Why Luka Doncic is Impossible to Guard

Luka Doncic makes every possession look so easy, yet there isn't a defender in the NBA that can contain him in isolation.
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[@MarlonT]

Love his game, his lower body strength is extremely underrated which allows the deceleration

[@pinobluevogel6458]

He doesn't look like it, but he legit man strength. Without all the muscle definition, you can be fooled into him being not as strong, which makes it even more dangerous.

[@MarlonT]

@@pinobluevogel6458 yep exactly 💯

[@ouicertes9764]

@@pinobluevogel6458 people forget NBA players add muscles for weight first, because most are tall with slight frames. If you already have a wide frame, like Jokic, Doncic, or most european bigs, you just need to focus on fonctionnal core muscles and not surface muscles that most think about when saying "in shape".

[@pinobluevogel6458]

@@ouicertes9764 I got your point. Luka has never looked 'jacked', lacking the muscle definition, but you can see how he affects his defenders, throwing them off balance with ease. There is legit strength behind it, no doubt.

[@SUPREMELEGEND]

​@@pinobluevogel6458or the defenders are flying off him on purpose and comically falling for every pump fake and pass fake to give him easy buckets, cause NBA is sports entertainment like WWE and the defenders get paid to make the superstars look good.

[@mekacrab]

He has such a deep bag at 24 years old. The amount of ways he can score is crazy and you add his superb playmaking and passing ability to that. I wouldn't be surprised if he won several MVPs in the next few years.

[@PridelovalecSipka]

Not allowed to have a bag during games

[@mekacrab]

@@PridelovalecSipka I didn't say he had it during the game ha

[@pinobluevogel6458]

So far, his MVP race got cut short twice now, due to injury and difficulty of keeping the team afloat without Luka. He often plays through injuries, which is also a problem for his overall game. Last year, he was perfectly on track until about jan or feb, then got sidelined and his MVP chances were over.

[@Maaadmaan]

His playstyle is on Thing. The change of his body speed costs. his bands and muscle are under extrem tension. And especially in late game, you can easily get injured, because the muscle are tired. And this style aged Not well. In Football/soccer there are alot examples of this sort of playstyle. If you don't have the necessary genetics, luck and training, you will have really fast bad knees, hip, ancles and back pain. Hopefully He stays healthy. One of the good guys 👍

[@BeerAndJointsAllDay]

The USA media would never allow this...

[@muvzyhoops]

he is just so awkward you never know what he's gonna do. Either he fades from the post up position or spams a ton of hesitation moves and when ur off balance for a second he catches you. you did a great job explaining it in the vid he has a counter for everything. W vid as always Brodie

[@HoopVenue]

Appreciate you!

[@cheeseballs9579]

How is he awkward? Lol. It’s literally some of the most beautiful basketball ever played

[@pinobluevogel6458]

From counter to counter to countermove. He can legit take every scoring option that is open or just flick the ball to an open teammate on a no-look pass out of any corner of the court. Its just crazy, beyond even what Jokic does. I love Jokic setups and passes and he might be a little more insane with his effectiveness on his passing, but having the insane dribble and movement that Luka has, opens up a lot more of the court and relies a lot less on the finishing ability of his teammates, which I think is a plus in a vacuum.

[@arkadiuszrogala1359]

I wouldn’t say necessarily awkward, but unpredictable while smooth.

[@user-rd5ye5jn9y]

🔥

[@i_fuze_hostages6]

Luka is honestly one of the most fun guards I’ve ever watched

[@HoopVenue]

100%, dude's just having a good time out there.

[@MD-kw5vo]

He’s just a right handed James harden (rockets harden not current)

[@i_fuze_hostages6]

@@MD-kw5vo he’s a similar player but he is an insane finisher

[@MD-kw5vo]

@@i_fuze_hostages6 so was harden he was punching on ppl same w his lays

[@crypto40]

For years Iv wanted to see him and jokic team up. Now idk if that will ever happen with Denver winning the chip last season

[@chanachon56]

What I love about Luka and Jokic is the slow, methodical, almost nonchalant way that they attack opposing defenses. Its like they are giving next to zero effort getting points on the board. And that's not even getting into their passing game!

[@kurtisrichards1082]

European fundamentals, sounds cliche but so much of that starts from Football (Soccer) always using your opponents momentum against them, especially when you’re 6’8, you’re so hard to guard, bigger than guards, smaller than forwards so it’s constantly a mismatch, but the bloke is an absolute genius.

[@kennethward4985]

They both flow like water down a rocky cliff, always taking the path of least resistance. This was Bruce Lee's method of kung fu.

[@antares3796]

As I said last year, Luka and Jokic are the slowest top players in NBA history .... slow but controlled ....they have mastered the art of slow speed basketball . All players try to finisch their actions as fast as possible .... these two players not ... and therefore are so successful ...

[@Blekkkkkkkkk]

@@antares3796yea but now others are doing it too. Shai is most notably

[@michaelbuto305]

@@Blekkkkkkkkk Its great. The NBA rule changes alot, speed power might not be the best bet to win NBA like what MJ did before because foul this and that today. But with Luka Jokic slow beat, its probably the best for NBA as a whole to change.

[@vee1766]

Doncic basically plays like a veteran superstar, at only 24 years old. He mastered things in his early 20s that LeBron mastered in his early 30s.

[@denisbejtja9937]

Even though he is young he has played basketball for 20 years I think. They say you need 10000 hours to master one field which on average is 10 years. He doubled that so here you go. You have a young man but veteran in the game

[@havefaithinjesuschristjesu1359]

It’s honestly impressive how he’s been since he was young . He’s never averaged less than 21 points in the nba . The last he averaged less than 26 points was his rookie year

[@bigred9991]

He was a better shooter than lebron (especially mid-range) but that's about it. Lebron had the ability to completely take over a game with minimal scoring from himself. I don't think Luka is there yet. I think of Luka as a Lebron clone without the insane athleticism. Luka is here to stay and will be the face of the NBA no matter how much people from America don't like it, and I'm here for it. Born and raised in Dallas. I cant wait until they get him some legit help that wants to play basketball every game. Kyrie is awesome but he's got to play in more games.

[@amjan]

LeBron in his early 30s didn't even have half of Luka's skills.

[@bwink23]

LeBum has NO BAG, only needles

[@coltondodd3086]

This is honestly the best “Luka is good bc of X” type video I’ve seen. Major props dude 🫡

[@HoopVenue]

I appreciate that, glad you enjoyed!

[@jonathanlgill]

I'm really excited to see how the Mavs perform this season after the roster changes they've made.

[@HoopVenue]

Same here, hope Richaun gets some playing time!

[@nikolayjerev9285]

No rebounding...

[@tristanharris8440]

Yes, 9th seed

[@dogelife7901]

Hardaway Jr is a bucket

[@Adj8llk]

@@ILikeToEatCatz i'll come here to claim another soul when we win a chip thanks im becoming stronger every minute

[@Hussleandgrow]

Amazing breakdown man! Esp the way you detail his timing on his attack moves and taking what the opposition gives. Alot of moves to try and add to the bag 💯

[@ryanv8135]

The best breakdown of his offense I’ve seen on a KZbin video, so far. Bravo

[@HoopVenue]

Thank you!

[@maferreira1984]

Agreed.

[@LawrenceAugust_]

Amazing breakdowns! Great video!

[@nishantchafle7752]

Great in-depth and accurate analysis of the player based on great research.

[@christiandelapena8623]

Great video and insightful analysis bro.

[@phillipfoster1862]

Great video! Nice details on breaking down Luka’s game. Luka magic 🪄

[@FabioGalleraniOfficial]

Seeing him live I can say I have NEVER see anyone making always the right play

[@gregshirley-jeffersonboule6258]

I guess you never saw Larry Bird.

[@frankjoseph6071]

jokic

[@timometsanoja9666]

They have this 7'1" rookie center there that played quite a lot last night in the first game of the season and he might be a big factor this season... He looked quite good with Luka + Kyrie. Able to go get those passes and hit his shots very well with all the Luka & Kyrie gravity on the court. Luka is just out of this world with his ability to take advantage of anyone and everyone on the offensive end.

[@HoopVenue]

When Lively and Luka get the chemistry down they'll be a ridiculous duo in the pick & roll.

[@frankjoseph6071]

@@HoopVenue this aged well

[@calebmartin1917]

Luka a wizard, love the content. Who would u say peaked higher 11 Dirk or 20 AD & why ?

[@HoopVenue]

Could go either way on this one, my gut says AD because of the all-time defensive flexibility, but Dirk is the vastly superior offensive player and a "true #1", so there's no wrong answer.

[@donaldf9055]

​@@HoopVenuewhy would you say that dirk is a vastly superior offensive player? I'm just curious so I'm asking

[@emmielcarek9480]

@@donaldf9055ad wasn’t the clear 1st option when they won the championship, add on that his massive offensive inconsistencies.

[@donaldf9055]

@@emmielcarek9480 not ad, Luka.

[@donaldf9055]

@@emmielcarek9480 oh nvm I'm on drugs lmao

[@hunterbailey8332]

This video was so well done.

[@rengeorge9268]

So basically what makes him good are He’s good at changing speed He can push defenders off using his weight He can finish off contact He can shoot from anywhere He has multiple finishing options

[@Titodudonshow]

I think you forgot to mention, that brcause of his insane passing ability, the defender will always overthink Luka's next move. Hence why, some of them forget to lock him up, because they expect Luka to pass the ball.

[@Lightzy1]

Easily the best and most in depth player breakdown I've seen on youtube

[@HoopVenue]

That means a lot, glad you enjoyed!

[@j.k.kaisla1431]

this is something new, to see it closely and slow. amazing LUKA!!

[@dogelife7901]

Great breakdown. Its wlmost comical how can shake defender with the tiniest hesitation but then he got that size where can just over oower to create space as needed

[@karu6111]

It's crazy, he's been doing that elbow dribble isolation to a step-back 3 before he's in a legal age to drink lol. Been watching this dude before he was drafted it's crazy he's still torching the league with the same kinda moves.

[@1961corvette]

Luca's game is great to watch. That was a great analysis.

[@reallydoe2052]

Best luka vid I’ve ever seen and I mean it

[@HoopVenue]

Thank you!

[@TyLovePie]

He isn't crazy fast or jump super high, and I love it! He is proving you don't have to be uber athletic to be the best. In a league full of unprecedented athleticism, his achievements are truly inspiring.

[@kenaldri4923]

Good analysis. I keep wondering when he is going to pull back for the outside shot, but he is always driving. Pulling back would give him even more options.

[@delCorteh]

Sending all my bros your clips, you’re COOKING bruh. Subbed too

[@HoopVenue]

Appreciate you!!

[@andrewf0784]

It also helps that he is 6'7, but has a low center of gravity. throws defenders off. players that tall dont typically play that close to the ground. Thats one of the first things i noticed about him, is that he utilizes his handles below the waist like a 1 or 2 guard.

[@trevgotapick]

exactly

[@jokiclover]

Great vid HV, Steph or Luka offensively in 2023?

[@HoopVenue]

This is an awesome debate imo, the drastic difference between an ultra-helio guy, and someone who's arguably better without the ball. If I were starting from scratch and just had to build around one of them, I'd choose Luka, but if I were just taking each and placing them in a random situation, I think you can extract more value from Steph.

[@mrman4271]

comment for the almighty algorithm cause I love ur vids ur like ben taylor (thinking bball) and u deserve WAY more recognition. God bless have a great day man!!!

[@HoopVenue]

Thank you so much!

[@jimmer6930]

Craziest part of this video is that you ain’t even mention that Luka is a passer>scorer. Same goes for Jokic and Lebron, could make a whole video on their scoring but the first thing they want to do is hit an open man so you can’t even double them

[@HoopVenue]

Facts!

[@Biggiiful]

This,is not facts. None of those guys are "pass first" players. This Internet myth needs to die. They are score first players, some of the best scorers ever, while also being incredible passers. Magic Johnson, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, and John Stockton are PASS FIRST players that could also score pretty well. Lebron and Luka are SCORE FIRST players who can also pass very well. The myth that LeBron especially is a pass first player, is garbage. It's observably and statistically untire. He is still a phenomenal passer though.

[@jimmer6930]

@@Biggiiful you’re arguing about categorising Lebron’s playstyle, which is stupid, but I’ll bite. I didn’t call them pass first, I said passer>scorer. Which means playmaking is the primary weapon of all 3. You think PRIME Lebron only averaged 26 ppg on the heat as a score first player???. Luka, Joker, Lebron mostly play against man to man coverage as teams know they’ll hit any passing options theyre given. Each developed an iso game and will sometimes look for their own shot first, but it’s to open up the floor. As soon as you double, each will hit the open man for a better look (which is more efficient offense). “Score-first” players (embiid, shaq, 06-10 kobe, hot shooters like steph/klay) will mostly look for their own shot first, and if it’s going in they’ll keep hunting their shot, even through double teams. Lebron has only ever played like this in the non-kyrie playoff runs in 17 and 18, and even then only bcuz his teams had very limited shotmaking. His first weapon is his playmaking, as is Luka’s and Joker’s. If you think they’re score first because they average the most points on their teams, I would encourage you to look at the what the other 9 players do when they have the ball.

[@bleeduss]

@@Biggiiful statistically untrue? Any stats to back that up?

[@frugalcooking523]

Luka ia the most fun player to watch! The King of Decel ! Super nice video !!!!!

[@JOHNNYPMUSIC]

Great vid HV, who would u take offensively, Trae or Ja and why?

[@i_fuze_hostages6]

Ja due to size and athleticism he is a pretty decent playmaker and he has significantly higher upside and even unrelated to the question he is infinitely better on defense

[@Matthew-xl5bc]

Trae. Better playmaker and teams actually have to guard his jump shot.

[@Matthew-xl5bc]

@@i_fuze_hostages6Ja is also one of the worst defenders in the league as well

[@HoopVenue]

This is about as close as 2 players can get imo. On one hand you have Trae's superior shooting and passing, but on the other Ja seems to be more resilient and built for tougher playoff defenses because of the unreal dribble penetration. If I *had* to pick, my gut says Trae, but it's like a 50.1/49.9 advantage.

[@i_fuze_hostages6]

@@Matthew-xl5bc he has more potential to be a defensive problem than trae

[@MasonJacob-gk3cz]

Amazing video, better defender in 2023 jmac or Jimmy and why ?

[@ahaahaha935]

Who da hell is jmac

[@seijibeyond5143]

@@ahaahaha935Jaden McDaniels I guess

[@HoopVenue]

I'd take Jimmy, I'm a sucker for off-ball defense and he's maybe the best ever at his position. McDaniels is better if you're trying to slow down one individual guy, but on the team level Butler's on another level imo.

[@dinnerpartyempire]

this is a really nice video on a modern day daiki aomine

[@eagletkc]

Incredible Skill Set! Future should be his nickname if not added!!

[@mon-vc4tu]

That stepback from deep is the new fadeaway from the 90’

[@loh1870]

around 3 min vs cha and the one after vs Atl are both travels even in space jam

[@stinkypinkie9029]

Luka is amazing but I’m still not convinced on the Mavs. The west is stacked and I don’t see them getting too far in the playoffs

[@HoopVenue]

I probably agree, like what they're doing but still far from a top tier contender in my opinion. Would really love to see them get a defensive star, whether that be a versatile wing or anchoring big.

[@hardywoodaway9912]

just remove ‚too far‘…

[@Jardermorder]

People keep forgetting Mavs were fourth before Christmas and they just added two centers (Holmes and Lively) which are a definite upgrade over Powell, and Grant Williams instead of Bullock. Add Exum and Curry to the mix, I believe they're much more competitive than what they looked like in the last games of last season. With a competitive machine in Doncic, don't sleep of them.

[@imdbtruth]

If Luka plays 70+ games, then they'll be a top-6 seed.

[@enoeteinanga8389]

Lol... This aged quite well! 😅

[@odnanrefoires]

his space creator badge already gold

[@humanrich]

Luka and Irving both have incredible change of speed abilities.

[@HoopVenue]

2 of the best in that department, no doubt.

[@ndesylvarius3669]

Pat Bev said it best. " Skeet skeet stop" 😂

[@user-sg7cr5dg5q]

I think he studies all his opponents on all the teams to see what their Tendencies are their movements and how they guard etc etc I think he knows how to get people off of their feet and how to use their movements, speed, and footwork to his advantage. These are signs of someone with an extremely high basketball IQ

[@AP77432]

Basketball IQ + right decisions + good court vision + explosiveness of changing speed and decelration + good ball and body control + diff shot techniques = new era of MVP style. But athletic and speed features are still most important and teams need that mix most. All ppls like Luka in starting five wont win anything, but Luka arround athletic and really fast guys is best mixture for team.

[@aprichi9123]

thank you, be coming back for sure

[@HoopVenue]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@BallandBiscuit]

His reaction time is unreal. He’s completely exploited timing. ofc the friendly whistle helps too :P

[@jimmywalker8354]

Luka's handles are crazy yo!! Tatum & Brown shoulld take note.

[@j.k.kaisla1431]

...so nice. thanks

[@bt3913]

Luka’s skill level is generational, regardless of team success. It’s a privilege to watch this man play

[@shaolin6150]

That's crazy. All these years we think speed is best. The dude mastered the hand brakes.

[@kobeforever-hokage5471]

Great indeph content as always. Question who would you say is a better player right now, Jayson Tatum or Damian lillard?

[@banimeclips10]

I’m a Tatum hater but would say Tatum > dame as of now. He’s a top7 at worst player in the league at top5 at best. Playing both ends of the floor really help his case but being limited on offence because of not being the playmaking savant that other dudes in the league above him are takes his case away from top4 imo.

[@travtra8346]

Luka cross u over at a playback speed of 0.5x 😂

[@nonamespls3468]

he is a genius, very entertaining to watch. If only Dallas could make good trades, that Kyrie trade might have destroyed his chances of a ring in Dallas.

[@ikigai47]

1:45 you misread this imo. The defender didn't do a 'good job' on the initial turn, he was beat. Luka just screwed up a little on the spin move, leaving the ball outside his momentum.

[@cookieswithoutcream]

hes like a burst assault rifle

[@HoopVenue]

Amazing comp

[@naelna]

Very nice analysis! Now let's see if he can take the must win gane 3 of the finals. I bet he does.

[@flyblu80]

It's a pleasure to see him, he's one of the best. In my opinion he would have more and not less difficulty playing in Jordan's time, today there are more open spaces.

[@rsitch1]

You have a great sense of viewing. Excellent , have you thought of working in training young and old ???? Bob

[@AdamxAudra]

Like your view point, who would u take offensively, Embiid or Tatum and why ?

[@HoopVenue]

For as much as Tatum does better, especially when it comes to making reads and countering different coverages, I still think Embiid's mega-scoring is just too much here.

[@banimeclips10]

Tatum 😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣

[@anonymousgara8415]

Thank you, may God bless you all and everyone. ❤️

[@jhay090107]

everything u said on LUKA is on point

[@kennethward4985]

When asked which was his kung fu style, Master Bruce Lee said, I flow like water, take whatever the opponent gives me. . I think the Mavs are now serious contenders.

[@quidproquo3933]

he like that old dude that shows up at the local courts once in a while and just eats in slow mo

[@alanberickson]

You can tell I'm old school. Never could have palmed the ball like that back in my day.

[@dhui777]

It’s not just about his change of pace. His subtle change of pace is effective only because he is a lethal outside shooter so the defender has to follow closely.

[@nicholasmcelroy603]

Luka is just unstoppable he either puts off a clean shot or a clean pass to the perfect spot

[@johannbogason1662]

The master of slow motion with momentum.

[@briandtnguyen]

He’s got a really deep bag but it’s really hard for a team to win when one man is 50%+ of your entire offense whether he’s shooting or passing. An equal opportunity offense will beat a one-man offense most of the times. When lebron won his back-to -back titles with the Heat, Spoelstra convinced him to sacrifice his stats for the benefit of the team. He even sacrificed his assist numbers so that other guys could be playmakers too. To date, only Spoeltra and old age were able to convince Bron to lean into a system where he isn’t the system necessarily.

[@captainsmoke1612]

It's the art of bringing people out of balance. Just like Messi does in soccer.

[@ContentforUncles]

I also think because he doesn't use much athleticism it keeps him close to the ground. So his finishes look like just another step, which means you don't know when he's gonna finish. other stars have strong accelerations and finishes so you know when the play is going to end - or when the play HAS to end. In other words, Lukas end-of-play moves look extremely similar to his middle-of-play moves.

[@AlejandroMadrid-tn1gp]

He is a great player. Great!!!!! Wish he haf better support.

[@NevenKuzat-hb4xn]

Nice job man...

[@MikeTheNBAGuy]

It's hard to accept for a guy whose never made the finals (not his fault) but Luka is already an ATG player, and he's young enough to imagine continued polish to his game for the next decade

[@Cham0y_495]

🤣 🤣

[@LawrenceAugust_]

2:54 would've been called for a walk back in the day... new NBA is wild.

[@imspork]

Luka is an insane offensive threat. HV who do you think has a more aggressive offensive game of attack Kevin Porter JR or Miles Bridges !

[@lolgg1829]

I think because the players who guard him is all talented athletic and high instinct players that's why they get caught up everytime everytime he moves because they react everytime he hesitate and step back

[@JonasWeather]

6:36 the fakes are so smooth

[@nathanfreeman7362]

He really is on a different kind of timing

[@richardoteri9746]

goat talent

[@richardkeller4892]

I want to Jokic and Luca on same team. Slow yet dominant

[@idiggold]

Luka Luka Luka Lukaaaaa

[@argospanoptes4826]

The travelings in nba are insane.

[@williamwallace410]

Such a versatile and intelligent player.

[@banimeclips10]

Bro is a top3 player in all of offensive categories and his size plays a very big role in it .

[@mitchell7309]

Best brakes in the business. Which creates his separation even with how conventionally slow and unathletic he is … combined with his awkwardness and size and strength. Him and his teammate Kyrie also have the best footwork and balance in the game as well. But no Mike and then Kobe were the best mid range scorers in NBA history. Then KD

[@keroga8635]

He’s like the combination of Paul Pierce and Jason Kidd.

[@Yara150110]

Be carefull... he is moving slowly!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@DAVIDMILLER-nc9vo]

He palms the ball! Thirty years ago he could not get away with that. Same for many NBA players.

[@taXicity]

Luka needs a pnr partner and a decent shooter. Hes got the latter i guess and with his passing talent he needs to invole the others more. He needs to learn to lead, and he can damn well lead by example. Just take a note from Jokic's book on how to become the alfa of a group that fires on all cylinders. It sounds silly, and is difficult, but its the only way to play this game correctly

[@PXCKED66]

Bro dropped 73 for career high who y’all thought he was

[@tiberseptim8118]

Luka will be next GOAT

[@scottmghill]

Skill, power and occasionally *travelling* .

[@petarigic5246]

Skill 😎

[@therhinoceros1]

Now that I watch it slowly, he has a masterful carry a lot of the times that he blends with legal moves along with his body movement that gives him the initial step a lot of the time... no?

[@EnigmaticAlien]

I love Luka but the amount of times he travels in this; he must be on another planet right now lol

[@Flowshow88]

He is not what not electrifying yet he is just as fun to watch as somene who is 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@DarylCook63]

I dream of Luka and Jokic playing together in permanent “slow motion” magic.

[@DefenestrateLogic]

Some mean travels in there too

[@Keviekev115]

Lukas best skill may honestly be his handles. If you’ve ever played ball, you know how much easier the game is when you have the ball on a string. I think he has too 3 best handles in the league. Deff helps All the other parts. Especially dribbling with contact