Dallas Mavericks phenom Luka Doncic has surprised some fans around the league since breaking into the NBA as the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Perhaps what has been more striking is that the Slovenian wonder has gone from Rookie of the Year to MVP candidate for the Mavs in the span of a year, something that has made Paul Pierce pick him as the most talented active player.
Pierce, a 10-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA player during his 19 NBA seasons, argued during an appearance on ESPN's “The Jump” that the Mavs youngster's greatness is just getting started.
Transcript via Tyler Watts of The Smoking Cuban:
“I expect special things from him. I mean, you talk about a kid who made one of the biggest leaps in recent memory from a Rookie of the Year to MVP caliber player,” said Pierce of the Mavs star. “He has won at every European championship that you can think of, every European MVP that you can think of. I expect special things from this kid. Clearly, he is special. He is a talent. To me, he is the most talented player in the NBA, today. The lights are never too bright for him.”
Pierce makes some good points here. Doncic was already lauded as a big-time winner well before he stepped on the NBA hardwood.
Before the age of 20, the Mavs star had won local titles with Real Madrid, as well as EuroBasket with Slovenia, the EuroLeague, and a EuroLeague MVP award by the ripe age of 19 — the youngest in tournament history.
Doncic was already an unprecedented talent before he could get an alcoholic drink in the United States. It was only a matter of time before the pace and space of the NBA game saw him bloom into a star, one who now averages 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in only his second season in the league.
There are plenty of talented players in the NBA, but Doncic is a surefire supernova in this league. Pierce clearly knows greatness when he sees it.
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