“Magic and Bird played with Hall of Famers, Luka is playing with second-round picks, undrafted guys” - JJ Redick comes out in defense of Luka Doncic, says his shot-creating ability has been the best in the NBA in the last 2 years
Former NBA player JJ Redick has made an emphatic statement defending Luka Doncic. ESPN analyst Max Kellerman earlier claimed that the Dallas Mavericks superstar does not make his teammates better, unlike the legendary Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Redick highlighted a key difference, saying Bird and Magic had All-Star teammates, but that hasn't been the case with Doncic.
Here's what the former NBA player said (via Legion Hoops):
“Magic & Bird played with Hall of Famers. Luka is playing with 2nd round picks, undrafted guys like DFS. His shot quality created for his teammates - #1 in the last 2 seasons."
Max Kellerman claims Luka Doncic doesn't make his teammates better like Magic or Bird.
JJ Redick: “Magic & Bird played with Hall of Famers. Luka is playing with 2nd round picks,
undrafted guys like DFS. His shot quality
created for his teammates - #1 in the last 2
seasons." https://t.co/7qxnQVHl08
Luka Doncic is one of the best offensive all-around players in the NBA. His ability to score and create opportunities for his teammates is spectacular. More often than not, the Slovenian drops a 30-point, ten-assist game, which is a testament to his prowess as a complete player on the offensive side of things.
Doncic is among the few players in the league who are masters at breaking down defenses with his vision and ability to scan the floor. It is remarkable how developed his playmaking is at the age of 23, four seasons into his NBA career.
Luka Doncic continues to wage lone battles for Dallas Mavericks as they go 3-0 down in Western Conference Finals against Golden State
Luka Doncic has continued to deliver at the highest level for the Dallas Mavericks. The Slovenian's postseason records have been off the charts. He has averaged 32.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game across 26 career playoff games.
However, Doncic's performance hasn't been able to help the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals this season. After two consecutive years of failing to make it past the first round, the Mavs have finally embarked on a deep postseason run this campaign.
The Mavs season is likely to come to an end, though. They find themselves down 3-0 against Golden State. Luka Doncic has been phenomenal as always, but with a lack of star power around him, Dallas has struggled to win games despite the 3-time All-Star's heroics.
At only 23 years of age, the former Euro League MVP has given Dallas a shot at a longer window to win championships. The Mavericks desperately need to make a big-name acquisition to make the most of Doncic's abilities.
Luka Doncic: “The first three quarters, I played very bad. That’s on me. I’m still learning. I think after this season is done, whenever we are, I’m going to look back and learn a lot of things. This is my first conference finals in NBA. I’m 23, man. I’m still learning a lot.”
It will be interesting to see if that happens in the upcoming offseason. The Dallas Mavericks have a decent roster at their disposal, so adding another All-Star to their ranks could take them to the next level.