“The world wants him to be next, and I’m just not sure he’s capable of being that guy” - Skip Bayless says former ROTY is overrated, doesn’t believe he’s a superstar
Luka Doncic did not have a great game against the Golden State Warriors last night. Skip Bayless believes the former Rookie of the Year is overrated.
The Dallas Mavericks have officially been knocked out of the 2022 NBA playoffs. They lost Game 5 last night at Chase Center, which was the series-clinching win the Warriors needed to seal an NBA Finals berth.
With that victory, the Warriors have made six finals appearances in eight years. The two years they did not reach the finals, they did not make the playoffs at all.
Speaking on the outcome of the game and Doncic's performance, Bayless expressed disappointment with the Slovenian. He noted Doncic's lackluster three-point shooting as a major reason.
On "Undisputed: Skip and Shannon," the sports commentator said he does not see Luka as a superstar, stating:
"Forgive me for this, but I don't. After last night, I sat back and I said, 'I'm sorry, overrated.' And I am sorry because I want him to have next. He has a certain charisma around him. I think the world wants him to be next, and I'm just not sure he's capable of being that guy.
"For the record, his teammates last night shot 14-of-29 from three, that's what they shot by themselves. The total of the teammates from three, 14-of-29, you realize that's almost 50%. That's enough.
"If I told you that going into that game, you would have given Dallas a much better chance than you did give them. In the first half, Luka shot 2-of-12 and 0-for-4 from three. The game was clearly lost in the first half."
Did last night raise concerns about Luka's superstar status?
"I sat back and said: 'I'm sorry, overrated.' The world wants Luka to be next, and I'm just not sure he's capable of being THAT guy." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/C1zK3GdQsh
Golden State won the game 120-110, continuing their unbeaten streak at home. Any hope of forcing a sixth game for the Mavericks was gone with Luka's poor shooting and unwillingness to run back and defend.
Skip Bayless has called Luka Doncic a "triple-threat of a liability"
Skip has always been critical of Doncic and has called him out on several occasions. When the Mavericks went 2-0 down against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals, the TV personality took the opportunity to slander Doncic. Bayless said:
"He is not a superstar by any stretch of the imagination.
"How dare you call him Baby Bird after you grew up loving Larry Joe Bird of the Boston Celtics? They shouldn't even be in the same breath. It's almost like putting LeBron (James) in the same sentence with Michael Jordan. That's blasphemy.
"Luka is actually a triple-threat of a liability because we start with his shooting. He is a sorry shooter, a poor shooter surely by superstar standards from three and from the free-throw line."
"Luka is not a superstar by any stretch of the imagination."
Hear @RealSkipBayless breakdown the "triple-threat of a liability" in the Mavs guard: https://t.co/MRoV62R8h0
Bayless also mentioned that Luka is a "turnover machine," and "a disaster of a defender."
While these points are valid, there are other areas of the game he excels in. The Slovenian is an excellent rebounder and also has incredible court vision.
Despite the series loss, Luka averaged 32.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 41.5%. The 23-year-old still has a lot of time to improve his craft and could grow to be one of the best players in league history.