The future is bright for Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic. One of the firm believers of the 19-year-old's potential is none other than teammate J.J. Barea. Doncic made a solid first impression on the Mavs veteran and according to Barea himself, he was impressed by Doncic's innate ability to control the pace of a ballgame.
Barea recently spoke with Eddie Sefko of SportsDay, and had nothing but good things to say about his new backcourt buddy.
“Overseas I saw him a little, and I played against him in some pickup games [last week],” J.J. Barea said. “He's bigger than I thought he was. He knows the game. He's a rookie, but he's a pro rookie, if you know what I mean.”
Barea, who has had a chance to actually play with Doncic over the summer, believes that the reigning EuroLeague MVP is simply a cut above the rest of the other members of this year's rookie class.
“You can tell it in one pickup game, the difference between a college player and a player who has had pro experience. In college, coaches just say, ‘Play hard, play hard.' Over there [in Europe], you've got to know how to play — especially when you have the ball in his hands the whole time.”
According to Barea, what ultimately makes the 6-foot-6 point guard/shooting guard/small forward stand out is his understanding of the game and how he is able to take control.
“They don't know him,” Barea said. “He's not quick, but he's going to play at a good pace, always under control. He's tall and can pass over people. He's a great passer. And he can shoot it, too, so you've got to guard him.”
Being a 12-year veteran himself, Barea is expected to help transition Doncic's game to the NBA level. However, if all this praise is any indication of Doncic's current basketball aptitude, then it appears that Barea won't have much work to do.
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