In just three seasons, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has become one of the NBA’s best players and a two-time All-Star. He is able to score and create for his teammates with ease, and has been a headache for opposing defenders. But how would the game’s greatest on-ball defenders from past eras guarded the 22-year-old?
According to former player Ron Artest, who was known as one of the league’s best defenders during his time, he would have tested Doncic’s cardio if he faced him on the court.
In an interview with ESPN’s Tim McMahon, Artest says that the former Real Madrid player should “get in tip-top shape” if he faced him during his prime. The 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year said that he would dare the Mavericks star to beat him off the dribble all game long, with the hope that his legs would be tired by the fourth quarter.
“For the first three quarters, it would be really hard for you to get a jumper, unless you're coming off a screen,” said Artest. “That was just my thought process guarding guys. You're going to have to drive. And I don't mind a guy getting 15 or 20 in the first quarter. If you're getting that against me in the first quarter, you're probably done.”
However, the four-time All-Defensive Team member admitted that Doncic is a special player and that guarding him would have been a tough assignment. According to Artest, what impressed him the most with the third overall pick of the 2018 Draft is how he plays like a veteran and is someone who seems steps ahead of his opponents.
But even if guarding Luka Doncic would have been a challenge, it was a challenge that he would be willing to take on if he were still playing.
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