BOSTON – Luka Dončić has been framed in the same picture as Denver MVP Nikola Jokic.
His liftoffs are not explosive. He won’t blow by defenders. He’s not particularly athletic on the surface.
To which he says: “I’m athletic in different ways. Not everything is jumping and running fast.”
He’s right.
From the neck up, he’s more nimble than anybody else in the NBA. When it comes to strength and smarts about putting his defender in a weakened position, he excels. And Dončić has supreme touch.
How do you think he makes all those crazy trick shots and seems to have a feathery release that results in a soft shot when it nestles into the net, which it often does.
Even his missed shots look good, usually.
And now, he’s ready to show all his non-athletic talents off in the NBA Finals, starting Thursday night at TD Garden against the Celtics.
“Every kid that plays basketball dreams about this,” he said. “I was one of them.”
Wednesday was one of those moments to realize the dream is coming true. As he answered questions at the NBA Finals media day in English, Spanish and Slovenian, he smiled knowing that the reason he’s worked for the better part of 20 years at this game is right in front of him.
When he started playing for Real Madrid’s senior team, at the tender age of 16, Dončić had dreams of a championship. Not just to be the king of European basketball. But of the world.
It took him only three seasons to bag a European title. That was the sign he needed that he was ready for the NBA. Now, he is on the precipice of a championship with the Mavericks. And he’s enjoying the ride.
“Amazing,” he said about what it’s like playing for the title. “First time here. Hopefully, it’s not the last time. But never take it for granted. You never know if you are going to come back, so just enjoy the experience.”
And remember how hard it is.
“It’s very hard,” he said. “You got to sit and watch a lot of film. You got to work. I don’t think people understand how hard it is to win games in this league, especially in the playoffs. I think we earned (our way) to be here. We deserve it because every game in the playoffs was really hard to win.”
Even if Dončić at times makes it look easy.
We got a chance to ask Jason Kidd, who knew a thing or two about thinking his way around the basketball court when he was an elite point guard, what he thinks about Luka’s basketball intelligence.
He started by saying that Dončić is more athletic than he gets credit for.
“But when you talk about basketball IQ . . . when you look at Luka’s understanding of the game, time and score, who’s on the floor, he’s at the head of the class,” Kidd said. “He’s not afraid of the stage, of the moment. Successful or not, he loves that moment.
“It’s really cool when you get to spend a lot of time with someone to see how they do move around the floor.”
And, this season, how Dončić has moved around the defensive end of that floor. It hasn’t always been a priority for him. And Kidd admits Luka still picks his spots, sometimes. But he’s there when the stakes rise.
“He’s shown that he can play defense at a high level,” Kidd said. “He’s shown that he’ll take a little time off when needed defensively.
“When it comes down to it, he’s about winning. That’s why we’re here is because he’s playing both sides of the ball. He understands when he has to. But his offensive skill set is pretty special when you talk about being able to play inside and out. So I think he’s one of the smartest players in this league. That’s why, again, we’re playing in the Finals, because of his IQ and his willingness to step up on that stage and not be afraid to fail.”
One of his longest-tenured teammates, Maxi Kleber, has learned to appreciate Dončić’s acumen when he’s on the floor. And it pays off in ways that make him more effective offensively than players who possess more quickness or jumping ability than he does.
“Even in practice, you go against him and you’re so fascinated,” said Maxi Kleber, who has seen Dončić from Day One as a Maverick. “Going against him every day, you think you know what he’s going to do, but you just don’t.
“If you take away his three, he’s going to attack. If you take away the attack, he’s going to step back. If you double-team, he’s going to make the right pass. It’s truly amazing how good he is.”
And he has the value of experience now, not only in the NBA, but for years with Real Madrid before that.
“Playing professional for so long, he’s seen every coverage,” Kleber said. “And his deceleration is what makes him so athletic. His first step, once he gets his body to you, there’s not much you can do, because he’s strong. Seeing the play before it happens makes him faster, too.”
And one of Luka’s newest teammates has learned in a hurry just how complete a player he really is.
“He can hoop. He might not be able to windmill, but he’s one of the best players in the world,” center Daniel Gafford said. “People are going to game plan for him, double him and he’s still going to pick you apart. Having someone on the team like that is amazing. And there’s nothing you can compare that to.”
That’s what Luka does. Luka things.
And it may just lead to more Luka Magic in the NBA Finals.
@ESefko
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