Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic dropped 42 points and 11 assists against the Phoenix Suns last night. The Suns were one of the three teams that passed on selecting the Slovenian Sensation on draft night.
According to Marc Stein of The New York Post, the Suns, which then had the first overall pick, apparently had plans to select Doncic and then make a free agent run at Houston Rockets center Clint Capela.
One plan proposed to the Suns in the build-up to the 2018 draft: Select Doncic at No. 1 and make a free-agent run at Clint Capela to fill the C void … especially since then-coach Igor Kokoskov had been Luka's national-team coach. Hard to resist what-ifs in the desert tonight https://t.co/BxwuRrS7Av
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 30, 2019
Phoenix had every reason to nab Luka at number one, especially after they hired his Slovenian National team coach Igor Kokoskov prior to the draft. However, as history has written out, the Suns opted to go with Arizona center Deandre Ayton, while Capela stuck it out with the Rockets.
Dallas, on the other hand, traded up to take Doncic at no. 3. After having German legend Dirk Nowitzki for 20 years, they once again struck European gold with Doncic.
Seeing how Doncic has meteorically risen to superstardom this season, the Suns might be regretting on passing on the former EuroLeague MVP. Luka has become must-watch TV in the NBA and it's amazing to see the magical things he can do on the basketball court at just the young age of 20.
On the season, Doncic is averaging 30.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 9.6 assists and shooting 48.6 percent from the field. He also averaged a triple-double through the month of November, posting 32.4 points, 10.3 boards, and 10.4 dimes.
Suns fans can do nothing but imagine what could have been had the franchise believed the hype that Doncic carried heading into the NBA as the youngest EuroLeague MVP ever. Certainly, the backcourt pairing of Luka and Devin Booker, with an elite rim-running and shot-blocking big in Capela could have made Phoenix a force to be reckon with for years to come.
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