News: ESPN Calls Luka Doncic The Greatest 20 year old in NBA History

[DakBringMeBack]

For my fellow Mavs fans. This is cool.
https://www.getmoresports.com/mavericks-news-espn-pundit-calls-luka-doncic-best-ever-age/

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

For my fellow Mavs fans. This is cool.
https://www.getmoresports.com/mavericks-news-espn-pundit-calls-luka-doncic-best-ever-age/

I don't know if this is true or not, I do know that he's pretty damn good. I will say this though, a lot of really great players were not able to play in the NBA at age 20 because you had no hardship for a long time.

 

[gmb1]

As a Mavs fan, he's gotta win a championship to cement that title. Magic is still number 1.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Ive been watching since about 1990, and from that time on I would say its between him and Lebron.

 

[jterrell]

As a Mavs fan, he's gotta win a championship to cement that title. Magic is still number 1.

Magic is fave all time player but we don't get to re-write history.
Magic was a truly great 20 year old and his versatility mattered (he moved to C) but that Lakers team had multiple Hall of Famers.

Magic did not lead that team in points per game, assists per game or rebounds per game.
Luka leads the Mavs in all 3 categories.
And not by a little.
He averages 28.8 points which is 12 more than the next closest guy.
He averages 8.7 assists which is 5.3 more than the next closest guy.
He averages 9.5 rebounds which is .6 more than the next closest guy.


Luka is definitely the best 20 year old ever slightly passing the totals LeBron amassed.
He may not reach the highs of the greatest players ever but his professional experience plus skillset and physical and mental maturity at 20 supercede anyone else.

LeBron was the greatest 20 year old athlete ever but he was still learning the pro game.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Magic is fave all time player but we don't get to re-write history.
Magic was a truly great 20 year old and his versatility mattered (he moved to C) but that Lakers team had multiple Hall of Famers.

Magic did not lead that team in points per game, assists per game or rebounds per game.
Luka leads the Mavs in all 3 categories.
And not by a little.
He averages 28.8 points which is 12 more than the next closest guy.
He averages 8.7 assists which is 5.3 more than the next closest guy.
He averages 9.5 rebounds which is .6 more than the next closest guy.


Luka is definitely the best 20 year old ever slightly passing the totals LeBron amassed.
He may not reach the highs of the greatest players ever but his professional experience plus skillset and physical and mental maturity at 20 supercede anyone else.

LeBron was the greatest 20 year old athlete ever but he was still learning the pro game.

Well, it's true that Magic didn't lead the team in all of these areas but then again, he was playing with Jabbar, Nixon and Wilks so there was a decent amount of veteran talent on that team who could really score.

Jabbar would have been interesting to watch play in the NBA at the age of 20. Of course, he wasn't able to, as were many of the older greats. They didn't have any hardship rules back then so between not even being able to play on the varsity college team as a Freshman and not being able to enter the NBA early, many of those guys were there for the full 4 years and then entered the league.

Doncic could be the best but we also have to remember that the NBA is not the first Pro league that Doncic has played in. He was in the Euro League before ever coming into the NBA, if I'm not mistaken.

If I had to pick, I'm taking James all day at 20 but that's just my opinion.

 

[jterrell]

Well, it's true that Magic didn't lead the team in all of these areas but then again, he was playing with Jabbar, Nixon and Wilks so there was a decent amount of veteran talent on that team who could really score.

Jabbar would have been interesting to watch play in the NBA at the age of 20. Of course, he wasn't able to, as were many of the older greats. They didn't have any hardship rules back then so between not even being able to play on the varsity college team as a Freshman and not being able to enter the NBA early, many of those guys were there for the full 4 years and then entered the league.

Doncic could be the best but we also have to remember that the NBA is not the first Pro league that Doncic has played in. He was in the Euro League before ever coming into the NBA, if I'm not mistaken.

If I had to pick, I'm taking James all day at 20 but that's just my opinion.

LBJ was definitely a better athlete and it's fair enough to argue he was better.
He was faster and could jump higher which goes without saying.

I watched them both and edge Luka out mainly because of the pro experience he brought.
LBJ wasn't using a Euro step or step back 3 as a 20 year old old.

Again none of this means Luka can keep developing the way other all-time greats did.
It's a very different thing to be a top 10 all-time player.

Jordan wasn't "that" great as a 20 year old at UNC. He averaged 18 points but only 5 boards and less than 2 assists.
Had no range.
But we saw how he improved year over year with added muscle and range until he had no weaknesses except maybe gambling and porn stars lol.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

LBJ was definitely a better athlete and it's fair enough to argue he was better.
He was faster and could jump higher which goes without saying.

I watched them both and edge Luka out mainly because of the pro experience he brought.
LBJ wasn't using a Euro step or step back 3 as a 20 year old old.

Again none of this means Luka can keep developing the way other all-time greats did.
It's a very different thing to be a top 10 all-time player.

Jordan wasn't "that" great as a 20 year old at UNC. He averaged 18 points but only 5 boards and less than 2 assists.
Had no range.
But we saw how he improved year over year with added muscle and range until he had no weaknesses except maybe gambling and porn stars lol.

Anybody can get better but I don't think you can really compare Doncic to Jordan. First of all, the College game is not anywhere close to the Pro Game in general. Secondly, they don't play defense anymore. Thirdly, Jordan played on a team with more talent at UNC then does Doncic now, arguably, with Kenny Smith, Sam Perkins and Brad Daugherty, I mean, I know that sounds weird when you read it but honestly, that UNC was loaded with All NBA caliber players on it. Statistics are much easier to come by now, as opposed to then IMO. There is an old saying, which I am sure you know, that says the only man to hold Jordan under 20 was Dean Smith.

Jordan exploded when he came to the NBA, as you know. And that NBA was a much more physical game and without the massive influence we see today around the three point shot. We don't really know what Jordan would have done at 20 years of age in the NBA so I don't really have a problem with the idea that Doncic is the best 20 year old in the NBA but would that have been the case if some of the old timers had played in the NBA at 20? Not sure it would be.