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Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki spoke about the newest Mavs member, Luka Doncic, noting that the 19-year-old was way better than him when he was of the same age.
Speaking on 105.3 The Fan, Nowitzki, who will be playing his 21st season in the NBA, shared that he's already been working out with Doncic. Asked if the 19-year-old is better than him when he was of the same age, Nowitzki said:
“Oh yeah. I could shoot a little bit but I never had the court vision … the savviness that he brings to the game. Just the way he already reads the pick and roll … all the stuff like Chris Paul and these guys do … He's going to be fun to watch especially with bigs like DeAndre (Jordan) and Dwight (Powell) rolling to the rim … He's going to pick defenses apart and it's going to be fun to watch.”
Standing 6-foot-6, Doncic rose up the basketball ranks during his stint with Real Madrid over at the Euroleague. Though players his size usually play the two-guard spot or the three, Doncic has proven that he can go down all the way to the point guard position, given his court vision, handles, and shooting ability.
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Analysts have compared him to the likes of Manu Ginobili, Paul Pierce, and Joe Johnson, though Doncic himself said that he's more of a Ben Simmons-type of player. Nowitzki, for his part, said that Doncic is stellar at pick-and-roll situations:
“He's unbelievable in pick and roll play. His court vision is already unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I saw from a 19/20-year-old. He's a good shooter when he has time and I think he's going to be great for us for a long long time.”
It appears that Rick Carlisle has a valid reason in believing that Doncic makes Mavs season tickets even more worth it for fans,.
