Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Phoenix Suns scouting: Luka Doncic is Europe’s best

By Joseph Lowery

MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 22: Luka Doncic, #7 guard of Real Madrid during the 2017/2018 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season Round 28 game between Real Madrid and Zalgiris Kaunas at Wizink Arena on March 22, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Sonia Canada/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 22: Luka Doncic, #7 guard of Real Madrid during the 2017/2018 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season Round 28 game between Real Madrid and Zalgiris Kaunas at Wizink Arena on March 22, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Sonia Canada/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Luka Doncic is, without a doubt, this draft’s best European prospect. What do we know about him and how would he fit with the Phoenix Suns? Let’s take a look.

Background:

Doncic, who just recently turned 19-years-old, was born and raised in Slovenia. His father played professional basketball and was one of Luka’s first windows into the basketball world. Doncic started his club career with Union Olimpija in Slovenia, moving up through the youth levels before signing a five-year contract with European basketball giants, Real Madrid, at age 13(!).

He made his professional debut for Los Galacticos at the fresh age of 16. Since then, Luka Doncic has played three seasons for Real Madrid, staring in both the ACB (the Spanish league) and in the EuroLeague (the highest competition in Europe).

Strengths:

Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns /

Phoenix Suns

One of the most impressive things about Slovenia’s biggest up-and-coming basketball star is his unique size. At 6’7″, Doncic has great size for a guard. With his height, Luka will be a mismatch for any NBA point guard and many of the league’s off-guards.

In combination with his size, Doncic is very effective at scoring off the dribble. He has solid handles and can use his long frame to slash to the rim or utilize his height to pull up over his defender.

Another thing that NBA scouts love about Doncic is his playmaking ability. Having already played three seasons in one of the world’s top leagues, he has proven his ability to take over games. Luka can make plays in transition as well as the half court, perfectly capable of making correct decisions against nearly any defense.

Weaknesses:

There are only two main weaknesses in Luka Doncic’s game. First, is his somewhat streaky shooting. Overall, he has a very sound shot with relatively few moving parts. Still, Doncic can struggle to sink jumpers with consistency. This area of his game certainly can and will be improved with some quality time in the gym.

Doncic’s second big weakness is his lack of explosive athleticism; he is nothing more than a decent athlete. Now of course average athleticism is not enough to doom an NBA career, but this will be an area of concern for NBA front offices.

Next: Valley of the Suns Mock Draft 1.0

Why would the Phoenix Suns want Luka Doncic?

It is really quite simple: a Devin Booker and Luka Doncic backcourt. A Booker/Doncic backcourt would have unbelievable size (Booker is listed at 6’6″ while Luka is listed at 6’7″), with incredible scoring and playmaking ability. T-shirts with “Devin and Doncic” will be flying off shelves as soon as Adam Silver announces that the Phoenix Suns have selected the Slovenian Star.

It would be a dream come true for the Suns’ front office, coaching staff, and fans.

Home/Suns Draft