They Found A New Way To Hate On Luka Doncic

Stephen A Smith recently said that he'd pick Ja Morant over Luka Doncic to start a franchise with. He said this after Charles Barkley stated that Ja Morant does not make his teammates better. This is not just a bad take, but also one made because Stephen A does not value what Luka Doncic has done in his career nearly as much as he should. It gets worse when he makes is case for who should win the NBA MVP award. He says that Luka Doncic would only win it due to him being from overseas. It was a very condescending comment to make, and one that reveals Stephen A Smith's true biases.
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[@nikolayjerev6138]

After Rockets tonight, it is official that Mavs without Doncic are the worst team in Nba.

[@tooforwon241]

Exactly right!

[@philippculture489]

@@tooforwon241 That's the difference between Ja and Luka (except for the fact that Luka is way better than Ja). The Grizzlies keep winning without Ja. Last year they even played better without him. The Mavs without Luka would be a play-in team at best...

[@pointyheadYT]

@@philippculture489 I honestly believe Mavs would be dead-last in the west without him.

[@burlesonpowerwashing4574]

Your right. It hurts.

[@burlesonpowerwashing4574]

Maybe keep Luke out for awhile. Either the bench will get playoff ready or they won't.

[@artur583]

Guys, we need to stop with the "Luka is bad on defense" narrative at this point. He's literally 2nd in the league in steal per game....I watch every mavs game. The dude constantly strips the ball, makes big time blocks, solid getting backed down in the post. Yes, his only problem is he's not very quick laterally, but I mean he's faaaaar from a liability on D at this point.

[@commonsenseproductions500]

At this point they go at him in hopes to tire him out

[@christiankrueger2330]

He’s improved a lot

[@MIZ0217]

Luka has improved defensively this season, hes good at everything defensive except guarding players who are quick/on the perimeter and has difficulty moving laterally.

[@thereallavoncason6008]

fax, 95% of people dont watch games they just watch highlights

[@cam0kaze240]

Exactly Luka is better than Ja is on defense because his IQ is higher so he can get more steals, but because Ja can jump higher and make more 'interesting' blocks and steals he's automatically seen as better at defense it's stupid

[@Kushagra.j]

The grizzlies owner will trade Ja and his wife if it meant he could get Luka

[@cyrillesu]

Fr though, Luka is light years ahead as an overall offensive talent and plays a style that almost guarantees a longer career with less injuries.

[@riven4121]

@@cyrillesu Ja really reminds me of prime Derrick Rose with how he plays. I just hope he doesn't suffer the same injury Rose did.

[@cyrillesu]

@@riven4121 he really does resemble pre-injury D-Rose. Luka, however, is basically if Larry Bird played today.

[@riven4121]

@@cyrillesu Luka is the definition of "one man army". He's a machine. It's criminal that a lot of pundits don't give him the recognition he deserves. Especially when he's doing what he's doing at the age of 23.

[@xSilentknifegaming]

@@riven4121 if it means luka will get expensed on, then yeah i hope ja do get injured so people can see that there are levels to this shit and ja just aint on lukas level.

[@ripevanwinkle494]

They are notorious for not giving credit to foreign players..

[@cyrillesu]

The fact that they're pushing the "They're international players so they have a larger following than American players" narrative is ridiculous. Even the stats and team records don't matter anymore because apparently, it's just about who has the most clout now.

[@danield982]

@@cyrillesu They just butthurt that european players are dominating in the NBA. Giannis, Luka and the Joker are all top 5 players in the league. I swear, it's almost comical how Stephen A continues to try to convince himself that Ja is better than Luka 😂

[@xlmoodylx9673]

It’s not that. Luka is my favorite player but his game isn’t flashy. Joker, Giannis. The media can’t wait for Joel embiid to take over though.

[@hardywoodaway9912]

@@xlmoodylx9673 wtf. Embiid highlights are just boring compared to Lukas… he is just big

[@krguti1986]

Not foreign... White.

[@rodericksasu6976]

To be fair Luka is averaging 2.1 steals and 0.6 blocks while Ja is averaging 1.2 steals and 0.3 blocks. Not saying Luka is a Defensive beast but those are the numbers.

[@whoknows9193]

True and if you watch the games. Luka is tuned in on defense. Playing help d, playing good enough when’s he on ball. Ja makes a insane block or steal once every month or two and then they start saying his defense is his strength. I guarantee you that people going against the grizz are targeting him cause he’s the weak spot of his teams defense

[@NerdChannelBrasil]

@@whoknows9193 Vs the mavs this season Ja got bullied by Spencer Dwindididididididi.

[@Vini7034]

Exactly

[@lxxvii4887]

Luka is also top 6 in the league in DRTG this season. I know that it is not a definitive stat but somehow every other player in top 20 is known as a good defender except Luka. It is funny

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

@@lxxvii4887 Luka has a 49.5% defensive field goal this year. Ja Morant has a 42.3% defensive field goal%.

[@moeg.3735]

It makes me so mad, that people earn millions talking sports and can't even pronounce Doncics name properly. No wonder they constantly underrate Luka

[@danielsibrian7559]

Lucas Donakick

[@slightlyunhinged]

They don’t wanna show him the respect he deserves so they knowingly refuse to pronounce it correctly even though he’s in his 5th season

[@Mamba-Kush]

They do the same with Giannis. #jaaaaaaaanis

[@cyrillesu]

Stephen A: "Ja Morant is an MVP candidate with his 29 a game on 48% shooting" Luka and his 34 a game on 50% shooting: *laughs in Western Conference Finals appearance*

[@mosessupposes2571]

Screamin A Smith is dishonest and two faced.

[@Tanmanhologram]

Ja hittin that deep ball though but cant go wrong either way

[@cyrillesu]

@@mosessupposes2571 and a xenophobe

[@cyrillesu]

@@Tanmanhologram "Can't go wrong either way"??? Luka is a walking 34-9-8 who can singlehandedly trash an entire defense.

[@Tanmanhologram]

@@cyrillesu cant go wrong either way.

[@noahentertainment7298]

This is basically Giannis/Jokic MVP situation all over again. This time, it’s Luka’s turn

[@philippculture489]

Ja Morant is spectacular and a great iso-player, but Luka is an all-time great player at 23. He could go down as the GOAT and he is the only player right now in the NBA where I see this possible. To say Ja is better than Luka is ridiculous. Ja's team is winning without him, the Mavs without Luka are a lottery team (at best a play-in team) and he carried them to the WCF. He is insane and puts up numbers like NOONE before.

[@dorriantaylor1238]

Luka will never be the goat smh see this is the shit I hate about white sports fans mAn y’all better stop disrespecting the real goats in basketball only a white american/european would fix their lips yo call luka the goat get tf outta here

[@yungromeo6183]

🤣😂

[@coops1992]

Yeah right GOAT with his body, bad 3pt and defense. Another Carmelo, Westbrook and Harden.

[@dt-lg2oc]

@@coops1992 way different from them lmao casual

[@javigar133]

Well GOAT... No, easy!

[@Myiic]

As a Memphis fan, I actually agreed with Barkley. Ja looks for his shot 9/10 times and it's usually a great shot, but he can't single handely win us games and last night was proof. JJJ yeeting 0-7 from 3 doesn't help either :(

[@cyrillesu]

A stat to keep in mind regarding Ja: The Grizzlies were 20-5 without Ja in the regular season last year (a 66 win pace) and 36-21 with him (a 52 win pace).

[@Zenrei03]

Ja is an exciting and talented player but it's fair to criticize whether or not he contributes to winning basketball, especially in the playoffs. There, team basketball is needed to keep you in the game before superstar power can fuel the win.

[@metaldude4563]

I mean he's currently top 15 in assists per game, I agree there are definitely moments where he looks for his own shot a little too much but he's also 23. I also feel like this argument is a little bit of a dammed if you do, dammed if you don't. If he was passing more often he'd get criticized for not being the type of guy who puts the team on his back, he doesn't have that dog in him, etc etc. Jokic got shit for years because he "wasn't aggressive enough"

[@Zenrei03]

@@metaldude4563 What he's doing right now is not going to carry over into the playoffs. It's not about how many assists he makes, it's whether or not he's looking to make the best IQ play. Numbers can be inflated. When the games start to matter, that's what we'll see how well he will perform. An early indicator will be how he handles double teams or blitzes.

[@RafitoOoO]

@@Zenrei03 exactly. Wilt led the league in assists out of spite when people started saying he was a ball hog, but was it the always the best play? Probably not. LeBron is just like that, he always tries to find the best shot for the team and then will get criticized for not having "the killer instinct" or whatever BS they make on the fly.

[@johnnygoods1232]

Luka leading the MVP race right now, Ja is behind Shia Alexander right now

[@cyrillesu]

Giannis is my favorite to win this year but I wouldn't be surprised if Luka wins it. As for Ja, he's been great, but he's not even in the top 5 among MVP favorites. Steph is averaging 32 on 50-40-90 splits and he's not in the conversation so why would Ja be there?

[@anthonyhodgson2934]

Steph, Luka, Tatum, Giannis all easily ahead of Ja in the mvp race rn. You could argue a couple other guys too.

[@zoobiezaa]

the only real candidates right now are luka, giannis, joel and maybe steph

[@onehand-yusuf7212]

@@zoobiezaa steph is 4-10 rn so no bueno Ja got a way bigger case. Hell I would give Tatum the award before curry

[@AtmosphericAtmosphere]

Think Giannis have better stats...

[@mlg4lyf]

Luka in his second season put up numbers better then ja morant in his prime I still can't believe people argue this, I'm not of fan of either but the disrespect has to stop

[@radityapoerwanto7018]

Ja morant in his prime? Im pretty sure he aint reaching his prime yet. But for real, Luka better

[@mlg4lyf]

@@radityapoerwanto7018 I'd like to think he's in his prime now 😅

[@numa2k147]

@@mlg4lyf nah he's not his prime still ain't come yet. And that's a wonderful thing. Luka still better rn tho

[@nikhilchaudhary9389]

@@radityapoerwanto7018 he won't reach it either. His knees will give up way before that

[@fracmas5481]

the possibility of this beeing his prime is real bcz the possibility of him getting a catastrofic injury is real. i really hope it is not the case but the probability is not in his favor also Luka and Ja comparison comeon that's just unbelivable to hear.

[@crippledepre9539]

Ja averages les points, rebounds, assists. He’s less efficient and has more turnovers lol. He’s not even close to jayson tatums level never mind luka doncic lmao

[@minimalischminimalisxh9668]

also Luka has more blocks and steals..

[@FirashAdryan]

I think Luka is a bit too far out of Ja’s level to compare. Trae Young would be a better candidate to do comparisons, in my opinion.

[@quennygreen]

5:55 is no one gonna mention the fact that bro said Czechoslovakia??? 😭😭

[@danakaleb4882]

He’s braindead. Can’t even pronounce Luka’s name properly after five years. He’s lucky Luka has good manners and doesn’t call him out for it.

[@NbaCheatingRefs]

I'm Black...and Giannis, Luka, and the Joker are a few of my favorite players to watch. Jokic has won Back-to-Back MVPs while his Robin has been injured the last 2 seasons, Luka has given one of the best defensive teams fits and it took them 6-7 games to beat him while he defeated a 60-win team to lead his team to the conference finals while Giannis has proven to be the best player in the league since last year. What do these ESPN Analysts have against these players not from America to the point where they can't even give them credit where credit is due?

[@Zenrei03]

We've been raised to have an inherent bias towards our own countrymen. That applies to almost every country, except in situations like this, you can say "I love __ because he's from my country but __ is the best in the world right now." Applies to literally every Olympic competition. They just don't want to let go of the American dominance in basketball. What are they going to do when Victor Wembanyama shows up? 🤣

[@lewisotoo9174]

Respectfully I think this comment should start with I'm American because 1. There are non American black people. 2. if jokic and luka were pure white born god fearing larry bird loving 4th of July celebrating AMERICANS the NBA and it's media would be celebrating them but because they are from ex Soviet countrys and or have a foreign accent and so on... that's where the problem comes from. In my opinion.

[@tongobong1]

@@lewisotoo9174 Luka and Joke are not from ex Soviet countries. LOL! Luka is from central Europe and Joke is from central Balkan that was never part of Soviet Union and was even outside the iron curtain.

[@tongobong1]

American nationalism... It is crazy to see many American "liberals" accusing conservatives of racism, nationalism, sexism... and yet they are even worse than those that they accuse.

[@lenart5146]

@@lewisotoo9174 ex Soviet 🤣

[@dominykasrimsa7703]

I'm not even mad for SAS bad takes, it's what he does. But I cannot wrap my head around the fact that somebody who calls themselves a sports journalist can't pronounce one of the top talents last name and also think there will be mvp votes coming from Cheko-slovakia, a country that doesn't exist anymore.

[@DebasedAnon]

The question is does he know better and he's intentionally being a dishonest prick or does he genuinely not realise what hes saying is factually wrong even though hes paid boatloads of money to keep up with this stuff... I don't personally care when I hear some commentator give a controversial take going "X player is better than Y player cause if you look at these stats..." but when you spread outright bs like "Luka is obviously gonna win due to international votes" then you get into scumbag territory or utter clueless clown territory depending if hes dishonest/clueless like mentioned earlier.

[@ajclannachan]

It drives me crazy. Give the man some respect and say his name right.

[@danakaleb4882]

@@DebasedAnon racist territory. Sorry! ŠAŠ is a racist and xenophobe. If you’re not from his hood, you’re Zero! But he gets millions because people watch him.

[@cognitivedisability9864]

@@DebasedAnon stephen a is an expert at talking about things he knows nothing about with enough charisma for people to listen. Watch when he attemped to be a MMA analyst and he made joe rogan loose his shit from thr ignorance he was hearing. Ive experienced shit like that myself as a carpenter when customers will come talk all confident about how they dont need that thing done because they want to save money and i have to explain how its against contruction laws. Sadly most people on this earth are willing to believe your bullshit if you just say it with enough confidence and intelligence, one you yourself is educated in a specific field will you start to see this shit happen over and over and over by most people.

[@jonmaciel]

What are those two talking about? It wasn't a "tough one." It's Luka ten out of ten times.

[@ivancarballidoguzman5488]

I can't believe they say that Luka is a favorite because he is European. I remember that precisely because of this and being 18 years old, his third position in the draft was underestimated and most analysts said that he was very young and slow and that he would never even be a possible all star, including Stephen A. He has never been taken Europeans seriously and now it turns out that he is benefiting from it. All the Europeans who have excelled in the NBA have had to work very, very hard. Whether it be Tony Parker, Nowitzky, the Gasol brothers, Antetokoumpo, Jokic or any European who has stood out. None of them ever had it easy precisely because they are European and now is it an advantage? Come please! It is clear that I am European (Spain), but I know what I am talking about. In each draft it has been underestimated if a European was in a good position. It already happened to Luka, Gasol, Ricky Rubio and the exception of Bargniani and his number 1 failure in the draft. All the others I think were never much higher than the tenth position and based on work they managed to consolidate

[@leblubblab]

They're clearly bothered by white Europeans dominating black players. USA is an incredibly racist society, colour means a lot.

[@wyattrota9070]

Ja is just more flashy he's more athletic but not nearly as skilled as luka

[@danakaleb4882]

But most of all He’s black.

[@coops1992]

It would be over for NBA if Luka was black :))

[@lamp9478]

Im one of the biggest ja morant fans out there he got me into basketball again during his rookie year cause i go for memphis but even i can see at the moment i'd rather luka over ja to build around maybe in the future things change but right now its luka.

[@shin0012]

chuck is right though. when luka is out the mavs looking like they gonna go for the wembanyama sweepstakes. ja morant out. memphis still winning enough games to enter the playoffs at very least playin games. simple the talking heads media gonna downplay the international players like giannis. jokic. luka... embiid probably the only one they d ride.

[@honeychicken1216]

This man is the future, he is literally the fucking dude aight. I don’t even go for the Mavs but I can’t see him not winning at least 2 MVPs if he continues uninjured. Only Jokic/Giannis match him Luka is just so fucking cold and has borderline MJ moments “Everybody act tough when they up 😤”

[@nevenpatrk9661]

Stephen A. Smith has been on a legendary run... a legendary run of having some of the absolute worst takes I have ever heard. I don't understand how someone like Stephen A. who has spent around 2 decades as a sports analyst and he still says the dumbest shit on TV. Keep in mind that we are a month off of him saying that the Nets will win the chip with Kyrie winning the finals MVP and Ben Simmons being an All Star this season.

[@DavidLopez-ro6bj]

Remember when he said Donovan Mitchell was the greatest jazz ever lol

[@spicesmuggler2452]

He says the dumbest things because they cause the most controversy.

[@paulmccarter908]

@@spicesmuggler2452 Exactly, and the reason he's on the air and being promoted across many sports. It's his job to obliterate reality, because people who can't recognize reality can be easily manipulated. Until next time

[@kedrprao]

Every time Dallas plays Memphis, Luka smokes Ja

[@JetEngine85]

I think you made a fine point already when he picked ja over Giannis last year., And it's almost the same thing with this..

[@antonquirgst2812]

they're rolling hard with the more marektable athletes and its somewhat dishonest!

[@YaThat.]

He also thinks ja over Giannis and that Giannis isn't the best in the world. PEOPLE STILL BELIEVE HIM.

[@cyrillesu]

I don't understand how you can look at how Giannis has been playing the past few years and think to yourself "Hmm no, Ja is better"

[@anthonyhodgson2934]

I honestly don't even think he is being genuine. It's like he is just pushing a narrative that is outrageous to shock people. You can't possibly watch the game as a career and be so out of touch. It reminds me of skip bayless. That guy doesn't believe half of the garbage he spews on TV. I refuse to believe it lol

[@cyrillesu]

@@anthonyhodgson2934 it's honestly destroying how many people view sports media nowadays tbh. Instead of being seen as *the* credible source for sports, they're now seen as the sports version of TMZ.

[@cappy2282]

Lol Ya Giannis gets so much disrespect. He's the best

[@YaThat.]

@@cyrillesu that's what I am saying

[@mellofuego4917]

I actually remember the Grizz winning playoffs games with Ja on the sideline. Can you imagine the Mavs doing something similar without Luka?

[@richborn6700]

Facts I think they went like 22-6 without Ja counting the playoffs. After Dallas traded Jaylen Brunson they gave away the only other player that could take a game over

[@someshnarayan7368]

They beat the warriors by 50 with ja out in the playoffs imagine the mavs doing that. They just lost to the worst team in the NBA the rockets just because Luka took rest on a back to back.

[@moonwolf8470]

It’s luka turn to be disrespected after jokic, and giannis lol

[@try44]

I don't watch a lot of basketball and I watch even less of basketball breakdowns. But I love the energy you have in your videos. The way you approach your commentary is so unique and on point, it's like watching a unicorn. Keep up the good work bro.

[@zju8033]

my mans really said Czechoslovakia 💀💀💀

[@Leoyoungdragon12]

Dude I love your channel keep it up the content is a blast to watch.

[@tooforwon241]

I appreciate that! Glad you enjoy my videos 🧡

[@Leoyoungdragon12]

@@tooforwon241 You’re welcome, the lowlights is definitely my favorite.

[@siler22]

Luka is i think only player who plays much better when its harder i think him playing 1vs5 he would play insanly

[@voltz8945]

They gonna disrespect mah boi Luka until he wins the ring this year.

[@ajclannachan]

Luka isn’t winning it this year. Golden state still exist. I love Luka, but his team is utter trash. There is only so far he can drag them.

[@FirashAdryan]

As a Luka fan, I really hope what you’re saying about Luka and a ring is true, but sadly, even if he wins it all, (which is a big if), they still gonna disrespect him. Look at how the media talks about Giannis. Dude is 2 time MVP and DPOY winner, a champ, and all they talk about is Lebron, Curry/Warriors and Ja. It is what it is.

[@kingofgondor13]

Love your channel

[@marques_9055]

Ja is a worse defender than luka, theyre both pretty bad but the thought that Ja is better comes purely from the highlight chasedowns thats it

[@BonsuTheTiger]

Both of these guys are having some insane seasons it’s obvious, but yeah nice breakdown bro keep it up. However Stephen A Smith some of the stuff he says it’s a bit well, wild I think they should give Luka a bit more credit though

[@cursin]

Well one lesson to learn about espn is never taking them serious

[@anthonyhodgson2934]

💯

[@rohangupte3545]

ESPN is run by morons who chase controversy no wonder JJ Redick calls them out every time he’s there

[@cyrillesu]

The fact that they're pushing back the globalization of the game of basketball and still propping up their very own as the cream of the crop instead of acknowledging real talent is why they're continuing to go down the drain.

[@nikkrelj471]

I mean luka is 3rd in steals and top 10 in deflections. I would argue luka is better defensively. All morant has is the highlight blocks. People only see that and say what they say

[@Stunna397]

Bro how is this even a debate…💀luka is literally a top 2 player rn

[@cappy2282]

They're both sweet and u can't go wrong with either one but I'd take Luka

[@perobro561]

Okay. For the love of God, can Stephen A. Smith, and anyone else that after 4 FULL seasons in the league, still CANNOT pronounce Luka Dončić's name correctly. It drives my nuts, really.

[@cryptoknight96]

2021-22 Season, Mavs record when Luka not playing, 8-9. No Ja, Grizzlies 20-5. No Luka, Mavs lose to a team trying to win the Wembayana sweepstakes. Who adds more value to their team?

[@fishmen_sensei]

Mavs without Doncic worst team in the league Grizzlies without Morant could probably still make the playoff/playins

[@sacramentofoodforest]

They do the same thing to Fox in Sacramento. If you aren’t in a big market like LA / Miami ,or one of the few dudes they choose to always push. You’re a “ good player “ not a star.

[@y.udothis]

“13 days left” 😭😂😂

[@tonysoprallen]

The way that he pronounce Doncic' name is so disgusting He is not "Donchik"

[@hammaadhhussain6478]

Its always someone else would you take booker, ja, tatum, mitchell, etc over luka. Notice the same variable

[@welcometowallys8158]

The 2 classics of nba discussion Talking about “what if” more than actual reality And bringing up a player by pushing down another You can’t have nba fan discussion without these 2 things

[@LL-iy7bg]

He still call him Dochik.This year is very good in defense I check the stat,in ofense is the best and vs Ja is 6-0. All 100% of GM will start the team with Luka.I belive for MVP is Giannis the competition before Ja. MVP votes are not all-star votes. Great video on point as always.

[@rodericksasu6976]

And when Mad Dog also calling him Donkic 🐎

[@LL-iy7bg]

@text-1122 🌍👍

[@josephjenkins2583]

I like Stephen A, but Ja is not better than Doncic. Doncic cooked Memphis with Ja couldn't do anything. Ja is great, but he is Doncic. Longevity, he won't be like Doncic either.

[@20dieux]

Well last year Smith said he would take Ja over Giannis, I think they're just trying to promote an american player at this point.

[@MegaZack61]

They are cuz either Luka, Giannis or possibly Jokic again will win the MVP. Thats half a decade at this point of the MVP going to Europeans/forgein players. Thats unheard of.

[@YaThat.]

There is only 1 player i would pick over Luka to start and team and that's Giannis

[@GigaGorilla348]

Those Mavs Jerseys that were in the thumbnail. Did we hate on them too much?

[@xfanatick7972]

Sometimes I wonder how useless these people feel about talking and spreading their opinions like they are something😂 well at least Barkley can speak with experience but wasn’t Stephen A college basketball player who averaged 2points?lol

Is it just me or isn't it stupid already having a discussion about the next mvp? The season just started and some already behave like we're close to the playoffs -_-

[@tooforwon241]

Yeah it's premature. I remember when Steph was the MVP frontrunner early last season. Things do change throughout the season. But it does get views when people rank players & predict who wins, so people naturally make the rankings & predictions

[@rodericksasu6976]

Its premature, but they dont want to highlight Luka hoping he goes cold and stats wise is no longer in the conversation when the time does come for that convo.

[@zoranmarkovic1123]

To put Ja over Luka is funny. They have met six times and each time Luka beat Ja. Since I follow Stephen A. and all of this so coled analysts, I see disrespectful underestimating attitude season after season, even though Luka proves them wrong every time, that proves me that they are not analysts, but xenophobes. Serious analysts knows very well that Luka plays much better basketball than Ja, maybe not as attractive basketball, but serious analyst doesn't evaluate beautiful eyes, but the whole. I really believe, that all of them are afraid of what Luka can become, so they obstruct him and they repeating always the same stories about the fan base from Europe, which in fact don't exist in that format that they think and who in reality give a shit which player is from Europe and who is not, because they have their own players which they adore and as a rule, they are mostly African Americans. There is a rule that corrupt people always comes out from themselves and think that everyone is like them themselves, that is, they think that they are just as xenophobic as themselves, but in fact I guarantee that this is far from the truth. The most stupid thing is that he mentions Slovenia in such a way as if there were as many people living in it as in the US and not in fact just a two million people as there really are, and if I'm quite frank, I really doubt that ten thousand votes will comes from Slovenia in favor of Luka. Stephen A Smith could first educate himself before he starts talking nonsense that has nothing to do with reality and it would be nice if he learned that Slovenia is not some third world country, but a European country from which only a few would go to live in the US, because Slovenia is in fact a paradise on earth, stationary between the Alpine mountains and the Mediterranean Adriatic Sea, so it would be nice if he behaves respectfully and not patronizingly and arrogantly, because in the eyes of the world he is looking more and more like some uneducated construction worker.

[@kristjanrobic3137]

Dober komentar👏

[@hardywoodaway9912]

And all the narrative how bad of a defender Luka is, while he is averaging 2.1steals (2nd in the league!!) and has 0.6blocks (2nd in his team by 0.1) per game

[@faithfultothebay]

I think one big reason Luka has the edge over Ja is the fact he has no athleticism. That sounds weird to say, but to be frank, athleticism doesn't last. Look at Vince Carter, he spent over 20 seasons in the league and was a glorified role player for the ladder half of them. I don't think the same will happen with Ja per say, if he does spend that amount of time in the league, but his athleticism will dwindle as he ages out of his physical prime so he could adapt to play with a bit more technicality like shooting, and playmaking like Bron did when he exited his prime (Lakers) but Luka has already learned how to play without his athleticism. In my opinion he is one of the most skilled players we've seen in a long time and ultimately I think that will translate to longevity for him much like how Curry is still so effective at 34.

[@Jack-jx6ln]

Solid vid but don't agree with the Ja defense point, showing one steal and saying "Doncic couldn't do this" is not a great argument

[@slightlyunhinged]

Especially when playing the passing lanes to get steals/deflections is literally Luka’s best defensive attribute lol

[@PATTAJAR]

This is why there seems to be a bias among local media for locally grown players (including Embiid) over stars raised across the Atlantic despite the latter having less underperformances.

[@aetazazsiddiqui6605]

Just here to remind the world that Luka cooks Ja every time they face off, & last game Ja struggled to put up 20 vs Luka

[@Deadhammer218]

Did Stephen A. Smith said that "votes will be flying in from (...) Czechoslovakia" ? Maybe USSR and Roman Empire will be sending their votes too?

[@Getdown8319]

Ja morant is incredible but I’m not taking him over luka. Lukas game is also going to age better. Luka absolutely needs better shot selection on his 3s, he also needs to learn how to play off the ball which appears to almost be a lost art these days. Both players will continue to grow as fans we r lucky to witness the skill of both.

[@TheRealMRGG85]

SAS is right they got zaza almost in the all Star game. Luca is lbj without elite defense in a better jump shot

[@hayorge27]

2:48 why Kendall left him 😂

[@brunobegic3841]

I feel like Luka's defense is extremely underrated and overlooked. Just watch a Mavs game closely and look just how little opposing guards score over him. Just his size advantage over other guards makes them avoid going 1v1 against him. I'm not saying he's Patrick Beverley, but he definitely isn't bad defensively. Right now he's the best scorer and playmaker in the league. Even his FG percentage is pretty good considering he shoots the ball every time he feels contact, whether the whistle gets blown or not. The only area where he needs to improve is free throw shooting since he takes a lot of free throws a game.

[@iluvdissheet]

I think Luka gets hate because he slows down the game and most fans prefer the fast-pace electric Ja more. It's not based on skill. IMO both are fun to watch for different reasons. And as a Steph fan, they both are a problem.

[@Tophergr8]

How far could Ja take the Dallas roster, do you think? How far could Luka take the Memphis roster. I'm a Luka fan, so my perspective might be biased, but it seems like Luka's supporting cast (players whom I like) are far more limited than Ja's supporting cast, yet Luka does more with less (or at the very least, about the same with less). We could say that Ja makes other players better, but same applies for Luka, and I'd argue, especially after last night, the eye-test of what the Mavs look like against the Rockets w/o Luka is striking vs the eye-test of Memphis without Ja. Again, perhaps I'm biased, but it's laughable to say Ja is on the same level (though still fun to watch).

[@Gisaiah827]

They did this to Giannis And Jokić as well because they’re European players

[@ReasonExtremist]

Doncic numbers are a little inflated due to his insane usage rate but you got to be crazy if you think Ja is in his class. Ja is nice don't get me wrong but Luka bullies teams best defenders and is clearly the best player on the floor almost every night & it isn't that close. Giannis & Steph are the only other players at that level. Ja doesn't have floor generalship of the top guys. (yet) but I could see him being a future mvp for sure.

[@MegaZack61]

I wouldnt say inflated just look at the Rockets game last night, without Luka the Mavs lost to a team WANTING to lose wanting to tank. The Mavs needed every single second they can get from Luka to win.

[@hardywoodaway9912]

you even know what usage rate means?! he runs the entire offense… he throws passes every possession and his 0&D players are bricking wide open 3s. Also how are his stats inflated when he has a better field goal percentage?!

[@AveChristusRex789]

Usage rate is a misleading stat, Embiid and Giannis are barely behind Luka’s usage rate

[@caydenrichmond9551]

Giannis and Embiid have nearly the same usage rate

[@nikkrelj471]

Plus when luka goes against ja with a worse team every single time its not close.

[@dorian8047]

5:54 man really said that luka would get votes from tsjecho-slovakia. shit was disbanded ages ago

[@nosuitsgiven]

I love Ja but that shit isn’t going to last forever. How does Ja take his game to the next level? By doing exactly what Barkley said.

[@tooforwon241]

I see your point. I might have wrongly taken offense to what Barkley said because I often hear those comments coming from someone to disparage said player. What Chuck said wasn't hate like I mentioned in the video. Merely criticism

[@slightlyunhinged]

Chuck was spot on, it wasn’t hate & his job is to critique these players, but players are so sensitive these days that they tweet out “kneepads” in response bc their feelings got hurt

[@Avian07]

The Media will always stir the conversation to "American players are better" narrative. Even though it's clear as day that Ja isn't even in the same league as Luka. They have to, otherwise the norm would be Euro players are taking over the league.

[@thedarkside314]

Luka and Ja are my two favorite young guards, but come on- we're talking about the best guard compared to the 5th best guard maybe?

[@DBG2k]

You could make an hour long video out of ridiculous things Stephen a Smith has said about non-american sports players

[@tooforwon241]

I really could, and there would still not be enough material

[@aricrudd6579]

The defense statement is laughable. Luka is bad on defense, but Ja is ATROCIOUS. He’s quite a bit worse than Luka. Too many pundits look at athleticism as a stand-in for good defense, but there are plenty of hyper athletic players who can’t do shit on defense, and Ja is one of them. A couple of nice highlights doesn’t change that.

[@tooforwon241]

Fair enough. I'm not one to take too much from the advanced defense statistics, but from what I see with Ja, he's better defensively. I am curious tho: what makes Doncic does better than Ja defensively?

[@loungekiller]

@@tooforwon241 Doncic averages 2.1 steals per game this season. Ja - 1.2. Never saw Morant as a good defensive player. Lula actually has some nice blocks as well. What he does better? First of all, he's bigger and reads the floor better. We're talking about basketball IQ here. He can position himself in ways to disrupt the schemes teams would be running. If you check advanced analytics, the argument that Ja is better defensively has no basis whatsoever.

[@someshnarayan7368]

@@tooforwon241 he is not better. Size alone is the biggest advantage on defense do you think ja can stop anyone in the post. Every guard in the league can and does push him around that's why the grizzlies have Brooks Desmond David Roddy Adams type of guys on the floor with him at all times they look like football players because ja needs that size to hide him on defense. Now come to the mavs and look at the wings Luka plays with. Dorian Finney Reggie bullock wood Powell type guys who are the skinniest defenders in the league at their position because they don't need to hide luka. He plays great post defense. And as someone who watches him play he is the best post defender on the team and my friend here rightly said all counting stats and advanced stats clearly show who is the better more consistent defender. Ja makes one highlight a game and gives points up all game and people think he can defend that's not the case luka is much more consistent

[@tooforwon241]

@Husky :) I will say that he's a better defender than I gave him credit for, but advanced defensive metrics are highly misleading since so much of it depends on how the team plays defensively

[@nikkrelj471]

Ja against the Timberwolves in the 1st round wws horrific. I dont think Stephen A remembers that. Its all about the narrative. He got svaed by the TW just being flat out stupid. TW should have won that series 4 to 1

[@liambenjamin2827]

i like both players and i see they're journey's and i really dislike Ja's game now, its too much iso it reminds me of rockets harden, Luka on the other hand is now improving his defense while scoring and facilitating effortlessly, Luka does not force his assist and Luka's rebound are offensive rebounds.

[@Zenrei03]

Stephen A. Smith: They're gonna rig (the less than 8% of total votes) because he's a European player. He's making up votes out of nowhere about an MVP vote that is extremely transparent. ...the xenophobia is STRONG in this one.

[@danield982]

Bruh Stephen A a fkn 🤡

[@tooforwon241]

It's honestly outrageous that Stephen A even made that argument. It truly speaks to how low he'd stoop to push an agenda

[@rogoznicafc9672]

0:40 lmaooo they started pronouncing Lukas name wrong again, but this time on purpose

[@rams3955]

I like ja but the grizzlies barely felt him being injured last year if luka misses time the mavs are winning maybe 1 out of 10 games

[@ronaldbryant7710]

Luka and Jay are both great and saying who is better is foolish, and If I was starting a team right now I would take either one of them.

[@ondrejsveda9722]

5:55 lol Czechoslovakia doesn't exist anymore Stephen A

[@victororego5208]

He really said Czechoslovakia. 🤦🏿‍♂️🤦🏿‍♂️🤦🏿‍♂️🤦🏿‍♂️

[@LucianoCantabruel]

Luka Doncic, you have to understand this, is like Leo Messi legs skill and brain quickness, but with the ball in his hands and more than 200 pounds 6' 9" orchestra director. This mix of skills had never existed before. And he´s showing he is high in the league on steals and rebounds, so his defense is good also.

[@wataruik2244]

It's ok. Time will reveal everything.

[@jerodtabb311]

Luka is overall better than Ja and I fuc wit dawg ,💯but Luka is a generational player 💪💯

[@foundationsyth9825]

I would put my money on the Mavs if they might the Grizzlies In the playoffs. Even though the Grizzlies are a FAR BETTER team. Cuz the Mavs have Luka. The mavs will ALWAYS have the best and most impactful player in the league on every match up. Ja Morant is Allen Iverson and nothing more. He is extremely gifted but not that talented and he's always gonna struggle being available. Bane is there most important player and last year proved that

[@Thomasxo]

ima ja die hard stan but luka is better hes better not by a big margain but hes better ja has a higher ceiling now that hes devolping a jumpshot he has the capability to be a good defender and hes showing some signs of good defense this yr but if luka keeps this crazy scoring hes gonna be a all time talent

[@Jmm4L]

So crazy to say u will take ja over Luka

[@antoniobautista6718]

I get it, even though the NBA is making basketball bigger and more popular globally, it is still an US league. It's only natural that a good amount people affiliated with and work for the NBA that live in the US want players from the US to be in the spotlight. I just don't like it how some anchors act like the bias isn't there. Yeah, you can hide it, but it's quite clear to see, especially with Stephen A. Smith, that despite all the kind words and sweet talk given beforehand, they are moot to the actual points that they put out in the end that they don't really want international players to win accolades, especially the NBA MVP award. And I get it, it's natural and just how it is, but it just seems disingenuous to those who can see through the acts and understand what's actually being said.

[@mepd3350]

I like how everyone ignores Steven being racist as fuck "oh he's a foreigner he's gonna win the vote just because of that" yea definitely not because he's putting up stats that literally no other player has

[@woke49]

james harden has

[@antonquirgst2812]

they're hatin on foreign players. period!

[@12robo23]

Does Steven A. Smith realize that Czechoslovakia is not a country for almost a 30 years now ?🤦🏻‍♂️ It is Czech republic and Slovak republic jeez, btw. love both JA and Luka.

[@Zramer]

bro said Czechoslovakia 😂😂😂

[@NerdChannelBrasil]

Oh remember that when questioned about how Luka is so good so young, dudes always plays the card "he is a pro since 8yo".. come on, dude is good because he is GOOD. Ricky freaking Rubio start playind at 16 yo too and is a good back-up PG in the league.

[@pinokiswlo3923]

Did a dude really said čekoslovakia😂😂

[@crisjohna.1950]

I wonder how Stephen A. Smith will try to compare Chet to Viktor in the future😂

[@dk6173]

These "experts" are just as biased as anyone. They see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe. Truly pathetic...

[@vaannebilim]

3:46 oh this may be before that play where luka does it and way more aesthetic than ja