“Luka has a chance to become the greatest offensive player ever” - NBA analyst makes a big claim about Luka Doncic, believes his defensive game will never be at a LeBron or Jordan level
Luka Doncic is one of the NBA's most entertaining players. He's been in the league for only four years, yet he's become one of the toughest players to guard.
There is no doubt that the 6-foot-7 guard has a bright future. He's shown greatness on the offensive end of the floor, but his defense should improve.
Nick Wright recently shared his thoughts regarding active players who could become the GOAT (greatest of all time). The NBA analyst included the young Dallas Mavericks guard in the conversation.
"Luka has a chance to become the greatest offensive player ever," Nick Wright said. "I don't think he'll quite get there, but I do think Luka has a chance to become the greatest player ever."
Doncic's defense is his Achilles' heel. Even though he is a brilliant offensive player, his defense will need to improve for him to become one of the greatest players.
Luka Doncic's offensive game is a thing of beauty
Before Luka Doncic joined the NBA, he played professional basketball in Europe. He developed his playing style and became one of the most fundamental players in the league.
The 23-year-old isn't very athletic but intelligent, and his court vision is fantastic. Doncic is one of the best passers in the league, and he's averaged eight assists per game in his NBA career.
Luka Doncic is not known as a sharpshooter, but he's improved his outside touch. In the first two years in the league, the guard shot 32.1% from the field, but that number improved to 35.3% last season.
Doncic's game is flashy and beautiful to watch. If he cannot score baskets, he will find ways to get his teammates involved.
His defense has to improve
While Luka Doncic is a fantastic offensive player, his defense has room for improvement. Defense has many advanced stats and metrics, but defense is more difficult to analyze through numbers.
The eye test shows that the Mavericks guard is still a below-average defender. Despite his improvement last season, Luka Doncic struggles to stay in front of smaller and faster guards.
Speaking of defense…
Never forget that sometimes Luka Doncic is a good defender:
https://t.co/yTGBjdjpMh
Furthermore, he often does poorly as a defender in pick-and-roll situations. Nick Wright believes that Doncic has to become a great defender to be included in the GOAT conversation.
"There were various periods of time where Kareem, Michael and LeBron were the most devastating or very close to the most devastating defensive players in basketball, while being the best offensive players in basketball," the NBA analyst said.
Doncic's defense leaves much to be desired. However, he is only 23 and has plenty of time to improve his defensive skills.