Thunderous Intentions
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NBA Draft prospect profile: Luka Doncic – Human Rorschach Test

By Noah Schulte

TOPSHOT - Real Madrid's Slovenian Luka Doncic (C-7) jumps over the barrier as the team celebrates their 85-80 win in the Euroleague Final Four finals basketball match between Real Madrid and Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul at The Stark Arena in Belgrade on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - Real Madrid's Slovenian Luka Doncic (C-7) jumps over the barrier as the team celebrates their 85-80 win in the Euroleague Final Four finals basketball match between Real Madrid and Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul at The Stark Arena in Belgrade on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Luka Doncic
BELGRADE, SERBIA – MAY 20: Luka Doncic, #7 of Real Madrid poses with Chamipons Trophy and MVP of the final Trophy 2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague F4 Champion Photo Session with Trophy at Stark Arena on May 20, 2018 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Rodolfo Molina/EB via Getty Images) /

Honors and Awards:

Čudežni otrok means wunderkind in Slovenian, but given his already sprawling resume at such a young age, they should seriously consider changing it to “Luka Doncic.” As I’ve mentioned before, he has a staggering list of accomplishments, ranging from Euroleague MVP to EuroBasket All-Tournament Teams to Rising-Stars style accolades. Seriously, the dude has won everything in Europe.

Pro Comparison:

Because Doncic is such a unique player, his comparisons are wonky. I’ve heard everything from big Manu Ginobli to small Nikola Jokic to Hedo Turkoglu, but honestly, Doncic reminds me of an ultra-poor man’s Larry Bird. Before you close your laptop in justifiable anger that I compared a 19-year old Slovenian wing to one of the greatest players to ever grace the court, hear me out. I’m going to describe a player to you and I want you to think of who this reminds you of.

A tall, un-athletic, immensely talented offensive wing coming off of a championship victory with a flair for the dramatic who leveraged their way onto the team of their choice in the draft process by threatening to hold out for another year.

I’m not saying that Doncic will even come close to matching Bird as a player, but the parallels are interesting.

Ranking:

More from Thunderous Intentions

DraftExpress/ESPN: 2nd

  • NBA DraftNet: 5th
  • CBS Sports:3rd
  • Sports Illustrated: 3rd
  • Bleacher Report: 1st
  • Basketball Insiders: 2nd
  • The Ringer Kevin O’Connor: 1st

    • Fit with OKC Thunder:

    In terms of how ultra poor-man’s Larry Bird fits on the Thunder, both he and the team could do better for their own individual success. While Doncic is a decent off-ball player, it would significantly hinder his development to watch Russell Westbrook take 30 shots a game while he sits around and waits for the ball.

    On the flip side, the Thunder probably should be targeting wings like Lonnie Walker and Troy Brown Jr. rather than ball-dominant guards like Doncic who will take the ball out of Russ’ hands. If I were Sam Presti, I wouldn’t give up too much for Luka unless I’m preparing for a full-scale rebuild in 2019.

    As of right now, Doncic is everywhere in the mock drafts. Some people have him going as high as the first pick and some have him slipping out of the top five altogether. Again, it all depends on how you evaluate prospects. In my opinion, he likely won’t slip past Atlanta at number three given the significant drop-off between the first tier (Doncic and DeAndre Ayton) and the rest of the field.

    Next: Marvin Bagley III has talent and potential to be top pick

    Luka Doncic is by no means a perfect player, but if you’re a team looking for a safe prospect to potentially boost your franchise, look no further than the Slovenian.

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