguments. But on the flip side he is carrying the offence and has taken the mavs to the conference finals and finals in 4 seasons. It’s areas like this where analytics doesn’t get context and why trying to be a contrarian at times is hubris.

 

Yeah was going to answer what you said in the end. Surely a case of analytics not being able to read his type of impact.

 

Same kind of arguments followed MJ - an empty scorer that didn’t elevate his team mates. Until he did.

Luka’s going to win championships and it won’t be because of his boxing out, transition defense or six pack.

 

Naw man he’s old school like Kobe. Remember how he liked his jerseys loose?

 

The same guy " Gobert leads the league in screens assists !"

Statisticians taking over the NBA have been bad for the league for a while .

I love the fact Doncic hated that Voulgaris guy too

 

Contradicts what their analytic department were saying pre-draft about Luka.

https://youtube.com/shorts/fPSqWNWtMbM?si=2hin0Qrs5bL2jUdA

 

So. Fat.

 

yeah, i use various metrics to help inform my opinions, but at some point, you have to look at the most important one: wins. the analytics movement tried to kill kobe (and has successfully tarnished his legacy, imo), and it was wrong. they were howling about his inefficiency while he was literally winning rings.

just use logic in this case--if luka's not that great, you're arguing that the real heroes were the mavs supporting casts--which turned over quite a bit. this latter point is important because it undermines the second part of the criticism--that he's hard to build around. strongly disagree. you've built two different teams around him that were successful. he can play 3 or 4 on defense and 1-4 on offense. he made derrick jones jr. a full mle player after bouncing around for years. this is what he does. you absolutely can build around him--you already did!

and everyone knows i love AD, but i'd argue it's harder to build around him because he's neither a great shooter (so you need shooters) nor a great passer (he's improved here, but he's still not really a guy who creates for others). plus, he's a big, so teams have an easier time just keeping him from his best spots.

i will also say that my man AD had his own struggles switching ends, as jokic showed us a bunch. this was actually a prime gripe of mine about both lebron and AD. and yes, luka is also guilty of this. for sure.

anyway, i think they made a tremendous mistake in deciding to trade him at all. once they had decided it, i sort of understand a bit of their thought process. but the initial decision seems totally insane to me.

 

I know it's jokes but it's a bigger conversation to have on a trend in many sports for some years .

The physical aspect gets more and more important and it's like the skills are taking a step back .

It's great to see counter examples such as Doncic and Jokic

 

it's literally everyone who does a stepback. i was taught the stepback (as it exists now) wasn't legal, but when harden really leaned into it, the league chose to creatively interpret the "gather" and such, and here we are.

i get the interpretation--they're saying it's a backwards layup/dunk, essentially. at that point, it becomes a question of what is the shooting motion.

what's funny is that if someone passed out of a stepback move, i bet the refs would call a travel--even though according to their interpretation it shouldn't be.

 

It's destiny,


P.S. Yes... I am warming up to this.

 

You'll be fully on board by game 5