Mavs news: Jim Boylen calls Luka Doncic a ‘linebacker playing point guard’

Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen offered his observation of Dallas Mavs star Luka Doncic. For the coach, the Slovenian is a marvel.

Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen offered his observation of Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. For the coach, the Slovenian sensation carrying the Mavs is a football linebacker playing the point guard spot.

“They have a dominant ballhandler (in Luka Doncic). To me, he’s a linebacker playing point guard and he’s able to get by people, keep people on his hip and create plays for him and his teammates.”

“They have a dominant ballhandler (in Luka Doncic). To me, he’s a linebacker playing point guard and he’s able to get by people, keep people on his hip and create plays for him and his teammates." — Bulls coach Jim Boylen @dallasmavs #Mavs

— Dwain Price (@DwainPrice) January 7, 2020

His comments came ahead of the Bulls' duel with a Rick Carlisle-coached opponent. The Mavs came up with the victory, 118-110. Luka Doncic had another big night with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Doncic's entry into the spotlight was followed by various analyses of his playing style. It's the inevitable consequence of the sport. While basketball is a team game, there's always that one polarizing figure that's deemed responsible for the squad's success. For opposing teams, it's their duty to nitpick the best player. In the Mavs' case, it's Luka Doncic.

Various legends of the game have compared Luka Doncic to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Both players were known for their passing and vision, most especially Johnson. Bird, meanwhile, possessed a smooth stroke. Not to mention his superior basketball IQ which made up for his slow movements.

So Boylen's fresh analysis may open the eyes of other teams with regard to neutralizing Doncic. It would take one heck of an effort to hold him way below his averages of 29.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 8.9 assists.

While he sounds and looks oblivious during post-game interviews, you can very well assume that Doncic is well-aware of the special attention given to him by his foes. He knows that there's a huge bull's eye behind his back and there's no way he's going down without a fight.