Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle and general manager Donnie Nelson knew that phenom Luka Doncic was something special way before the draft.
Per Dwain Price of Mavs.com, Carlisle checked out some film featuring Doncic before the draft. He knew right then and there that the kid had talent. Nelson, meanwhile, strongly believed that he was going to be “exceptionally good early.”
Rick Carlisle's 1st reaction when he saw Luka Doncic on film before the draft: "That guy’s good. You could tell he was good. How good? (#Mavs GM) Donnie Nelson was the one that thought he was going to be really exceptionally good and exceptionally good early." @dallasmavs
— Dwain Price (@DwainPrice) December 13, 2018
Carlisle and Nelson's opinions about Luka Doncic were not consensus. Though there was no question about Doncic's talent, a number of basketball scouts and analysts believed that he was too slow and would have a hard time adjusting to the NBA way of basketball. They said that it would take some time before the former EuroLeague MVP would bloom and unleash his potential.
Yet after just 24 games in the NBA, the whole basketball world is raving about Doncic. He is averaging 17.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. He's shooting at a 42.8 percent clip from the field and 37.1 percent from downtown.
But the statistics don't give justice to Doncic's high basketball IQ and maturity. Carlisle already has full confidence in the 19-year-old, opting him to run the plays all the time.
To top it all, Luka Doncic is a clutch performer — a quality that only great players possess. It's scary to think that he's just in his rookie year and is just 19 years old.
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