11-08-2019, 10:53 AM
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2802...c-trickery
3. Luka Doncic, faking you out of your shoes
Hypothesis: Doncic has the nastiest, most convincing up-and-under move on Earth.
Oh, Hassan.
Most players go into an up-and-under having made up their mind to shoot. They have no Plan B. Doncic digests so much visual information in real time -- and is so smart anticipating where every player is about to be -- he can pivot (literally) into Plans B, C or D:
Numbers alone tell you Doncic is off to a crazy start: 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists per game on 47% shooting, including a scorching 58% on 2s. He has almost excised long 2s in favor of shots at the rim and 3s.
The eye test tells you even more. Doncic is thinking two steps ahead of everyone. His trademark pass as a rookie was probably the LeBron-style crosscourt laser to corner shooters. Already this season, he has shown mastery of other tricky dishes that reveal themselves -- only for a flash, and only to the very best passers -- in the run of play.
He is putting exactly the right touch, speed, and height on lobs to Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber:
That is a really hard pass -- the straight-on, long-distance lob. The timing is just a little bit different than is typical. Genius lives in those differences. Doncic picks up his dribble abruptly, before Avery Bradley is ready for it, and releases the ball almost while leaning backward. A lot of his lobs are like this. They come a beat earlier or later than you would expect. Doncic might already be the league's best lob passer.
He has great chemistry with Powell and Kleber. His partnership with Kristaps Porzingis is a work in progress. Opponents have outscored the Mavericks by 4.5 points per 100 possessions with both stars on the floor. Meanwhile, the Mavs are plus-28 in the 67 minutes Doncic has played without Porzingis -- and a monster plus-25 in 44 minutes with both out.
Porzingis spends a lot time spotting up around the Doncic/Powell and Doncic/Kleber two-man games; Doncic and Porzingis have partnered for only about 19 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions, compared to 40 for Powell and 31 for Kleber.
That spot-up role is valuable. Rick Carlisle has other sets to spring Porzingis. Doncic and Porzingis have complementary skill sets; they will discover their sweet spots, though to make this thing sing, Porzingis has to get better abusing smaller defenders when opponents switch the Doncic-Porzingis pick-and-roll. Fadeaways aren't cutting it. He's not Dirk.
3. Luka Doncic, faking you out of your shoes
Hypothesis: Doncic has the nastiest, most convincing up-and-under move on Earth.
Oh, Hassan.
Most players go into an up-and-under having made up their mind to shoot. They have no Plan B. Doncic digests so much visual information in real time -- and is so smart anticipating where every player is about to be -- he can pivot (literally) into Plans B, C or D:
Numbers alone tell you Doncic is off to a crazy start: 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists per game on 47% shooting, including a scorching 58% on 2s. He has almost excised long 2s in favor of shots at the rim and 3s.
The eye test tells you even more. Doncic is thinking two steps ahead of everyone. His trademark pass as a rookie was probably the LeBron-style crosscourt laser to corner shooters. Already this season, he has shown mastery of other tricky dishes that reveal themselves -- only for a flash, and only to the very best passers -- in the run of play.
He is putting exactly the right touch, speed, and height on lobs to Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber:
That is a really hard pass -- the straight-on, long-distance lob. The timing is just a little bit different than is typical. Genius lives in those differences. Doncic picks up his dribble abruptly, before Avery Bradley is ready for it, and releases the ball almost while leaning backward. A lot of his lobs are like this. They come a beat earlier or later than you would expect. Doncic might already be the league's best lob passer.
He has great chemistry with Powell and Kleber. His partnership with Kristaps Porzingis is a work in progress. Opponents have outscored the Mavericks by 4.5 points per 100 possessions with both stars on the floor. Meanwhile, the Mavs are plus-28 in the 67 minutes Doncic has played without Porzingis -- and a monster plus-25 in 44 minutes with both out.
Porzingis spends a lot time spotting up around the Doncic/Powell and Doncic/Kleber two-man games; Doncic and Porzingis have partnered for only about 19 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions, compared to 40 for Powell and 31 for Kleber.
That spot-up role is valuable. Rick Carlisle has other sets to spring Porzingis. Doncic and Porzingis have complementary skill sets; they will discover their sweet spots, though to make this thing sing, Porzingis has to get better abusing smaller defenders when opponents switch the Doncic-Porzingis pick-and-roll. Fadeaways aren't cutting it. He's not Dirk.
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