Luka Doncic has been a dark horse candidate not only to take part in the lottery of next year's NBA Draft, but now also to challenge for the top spot in the much anticipated, talent-infused coalition of young talent.
While the likes of Michael Porter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III are certainly dynamic candidates that are bound to make a splash, Doncic is already showing his talents at the international level. He is playing professionally for Real Madrid in Spain and most recently representing his native Slovenia alongside Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic.
“Michael Porter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III couldn't put up the production that Doncic is doing in a 40-minute FIBA ball-control game,” an NBA veteran scouting executive told Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
While Porter and Bagley have made plenty of waves at the high school level, AAU, and even during pick-up games with other pros, Doncic has the advantage of playing against pros on a regular basis and now on an even bigger stage where the best in Europe put it all on the line to represent their countries.
Doncic's talent wasn't any more evident than in a quarterfinal against Kristaps Porzingis' Latvia on Tuesday, going toe-to-toe with the New York Knicks' unicorn and getting the best of him late in the game with a heavily-contested layup and a step back trifecta to secure his team's undefeated run in EuroBasket and a ticket to the semifinals. Doncic finished with a team-high 27 points in the 103-97 win.
These skills are the ones multiple scouts have seen, prompting he could easily be in the top three of next year's draft, if not the top pick.
“Yes, 100 percent,” said the executive when asked if Doncic could go first. “His game is leap years above anyone. Continues to shine and impress.”
Porter and Bagley will be forced to excel at Missouri and Duke, respectively, if they hope to claim a stake as the top pick in the draft. The amount of evidence that Doncic has put up this summer alone is enough to warrant a roll of the dice by any team that holds the top pick next offseason.
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