Why Was Luka Doncic NOT The #1 Draft Pick?

We try and find out why multiple teams passed on the young phenom, Luka Doncic, during the 2018 NBA draft.
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[@nonstop]

Where do you rank Luka amongst current NBA players?

[@goatededitsz0]

I think it's too early to rank him, but rn he's probably in the top 15-20 (current players)

[@CHUBBACHOPPA]

@@goatededitsz0 holy shit that is the worst take i have heard in my life

[@RockRoaches]

3

[@idipped2521]

Top 5

[@idipped2521]

@@goatededitsz0 you’re nuts

[@Zaghzackio]

Hard to believe there's people out there that think College Basketball is higher level than Euroleague 🤦

[@awesomeblossom2417]

If you want an NBA career, it is.

[@idipped2521]

@@awesomeblossom2417 But it isn’t a higher level as far as play goes in any way

[@Not_Sal]

@@idipped2521 college basketball isn’t even better than the G league

[@Bkgiest]

I remember this well. I was watching the euro tourney for Porzingis. This kid was killing Latvia. He was undeniable. The same thing happens in the NFL draft too, this is how Travon Walker went number 1. Recency bias.

[@1213Steven]

@@Not_Sal lmao G league teams would torch D1 programs.

[@Not_Sal]

If Luka was American and went do Duke he would by far be the most loved player in the media

[@bansnabs5523]

It’s not American, you know the real agenda

[@hittkid6312]

Man why does the Media love Duke players and the prospects coming from there is always hyped up.

[@michaelyoung2978]

@@hittkid6312 cause they usually have a good careers of not for injuries Badgley is the exception

[@bennynagon9322]

He is more then loved now,

[@Not_Sal]

@@bennynagon9322 but he would have been more than loved from the start before he was even drafted

[@Rhude_tiller]

Luka becoming a Suns franchise owner was just payback for not picking him 1st overall lol

[@mariusgheorghita2899]

With this new suns team, it will not happen again any time soon

[@scott9738]

@@mariusgheorghita2899 could, Luka has help this year in kyrie and Wood

[@codywood1295]

@Marius Gheorghița KD is getting older and has had a few major injuries. When he's around he can do his thing, but I'd bet he'll be around less as seasons pass.

[@Toosii2times]

@@codywood1295 idk bro. My dawg CP took them to the finals in his past prime old age. KD might be getting older but he’s still the best player in the NBA. Their window might not be massive but I could easily see them getting to the WCF for the next few years. From there anything’s possible

[@codywood1295]

@Slime Season ひ I do agree the suns have a great roster. I'd be surprised if he/they don't reach at least 1 finals, and probably win it. I'm not sure if Paul is still on the suns but it'd be nice to see him get 1.

[@anthonyf8937]

Don't forget Jokic and Giannis, both played in Europe. One was a 15th pick while the other is a 2nd round. Together they have 4 MVP titles.

[@AleksanteriR]

Yeah. If they were americans, they would be all over the media.

[@israteeg752]

It isn't the same. Both Jokic and Giannis played for insignificant local clubs in their respective countries, whereas Luka played at the highest level of European Basketball - Real Madrid - and won the MVP at the age of 18. So Luka entered the NBA with a far greater track record of accomplishments than the other two who were drafted solely on potential.

[@TheOtherGuy021]

Not the same at all Luka had won it all overseas before been drafted Giannis played for a local second Greek division team No 15 Giannis got was super high for the time given his resume (kudos to whoever saw and drafted him his is the real MVP)

[@edswalkthroughs]

@@TheOtherGuy021 It is kinda crazy that Donny Nelson from the Mavs wanted to draft Giannis and they had a pick before the Bucks that year if I’m not mistaken. Like it’s crazy some people had an eye on him.

[@osamasufian24]

4 mvps in 4 years

[@blindpersona1]

Won an MVP in euro league at 19 years old is crazy.

[@Sergadv]

Explain that award in American

[@maximsoujon7910]

@@Sergadv NBA MVP

[@randomuruk7230]

@@Sergadv small Luka win BIG trophy, Luka happy, silly American confused, small Luka get BIG award, Luka more happy >bangs rocks and monkey noises

[@nikolanikolic7873]

He also won F4 MVP so that's like Finals MVP in NBA, he was the best player on the best team that year, it says a lot about how good was he back then.

[@SAINTxSZN]

Juan Nunez won euro league MVP at 18 last year

[@marceloasensiofilho3833]

NBA scouts underestimating a foreigner is actually expected haha

[@benjaminskatzes]

No kidding, look at Dirk and especially Jokic lmao 😂

[@jpgcz]

@@benjaminskatzes jokic is an outliner tho, he’s a second rounder who wasn’t supposed to amount to much

[@timnor4803]

The only guys they scout are from Europe... they're doing pretty good

[@gagemartin7207]

@@benjaminskatzes for every dirk and jokic there’s a Mario hezonja and dragan bender

[@flyingblasian1352]

Not surprising, people remember the Dirks and the Jokics and the Lukas and the Giannises, but for every Euro player who comes over and dominates, there’s a ton more who come over and are mid at best, and even more who wash out completely.

[@nichjones26]

I played bball in Madrid at the same time as Luka and some coaches have told me that before every game they handed out scouting reports for every player made by the coaches, some reports where 6 pages long but lukas... 0 scouting tips on how to guard him because 40year old coaches didn't know how the hell they where going to guard a 13 year old Luka

[@keithjoseph128]

That's pathetic coaching.

[@aubinaps1427]

@@keithjoseph128 How is that? NBA coaches have no idea how to defend Luka... But of course, you do right?

[@keithjoseph128]

@@aubinaps1427 you're talking about coaches who don't even attempt to try. That makes you just as ignorant as those coaches you speak of. Don't be that Steven A.

[@aubinaps1427]

@@keithjoseph128 now I understand why you're saying shit. He never said they weren't trying. He said they had no idea how to stop him, BIG DIFFERENCE. They also have no idea how to stop him in NBA, do you think they're not trying?

[@aubinaps1427]

@@Eric-ih5mb another wannabe talking basketball, lmfao

[@lok1_m674]

I love the fact that Dallas was so confident about Luka falling to them that they didn't bother trading for a higher pick. I also love the fact that Atlanta was privy to this information and decided to fuq with dallas

[@Max-me9ol]

i mean pretty smart of the hawks, that way they could pay less for traes contract

[@lok1_m674]

@Max yep. overall, it was a win-win situation. At least Both teams got their guy.

[@dundalis]

@@lok1_m674 Hawks got a guy they are rumoured to want to get rid of.

[@daanishgupta]

@@dundalis I hope they do because Trae's back is hurting carrying that team for so long. Hope he goes to a place where they know how to build a team.

[@lok1_m674]

@@dundalis whoa, what?

[@Solokid404]

I felt like I won the lottery when I saw that the Kings got Marvin Bagley. The absolute anguish I felt when I was watching the draft and they said the Hawks are involved with a trade with the Mavs cannot be explained in words. I was so hyped on Luka and for them to slip through our hands like that with all those clear highlights in the second best league. It was a no brainier. I was heated and sad. Thankfully Trae developed and has helped bring some success to Atlanta but I still can't help but to think "what could have been".

[@flareon6472]

Trae isn’t as good as luka

[@Dankneefantum]

@@flareon6472 He never said Trae was, but Trae has definitely helped bring up the Hawks

[@WhitePillMan]

You should’ve known as a Hawks fan lol. I watched as we passed on CP3 for Marvin Williams when we desperately needed a PG. wasn’t surprised when we traded Luka for Trae. And doesn’t matter if Trae ever matches Luka offensively. It was clear from draft day Trae will be a defensive liability his entire career. Luka ain’t a defensive specialist by any means but he can definitely become league average/above league average.

[@WhitePillMan]

@toast I agree. I’m saying even IF he did, it would have been a bad draft decision bc everyone knew he’d always struggle defensively.

[@kuwa333]

@@Dankneefantum Luka would've pushed that Hawks team in the finals in his sophomore year instead of Trae's ECF lol

[@melvin_ah]

If there's anything I've learnt is that athleticism is relative in the NBA. As much as it is needed, skill is much more necessary and in-demand in the NBA

[@mawla14]

fundamentals

[@AB-nv7bz]

Europe in general does a better job of devolving players. Its just like their soccer programs. Youth focus 80% of their time on drills, and only play 1 game a week. AAU for example is having these kids play tons of games, so they find 1-2 skills that work for them and only use that. It's like dwight howard vs tim duncan. Duncan with way less athletism played 19 years at a high level. The second howard started to lose a bit of hop his career tanked, as he had no skills. Sadly it seems like this is becoming the norm.

[@mike2687]

@@AB-nv7bz - not to mention a shorter shot clock…. this meant that bigs couldn’t get stuck on the perimeter with their only option to be a pass so they became better shooters and ball handlers than traditional bigs in the US.

[@victordurand3000]

@@AB-nv7bz football *

[@dvdivine1962]

@@AB-nv7bz same with Derrick rose, once he got injured he had to develop his skills in order to score. Before he was piercing through defense with speed and athleticism, contorting in the air like crazy. Never seen anyone play like that before, no wonder his knees gave out on him.

[@mihaelbitola3812]

I am from Europe and i watched Luka when he was playing in Europe, he was a kid who was playing with grownup people, and he was one of the best at age 17. He was European champion 🏆 and he was the MVP. The majority of the American journalist and ex NBA players were comparing some college kids with Luka. Kids who never played one min of professional basketball, in the end couple of NBA clubs have chosen some of those college kids over Luka, that is insane.

[@brett19890]

It was because he is white.

[@carlos00700]

@@brett19890 and because he was from another country

[@jairlevy]

we know there is professional being well paid to have a close look into who is good and who is not, but lets not forget all the "Europeans" busts. There is always mistakes in the draft and that is beautiful!

[@Aasiantuntija]

@@carlos00700 Hard to believe that a franchise worth billions didn't have scouts over the world in top leagues if thats what you mean

[@gerardoparedes8239]

I didn´t know Europe is a country, let me guess, you are from such a small, poor and insignificant country so you have to say Europe. There is only a few decent teams in spain, Germany, France and you guys did good in creating a continental league to increase the level, if it was not the case the level would be even lower than it is

[@JaviGonzalez14]

I used to be a steward in the Real Madrid Arena back in the days when Luka was in the team, and that's so crazy but at the same time no surprising how far did he got his game. Luka dominated very fast ACB and Euroleague and you could appreciate easily the beast inside of him. It feels great see how arrogant were the American reporters and journalists with him for no more reason that making his way far away from NCAA and became a top class doing his own way, always with smile in his face. I'll never forget his RM years. He made me so happy to go work there. Madrid will always love him 🤍💜

[@Grumpygrumpygrumpy]

Luka might be the only player right now that has a chance to breaks Lebrons scoring record in the future, as long as he stays healthy..

[@lakshkataria]

Luka has no shot at playing 20 years though lol

[@Jordan-ij6lb]

@@lakshkataria I think he could cause it might not take him as long

[@JR_Skepticz]

Idk man luka scores a lot but still you need to play 15+ years to pass bron. I don’t think he’ll play that long

[@mikaelreus8136]

@@lakshkataria I'm certain people said the same about Lebron, only time will tell.

[@lakshkataria]

@@mikaelreus8136 i would live for luka to break the record but through his own admission, he wont play that long

[@kabohakevin4103]

European basketball is criminally underrated. The last basketball world cups are testament to this.

[@keithjoseph128]

Because modern day fans are taught that athleticism equals skill and value.

[@kabohakevin4103]

@@keithjoseph128 American fans**

[@keithjoseph128]

@@kabohakevin4103 no, not really, considering a huge majority of the world (even Europe) watches NBA over any other basketball.

[@nox5555]

@@keithjoseph128 nobody in europe watches NBA, Euroleague isnt watched alot more.

[@keithjoseph128]

@@nox5555 nobody in Europe watches the NBA? You can't be that ignorant.

[@evanext802]

For the record, Memphis didn't have an opportunity to draft him at 4. He was drafted at 3 and swapped with Dallas at 5 for Trey Young.

[@tnikoli40]

I mean memphis could have done the same trade mavs did

[@ethanray6629]

But it would’ve meant trading away their first round pick the next year which was ja. Not saying ja is better but ja and jaren combined is better than just luka

[@pet3r387]

@@ethanray6629 Ummm, Ja and Jaren combined is not better than having Luka. Especially with the fact that Ja most likely will suffer a DRose type injury.

[@chucknorris277]

@@ethanray6629 always take 1 stallion over 2 horses in the NBA

[@jackxiao9702]

Memphis could have drafted Trey Young and asked for a 1v1 trade, which they might have gotten.

[@agoodspoon6302]

I think a really interesting video idea is why wasn’t Jokic a first round pick. Where you go over Jokic pre NBA history and see if there was any reason he got picked mid second round. Like if his pre NBA career had any signs pointing to him having MVP level potential.

[@nicksmirnov2337]

Jokic fits the case of most young Euros. Either play sparingly for a top team or play decently in a lower tier league. You had to see him in person in order to understand his potential and project his growth.

[@JoseFranco9]

That 2014 draft was loaded and Jokic as a prospect was awful. Undersized center wo a paint game and no defense? Puerly as a prospect he was tough to fit in. Happens. Ben Wallace went undrafted.

[@AngelImproves]

You think he should do a story of giannis pick

[@TheGoldenBoot-cz1do]

@@AngelImproves that story is just that he grew four inches and gained 50-60 pounds AFTER being drafted

[@terrancevanliew1814]

@TheGoldenBoot 5350 6'11 for a center is practically standard nowadays plus he has long arms and a wide frame. Not undersized. I agree with everything else though.

[@Precision_Peter]

They were worried about Luka's body when he played way more physical basketball in Europe 😂

[@blowc1612]

No

[@danakaleb4882]

@@blowc1612yes

[@Jeff_2x]

It honestly BAFFLES me how Luka won the Euroleague championship and was the MVP at 19 but people thought he wasn’t gonna be good in the NBA 😂

[@geminiseason6901]

What baffles you? The NBA is the top league. Not to say the Euroleague is trash, but there is a reason they come here.

[@DanielAlmeida-mc4bp]

​if anyone in a Brazilian team of soccer is MVP in a major camp at 19, EVERY european team will want him

[@andreitaker3527]

Any teenager that wins in a grown man's league(arguably the second best leugue in the world) should be considered on his talent.

[@geminiseason6901]

@@andreitaker3527 Especially when that teenager has grown teammates. 🤔

[@UhOhUmm]

​@@geminiseason6901the reason is money.

[@Ray-9888]

So glad we have Luka here in Dallas! 👏🏽

[@geminiseason6901]

With all those 🏆 he's brought, I agree 😂

[@Ch0coB0y]

Agree. They thought that his talent would not be converted in the NBA. I expected him to be great cause he got MVP on Euroleague at a young age but did not expect him to be this great in early age of his career in NBA

[@_disasterdon]

everyone in Europe knew that Luka is going to be a superstar just no way around it, when Luka popped off in EuroBasket final against Serbia, Valde was watching that game you can't ignore that. It was 100% set up by the owner of Kings.

[@Dostoyevski013]

People outside of Europe that didn't witness his rise and bring up can't really understand how crazy special Luka was. In fact, all of my friends were absolutely confident that he will become top 5 players in NBA, including me. Like, it wasn't even a question, it was just obvious he was him.

[@TheKapei22]

Sergio Llull is a legendary point guard in Real Madrid. He is one of the best ever in European basketball. Too bad he never played for Rockets. An excellent floor general, really good at drawing fouls, scores when needed. Luka took his spot back in 2017 before Eurobasket. Then he single handedly defeated juggernauts of European basketball. Next year does the same against European clubs. He was a damn terminator that won everything possible in Europe BEFORE EVEN BEING DRAFTED. Sadly this was right after Olympics. The next Olympics his team narrowly missed a medal with one block by Batum. The things he can achieve is insane. I know every European wishes they had someone like Luka. The way he took over European basketball is insane. Even Jokic or Giannis, has no accolades with Serbia yet.

[@aubinaps1427]

Jokic is Serbian. Both Greek and Serbian are almost evenly matched with Slovenia. The American dude that joined Slovenia is what would tip the balance in favor of Slovenia. I wish we had those matches last Eurobasket, it would have been great games for sure It is simple in Europe we have many teams that are more or less evenly matched for different reasons: France, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Serbia, Germany, Croatia Then we have a couple more that aren't as good on paper but yet always there: Lithuania and Italy

[@zenitsuagatzuma8353]

He got the Looks He got the Skills That straight up an Anime Protagonist vibe on him

[@djihanehamdaoui2948]

Exactly !!!! Main character energy

[@lok1_m674]

This oversight of Luka might have caused an overcorrection for some scouts. Not saying that Wembanyama is overrated, just that , teams might be regretting passing on Luka a bit too much.

[@obi3924]

Nah wembenyama is just a better prospect

[@danakaleb4882]

Wembanyama is black. Major plus in NBA ratings.

[@lok1_m674]

@Dana kaleb oof, I forgot about that

[@bratantv8831]

Wembanyama played last Season Euroleague with Lyon he was not that Impressive Luka was the Best Player on the Best EuroLeague Team i hope Victor can live up to the Hype

[@laythefoundation2083]

Vic is a freak prospect athletically has absolutely nothing to do with Luka at all....

[@samsanguedolce9556]

Update: Ayton is now the 4th option on the Suns

[@aaronmanuel841]

he's not an option anymore, he'll be a screener and a rebounder 🤣

[@justhuy7960]

Suns used 1st pick for role player, respect them for patiently building a championship team 😂

[@pilapila183]

Almost anyone is the league would be behind booker kd and chris paul

[@johon127]

@@pilapila183 not Luka though, that's the thing

[@codyscards6698]

He's only a role player on the suns because of the system. Dude had a 35 and 15 game recently. That's not a role player. He has the ability to be top dog on other teams.

[@velvet-ambiance]

Nonstop Sports y’all editing improved it looks so clean props to y’all👏🏻👏🏻

[@jaspertrocio6350]

You know 2018 is great when 3 players from that draft has conference finals appearances

[@cheesycheese23]

Luka, trae, ayton and brunson?

[@knightofcydonia2620]

@@cheesycheese23 MPJ

[@raidenenjoyer]

there's 5 actually. Luka Trae Ayton Brunson Mikal

[@poyetbros7668]

Love these videos!! Plzz keep them comin🎉

[@pablosamuelserranomurillo8496]

I don't even see basket after 2014 and in 2017 i saw luka´s highlights the rest is history i always be grateful to him for reconnecting me to the game

[@pjaysantos8037]

This is very informative. Thanks for this

[@ace3han]

Sam Bowie should have taught everybody not to draft for need. If their is a greater talent available you pick then trade

[@samuelfornerino3942]

Luka es la razón por la que me volví a enganchar con la NBA

[@theloniouscoltrane3778]

Luka Doncic - a mixture of confidence, arrogance and undeniable talent! NBA Legend in the making!

[@DwayneIsK1NG]

Simple answer, it was the unknown. Despite what other players have shown us, scouts CONTINUE to underestimate the Euroleague compared to college. Although I can forgive the Suns a little because Ayton did seem like the perfect pick. He was right in the Suns backyard since he went to UofA and they had way more scouting info on him compared to anyone else. Plus they had been looking for a competent big man for the franchise since Amare damn Stoudemire 🤣. So I give them a pass. But the Kings screwed the hell up 💀

[@blowc1612]

Because drafting a European at high draft pick has always resulted to a bust. European stars were a handful in 2018. Gianni's and Jokic weren't close to being as good as they are now at that time. All high European draft pick ended in a bust.

[@shenxir9705]

@@blowc1612 it's not the same tho those high draft picks weren't the euroleague and their local leagues mvp luca won it all when he was 18 and won an international tournament with slovenia

[@blowc1612]

@@shenxir9705 zero to do with anything, many other Europeans accomplished similar things and didnt pan out. It's even worse how risky it is to draft Luka for a team considering how you g he is.

[@shenxir9705]

@@blowc1612 which names had the same accomplishments with the same involvements as luka doncic lol you don't know anything about european basketball buddy

[@mclowes1546]

To be fair for as good as Luka is all the teams made very logical choices and we look back with hindsight and rose tinted goggles. But both Phoenix & Sacramento both had their point guards in Booker & Fox so they were looking for big men to go part with them and didn't want 2 of the same ball dominant guards. And as for Luka & Trae I think while Luka will have a better career overall I don't think either side is unhappy with who they got in the trade & I'm not sure either guy works in the other city.

[@arizona_anime_fan]

Booker was clearly struggling with primary ball handling duties, the suns knew they had to get him a true pg. The problem is the suns have been chasing Kareem since the 70's and have always wanted a dominant center. It's baked into the team culture. Why do you think they traded for a washed Shaq? Everyone in Phoenix who knew anything about the suns knew the suns wouldn't even look at another player the ayton. Even though it was obvious Luka was exactly what the team needed.

[@polopuik9198]

As a Barcelona fan, this guy appeared in my nightmares, when he went to the NBA i was happy he wasn't in Madrid anymore. And when I heard about the doubts media had regarding him, I was just waiting for the moment he proved them wrong, after suffering him, NBA fans had to understand my pain.

[@jcmarkmerciales7753]

Luka seems so perfect. Good look and a basketball genius

[@btoso32]

the man. love watching him!

[@iillestrs2153]

What was overlooked and talent or not has shown in time was his attitude. Vlade new luka as a kid being from the same area and one of the head guys with the suns had coached luka before… both had concerns about his work ethic and attitude

[@skywalker2759]

Which was fucking stupid

[@frederickdelius1106]

I can see it. Didnt play out but yeah i get it.

[@1capatter]

Vlade & Luka's dad don't get along. Bad call by Vlade, hence him no longer having that job. The Suns brought in that assistant coach for Luka, but went with Deandre Ayton instead. Don't blame them, because DA's potential was and still is insane. They oberthought it, should have gone w/ Luka. BTW, that assistant coach left the suns after that season and joined the Mavs. He's gone now because he got a bigger role with another team

[@JoseFranco9]

@@1capatter Suns Front Office wanted Luka. It was a sarver decision.

[@kriskong9962]

That is actually false for Kokoskov , he praised Luka work ethic and said that he was pushing hard for Suns to draft him but of course they did not care about it .. Vlade , i dont know what Vlade was thinking but i never saw him once said about his work ethic or the attitude , it might be the rumors about his father not being in good relationship with Vlade or it might be that owner demanded Bagley either way anyone who ever worked with Luka Doncic never said those things EVER

[@hardywoodaway9912]

Dirk couldn’t jump over puddle of water?! wtf are you talking about? you think of an old injured dirk. young dork was incredibly quick for his size…

[@romeogales8492]

Dirk was a high flyer dunks with Nash.

[@winstonlewis5630]

Hyperbole

[@Kritacul]

Without ANY doubt in my mind. Luka IS the best player in the NBA right now, and he is only 23.

[@AdamKlownzinger]

He was the 18 year old MVP of the 2nd best league in the world, and it wasnt even close, he was most dominant by far…there’s no justification for NOT taking him #1

[@Jhowy-wu3mr]

Now that KD is out of Brooklyn we need another Non Stop Sports video on the downfall of the nets big three. Complete from start to finish.

[@dillonsiv]

I always thought that crafty skills and high iq translated better than raw athleticism because in a case of an injury is harder to bounce back

[@yujirohanma7086]

Love this kid. I call him the Guard Fundamental.

[@Eddieavina123]

Love your video, man

[@hipking23]

Just like Michael jordan, was picked third and became the best player in the world. Luka doncic is right behind

[@jrsam21]

There’s xenophobia among many nba executives and players. It’s why to this day Giannis and Jokic get disrespected by some American players.

[@samihtameez8584]

Nobody disrespects them, they are easily top 5 on everyone's list currently. They didn't draft him first because of what the video said, there were a lot of people drafted from the euro league who didn't turn out well.

[@pilapila183]

Ayton isn't american either and he went first

[@maksi781]

@@pilapila183 He's black.

[@dallassims5]

i reckon they should do a pickup game with the next top draft picks of the next draft during all star weekend to give the people who don't have easy access to collage basketball games so the world can witness the possible future without mixtapes and media stuff

[@usf1250]

Was following Luka since dragic said this dude is going to be special on that Slovenian team

[@multiyapples]

He’s incredibly talented.

[@crxzyninjx]

Luka has just always had that DAWG in him

[@ZombieBacon13]

As I got older and became and adult I realize how young most pro athletes are. Its really something you have to start aiming towards as a kid.

[@ghebau19]

He's the best passer in the league right now and no doubt for that. But he needs to control his emotions to avoid technical calls by the refs.

[@godimready2go]

At the time we were coming off many failed European prospects… think Dragan Bender, Frank Ntilikina, Mario Hezonja, etc. This played a huge factor in the doubt for Luka, many saw a slow unathletic player who’s game wouldn’t translate. Hindsight is always 20/20 though of course.

[@jetkunedo]

They didn't win Euroleague, Eurocup and both Mvps between 16 to 18 yo and there was not as much as footage as about Doncic

[@hijisfriend9030]

Comparing to REIGNING MVP OF EUROLEAGUE is fucking disgrace and Luka was 18 when he won it

[@larryrosete3907]

Imagine the King's with Luka, D Fox and Sabonis, they would easily be a contender this season fr.

[@illc8258]

Steven..A. just cracked me up so prompt to return his jacket 😂

[@m.isiyam8619]

2:57 dude made him dance twice in the middle of the Court 😂😂

[@israteeg752]

My guess for the reason that explains Luka's slippage in that draft is that "the suits" feared Luka would turn into a similar version of Ricky Rubio, who failed to justify his high draft pick.

[@thesdog7905]

no possibilty for this to happen.Ricky Rubio had no shot abilities.Everybody knew that,most people in Europe think he was overrated and gone much higher in the draft than he deserved

[@blowc1612]

Or majority of Euro league players drafted high has been busts.

[@lukereaume6108]

It makes no sense though, Luka was way better than Rubio at the same age

[@basketlockerball]

"Couldn't jump over a puddle of water." Hilarious hahaha

[@GDExodus]

Short answer: the Suns were already loaded at the guard position and needed size inside. Ayton already being a big name in Arizona made the decision easier.

[@Searching4DMT]

That draft class and the one after is crazy af

[@KrosstownLandLord]

To Trey Young’s defense he made it to the conference finals before Luka

[@randomuruk7230]

In a much weaker conference to be fair

[@texasgotti5831]

@@randomuruk7230 exactly 🤣

[@Bigedub101]

​@@randomuruk7230 the West been Weaker than the east for a while

[@rollotomasse]

Becouse people are delusional, thinking that their own predictions are more valuable than actual fact, and the fact was that Dončić is MVP of Euro ligue, strongest bball ligue outside NBA. Euro ligue is not some school competition, it's grown man ligue and when you are DOMINANT there, you can play anywhere

[@chadofchads7222]

I'm Spanish, and i saw luka play when he was 15 or 16. Instantly knew he was going to the NBA

[@DirtCheapFU]

I've never held a NBA stars draft selection against. I'm not a Luka fan but he was drafted accordingly. A team with a higher draft selection, might not want to stack their team full of Forwards when they're looking for a Guard or Center.

[@genegarland1]

its also time to admit that Shai was an absolute STEAL from this draft

[@neonboy8752]

the main reason luka did not go no : 1 overall is because of the rule that says player can't own nba teams cause Luka owns the suns

[@mobilelegendsaccount3275]

Lmao. It's true tho.

[@michaelahurt]

Because 1a) the Suns had Devin Booker and he and Luka are redundant as ball dominant guards who are weak to average defenders 1b) it's about building a *TEAM* not a 2k roster and Ayton was a better fit with Booker. (And Phoenix went to the Finals and won 60 games and is now the favorite to win in 23 so, you know, that kinda worked out) 2) DeAndre Ayton was an elite prospect in his own right who a lot of people viewed as the next KAT but with David Robinson's body-- btw I cannot overstate how high people were on KAT at that time; NBA GM's said they would start their franchise with him over prime AD 3a) there were concerns about Luka's athleticism and whether he could defend at the NBA level and whether he could create his own shot in the NBA and to what level 3b) there were concerns about exactly how good a shooter he was (he's 74% on FT and 34% from three for his career but on high volume and difficulty so not entirely inaccurate) 3c) maybe most importantly no one really understood exactly how much more spaced out the game would get which has super charged Luka's offense and passing to even higher levels (the defense concerns have proven 100% legit and an actual issue and I personally think it's an open question if Phoenix would actually be better with Luka given how atrocious their defense would be) All that said, a lot of smart basketball people were mentioning Luka as a Bird/Harden hybrid in the draft process with a floor of All-Star Gordon Haywood; that's pretty freaking good. You can always find dumbass talking heads on ESPN and Fox who don't know shit being wrong. Also the fact Sacramento took Bagley (and Atlanta traded Luka) was criminal at the time.

[@valentindalessandro9819]

Good video

[@jbthestoner5504]

I remember before the draft, it seemed like everyone knew Luka was gonna be the best player, but teams were more worried about making a "safe" pick, hence why Ayton and Bagley went 1 and 2. I don't think anyone was surprised the draft went that way either. I think Luka may have finally broken the stereotype of European players though, I don't think teams will be dumb enough to pass up on a generational prospect like that again.

[@justinb.antones4797]

Luka being drafted by sacramento could send the team to playoffs at least

[@henrymai8905]

They’re in the top 3 of the conference and with luka could of been the 1st seed

[@duck0023]

bro carried janitors to wcf last year

[@justinb.antones4797]

@@henrymai8905 I mean, that year

[@JoseFranco9]

Mmm. The father beef story has some truth to it. Luka att was terrified to be drafted by Sacramento, he didnt made contact with them in europe while Suns, Hawks and Mavs activley were interested. Maybe you couldve drafted but he most definetly wouldve asked for a trade, the friction was just too much.

[@frozen1762]

Divac later said Luka did not want to play for Sacramento. Don't know if it's true but sounds similar to Kobe and Charlotte situation. I will never forget, before this draft there was that Kawhi and Spurs controversy and everybody talked where will Kawhi go. In one video I suggested trading Kawhi for a pick in the draft and draft Luka because Spurs are familiar with European players and some Spurs fan said to me "we are in a win now mode and have no time to develop talent" lol

[@MC-kj7dy]

It’s a total lie by divac to cover his mistake. It was widely reported that divac hated Lukas dad and Vivek the owner had a hard on for bagley. Yes this is why the kings have been mostly terrible for their entire existence. If the bs reason was true why didn’t they take a good player with the pick like trae young? Divac knew what a major idea he looked like and only said this lie after luka was playing well in the nba

[@frozen1762]

@@MC-kj7dy I think that story about him hating Luka dad was made up by journalists. There are pics od two of them together even before Luka was a thing. My take is that people around Luka said to Divac he would not play-aka won't resign after rookie contract so Sacramento did not want to risk it and lose top pic for nothing. They made the worst choice because of who they pick instead, an injury prone player. Trae was a big risk before the draft, he could become a bust because of small size and just not being good enough to transfer to the NBA with his style of play.

[@ivanpetrov5185]

Luka was so underrated in that draft. The vast majority of Americans didn't have a clue who he was, 2 teams passed on him and he was selected just because Donnie Nelson convinced Mark Cuban how great Luka is. And let's not forget that Mark Cuban passed on Giannis in the past. Rick Carlisle played Luka because he was forced to. Carlisle hates to play young players. That is one of the reasons why Brunson and Josh Green barely saw the court and played when there were no other options. Ironically, Mavs were super lucky to get Luka with 5th pick and Brunson with 33rd. Still, the whole organization sucks from top to bottom as they don't believe in their players. Thanks God, Jaden Hardy sees far more minutes than Brunson and Josh Green did in their rookie season.

[@Jaykerz]

Gotta love Michael Bridges

[@theanonymouslegion4811]

And Miles Bridges is definitely "killing it" right now too 😂

[@jordanzwick8088]

Yeah that one got me lol

[@LukaDaGoat77]

Another question: why were so many casuals against him and thought that he’d be a bust? I can think of a few reasons, but I’ll leave it up for debate.

[@jokerofmorocco]

Main reason is his lack of melanin

[@djihanehamdaoui2948]

@@jokerofmorocco 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 exactly i swear it doesn't even need a video ,its obvious skin related in the nba you have to be an athletic black guy coming from college basketball to be picked n hyped n luka was the complete opposite "as white as it can get not the typical athletic guy n coming from euroleague"

[@noirekuroraigami2270]

@@djihanehamdaoui2948 lol not everything is about race. There are plenty of white players in America

[@camilofuentespena7348]

When it comes to words vs opinions vs facts, facts always win!

[@wendlerdossantos9952]

I remember he said something about not wanting to play for a bad team. And this made teams lose interesting.

[@Toosii2times]

As a Magic fan that thought Hezona was gonna set the league on fire.. I foolishly assumed Doncic was mid due to how mediocre Hezona ended up being. I can see why NBA teams may have been hesitant.

[@randomyeatfan4509]

You said you thought he was gonna set the league on fire, then said you thought he was going to be mid?

[@Toosii2times]

@@randomyeatfan4509 Re-reading my comment, I can see it wasn’t worded the best and could come off confusing. Let me clarify: During the draft process a lot of pundits were super high on Hezona and most Magic fans were ecstatic when we landed him. Of course, he ended up being a *massive bust* but at the time I truly thought he was going to be a perennial all-star.. 🫣 Due to the similarities between Hezona and Doncic (both hyped up European shooting guards, unproven in the NBA but the best players in their former league), and the ultimate letdown of Hezona, I convinced myself I wouldn’t be fooled again by the “can’t miss” European product. Thus.. I thought Doncic would be a bust like Hezona. I’m sure NBA teams were hesitant for similar reasons. Now in hindsight, I clearly didn’t study Doncic’s tape enough or pay attention to how different they were: One was Uber athletic with a high ceiling but overall raw as a prospect, while the other was a great shooter, a fundamentally sound high basketball IQ player, with a technical skillset and advanced ability.

[@lukereaume6108]

Luka was mvp of euroleague, Hezonja was nowhere close to that

[@therealneal3034]

Atlanta punching the air right now 🤣

[@ChineseKiwi]

Both won really

[@Jason-or4qy]

The only NBA media person who didnt think luka was ricky rubio or mario hazonia was ryan hollins. Think about that

[@Mjvc-wn6xj]

Miles bridge really killin it

[@KrosstownLandLord]

I’m never sold on international players EXCEPT for Luka‼️ I was tellin all my friends about him before the draft

[@bradyhayes9818]

Fr there have been some European busts but none of them won Euroleague MVP at age 18

[@thesdog7905]

@@bradyhayes9818 exact.Also its a bit rare for a true European top player to become a bust if you think about it.Most of the ''european busts'' were player that had no career at European basketball

[@DINGDONG12344]

Athlecism is not really everything in NBA. The players wont last long if they rely on that.

[@lamutcb]

solid example in D.Rose

[@roybabineaux5353]

Being out of shape every year is good either

[@todhoward7448]

the clip at 3 minutes was wild

[@joelco92]

Barring any major injuries, I have no doubt Luca is gonna be the next best player in the NBA. Dude is an amazing all around basketball player, just like Lebron. He can average over 30 pts, 8 reb and 8 ast and lead a terrible team to the playoffs.

[@jaylenblount128]

lol as the mavs are out of the play in rn

[@Lor_Sterling]

I coulda been luka if i woulda pursued my dream

[@gablevi2674]

Fun fact: Luka was actually drafted 3rd by the Hawks, and Trae Young was drafted 5th by the Mavs , then they switched picks and it all changed history. Edit: so the Grizzlies wouldn’t have a chance to draft Luka even if they wanted to, unless they traded.

[@pilapila183]

so exactly what he said?

[@FGGiskard]

As a Real Madrid season pass holder I could not believe how little credit was being given to luka, but I just hoped he would get drafted even lower and decide to stay for just a little longer with us…

[@nicksmirnov2337]

It was so obvious that he should have been first overall, as a teenager he was excelling in every competition in Europe against grown men. Before he even played a single NBA game, the same personalities that critique his career, picked him unanimously to be ROY.

[@mr.eugene5754]

To this day! As a suns fan, I’d take luka over ayton soft ass.

[@impacc4182]

He wouldn’t fit

[@skywalker2759]

@@impacc4182 playing the point with booker?? You sound dumb af

[@obukohwoogheneakpobo3011]

@@impacc4182 brother this is like the blazers in '84 saying "Don't pick MJ we already have Dxeler 🤣"

[@impacc4182]

@@obukohwoogheneakpobo3011 don’t know who dxeler is but luka wouldn’t fit why don’t you learn basketball

[@impacc4182]

@@skywalker2759 they already have cp3 you special Ed troll

[@TBSandNFL]

Luka wasn't the #1 pick because he's white. End of video.

[@ollettc]

Thank you for being one of the only people who knows how to pronounce Goran Dragic properly.

[@unlimitedpower4101]

Easy answer: It's very hard for general managers to pick a player that high from Europe who had not even played in the NCAA. For example, a top 10 to 5 pick makes sense because some front offices would be willing to take that risk. With the first overall pick, you got to pick the safest and best player available.

[@respectedlocalgentleman7108]

It's only hard if you are very stupid and don't understand that the Euroleague is infinitely more competitive and demanding than college ball. That's without addressing him being the MVP as a teenager.

[@roeekoffman]

This draft is similar to the 84' draft in my opinion. 1st - a good big man 2nd- a bust 3rd- generational talent

[@hold_that_h3at]

The number 1 pick of the 84 draft is a generational player Hakeem Oluajuan 💀

[@kaurincrni7185]

''A good big man'' might be the best big man of all time.

[@dubdub680]

You're joking right? It's obviously because he's white

[@TNIAASILENT1]

I honestly think luka will become one of the best if not the best european player to ever exist in basketball.

[@mojohvncho5418]

They definitely underestimated how physical of a player he would be