Wonderboy: Why Luka Doncic is the best player in the 2018 NBA Draft

It's that time of year again for basketball fans. The memories of Golden State winning back to back are in the distant past as every team looks to improve (or probably tank) and build a contender for the future. And while fans are anticipating a frantic off season of drama (which has already started with drama in San Antonio of all places), blockbuster trades and shocking free agency signings, NBA front offices have something more pressing on their mind right now — the NBA Draft. And there has been one prospect that has emerged and climbed his way to the top of the class.

"Luka Doncic" by Cristina Ruiz is licensed under C.C by 2.0

Luka "Wonderboy" Doncic has seen his popularity and draft stock skyrocket in the past year. Although he's been under the microscope since he was 16 (when he started playing basketball professionally for Real Madrid), many NBA fans learned of Doncic sometime in the past year. And his accomplishments in his young career speak for themselves. Doncic has won both the EuroLeague Rising Star Award and the Spanish League Best Young Player Award twice. This past season, at just 19, Doncic was the EuroLeague and Spanish League MVP, while leading Real Madrid to championships in both leagues. Both the EuroLeague and Spanish League are filled with former NBA players and major D1 NCAA players. Guys like Nando de Colo, Sergio Rodriguez, Jan Vesely (was the 6th pick in the 2011 draft), Gustavo Ayon, Rudy Fernandez, Alexy Shved and Luis Scola are all currently playing the EuroLeague. Although none of these players are all-stars, they are still good professional basketball players. So, Doncic isn't just schooling high school kids or even university players. No, Doncic is dominating grown men who have had great professional basketball careers (and some who found success in the NBA). In addition, in the Eurobasket tournament in the summer of 2017, Doncic led Slovenia to its first ever win in a major basketball tournament. On the way to gold, Doncic dispatched Kristaps Porzingis and Latvia, the Gasol Brothers and Spain and defeated Serbia in the finals. Quite an accomplishment for a 19- year old kid. Doncic is a proven winner and leader, something the NBA teams value immensely. 

On the floor, it's easy to see why Doncic had such a successful year. At 6'6'', Doncic has great size for a guard. Put a smaller player on him and Doncic will back him down and get to the rim with ease. Put a bigger player on him and Doncic can use his handles to blow by the defender. Add in his great vision, Doncic has the potential to be the primary ball handler and a dynamic facilitator. However, Doncic is not a one-trick pony. Doncic has a good shooting stroke, one that is capable of keeping the defense honest. Although he only shot 31% from three (much of this was due to taking wild shots) and 80% from the charity stripe, Doncic has great mechanics and should be able to improve his shooting with NBA level training. Doncic also has very high basketball I.Q. He understands angles and can make exceptional reads in a matter of seconds. Doncic just has that basketball genius that all the great players have. 

While Doncic is a great prospect, he isn't a perfect one. The main weakness when it comes to Doncic is his lack of "athleticism". Although Luka Doncic is not a jump out of the gym athlete nor does he have the insane length that some of his counterparts have, he is deceptively quick and agile. He can get up the floor quickly and is a fluid athlete. Plus, there's a plethora of all star players in the NBA that are not extremely athletic (Harden, Curry, CP3, Dirk, etc.) Also, Doncic does not have the best defensive instincts, the length or the speed of great NBA defenders. He's going to have to compete every single possession in the NBA because we all know teams will try to exploit his defensive shortcomings. If he's able to give 100% on the defensive end, he can be a decent defender as he is not physically challenged. Also, Doncic struggled in the EuroLeague and Spanish League when being guarded by very athletic defenders. This is worrisome because the athleticism in the NBA is on another level. However, despite this, Doncic can still find ways to be successful and these few weaknesses should not scare off teams from the impact Doncic will have on any team. 

Luka Doncic is considered the best European prospect ever. Looking at his success already as a professional, strong fundamentals and fiery competitiveness, there is no doubt that Doncic will rise to new heights in the NBA.