Luka Doncic Could Make Celtics Regret Trade

I have been saying it for months and I’ll say it again — this draft class is loaded. For my money, the top of this class is the best we have seen since 2003. Yeah that’s right, I’m putting the up-and-comers like Marvin Bagley III, Michael Porter Jr. and DeAndre Ayton on the same level as the college/high school versions of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and of course, LeBron James (let it be known that I don’t think any will be as good as LeBron).

With a crop of players this talented, teams will want early lottery picks. Unfortunately, the Celtics may have traded their best chance at an early selection for Kyrie Irving.

Now, I’m not opposed to the idea of Irving with the Celtics. Actually, I believe that he will take a major leap into the MVP race with Brad Stevens at the helm. I had even convinced myself that the Celtics made the right trade by shipping away Isaiah Thomas. Then, on Tuesday, arguably the best prospect in the 2018 NBA Draft brought me back to earth.

Luka Doncic absolutely blew the roof off of EuroBasketball 2017. In a highly anticipated quarterfinal matchup between Latvia and Slovenia, Doncic went toe-to-toe with Kristaps Porzingis.

For Doncic, this was the opportunity of a lifetime. Playing well against an NBA superstar would drastically increase his stock in the upcoming draft. Doncic didn’t just play well, he was phenomenally.

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In a closely contested game, Doncic did not back down from the big man. Back and forth they went, neither giving an inch. At the end of the game, Porzingis totaled more points at 34, but Doncic wasn’t too far behind with 26.

This in itself is impressive, but how Doncic was able to score is what truly caught people’s attention.

The first eye-opening play came against Porzingis. A pick forces Porzingis onto Doncic at the top of the key. Doncic realizes this, then decides to iso the big man. Next, he breezes by the center as if he’s not even there.

The next instance also came at Porzingis’ expense. Once again, a pick and roll forces Porzingis into an iso situation with Doncic. As soon as Doncic realizes this he attacks, hesitates, and then nails a step-back jumper.

It’s not like Porzingis is a bad defender either. The 7’3 giant is widely tabbed as a versatile defender that can guard the perimeter. Doncic simply out-matches him.

The final “WOW” moment I want to highlight is a fun one. In the crucial last minutes of the game, Doncic fired a Steph Curry-like shot from far beyond the 3-point line. Needless to say, he nailed it.

These were by no means Doncic’s only highlights either — there are many more. If you’re interested in seeing them I have linked them below.

After the game Slovenia’s (and the Heat’s) star point guard, Goran Dragic spoke to Sportano about the 18-year old.

"“Luka? He is a star, but he is still a kid. As his roommate I can say that he still watches cartoons and Friends. We are lucky to have him with us. But when you put him on the floor he’s unbelievable”. – Miami Heat point guard Goran Tragic on Luka Doncic"

At such a young age, Doncic certainly feels like a franchise-changing player. He’s a great scorer, passer and rebounder. He’s a rapidly improving defender and he’s been playing with some of the best basketball players in the world since he was 16.

If the Brooklyn Nets pick falls within the top-3, it may haunt the Celtics. Doncic’s playing style seems tailor-made for Stevens’ system.

So, let’s end it on a hypothetical discussion question.

If Doncic emerges as a star in the NBA, and the pick falls to a spot where the Celtics could have selected him, did they lose the trade?

Comment below and let me know what you think!