The truth about Luka

[DoctorP]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENXCAkR_vvA

[HylianNightmare]

Da great white hope

[Bronbron23]

I joke about lukas fat potential but i do actually like him and think he'll be a top 3 player for the rest of the decade. I just dont ever see him being better than greek. The small margin he'll be better offensively wont make up for disparity on the other end.

[DoctorP]

Da great white hope

https://i.ibb.co/bLRKPh0/nba.jpg

[ImKobe]

I joke about lukas fat potential but i do actually like him and think he'll be a top 3 player for the rest of the decade. I just dont ever see him being better than greek. The small margin he'll be better offensively wont make up for disparity on the other end.

I think he has a chance. He's already putting up all-time great numbers in his 2nd season at age 20/21 while leading one of the most efficient offenses in NBA history. I don't think he'll ever match Giannis' 19-20 season statistically in terms of advanced metrics, but he'll put up great enough numbers that it would come down to their Playoff success.

[Phoenix]

I think he has a chance. He's already putting up all-time great numbers in his 2nd season at age 20/21 while leading one of the most efficient offenses in NBA history. I don't think he'll ever match Giannis' 19-20 season statistically in terms of advanced metrics, but he'll put up great enough numbers that it would come down to their Playoff success.

I want to see how his game holds up under the playoffs. There's so many perimeter guys putting up eye-popping numbers nowadays. I mean Trey Young as a 2nd year player is 30/9/4.

[oldtimer28]

I think he has a chance. He's already putting up all-time great numbers in his 2nd season at age 20/21 while leading one of the most efficient offenses in NBA history. I don't think he'll ever match Giannis' 19-20 season statistically in terms of advanced metrics, but he'll put up great enough numbers that it would come down to their Playoff success.


It's tough. Unsure about stats, but Luka has the 'it' factor. So fun to watch. Not for any specific highlights, he just makes the game look so easy and natural to him. Looks like he would be a good team leader, so should attract and optimise talent too.

Hope he gets a good rivalry with a team/marquee player. Some great battles to ensue...

[ImKobe]

I want to see how his game holds up under the playoffs. There's so many perimeter guys putting up eye-popping numbers nowadays. I mean Trey Young as a 2nd year player is 30/9/4.

Guys are spamming high P&Rs and putting up insane numbers on bad teams, that's not really as impressive as the stat-sheet might indicate. Young would put up these numbers but the Hawks' offense very often collapsed in 2nd halves.


It's tough. Unsure about stats, but Luka has the 'it' factor. So fun to watch. Not for any specific highlights, he just makes the game look so easy and natural to him. Looks like he would be a good team leader, so should attract and optimise talent too.

Hope he gets a good rivalry with a team/marquee player. Some great battles to ensue...

Yep. His game should translate well into the POs, he definitely has the skillset to be an all-time great Playoff performer. He's a natural leader and a very high IQ player offensively. I think we'll see a Pelicans - Mavs rivalry for years to come.

[Bronbron23]

I think he has a chance. He's already putting up all-time great numbers in his 2nd season at age 20/21 while leading one of the most efficient offenses in NBA history. I don't think he'll ever match Giannis' 19-20 season statistically in terms of advanced metrics, but he'll put up great enough numbers that it would come down to their Playoff success.

Yeah it will be interesting to see how luka handles the more physical playoffs. He settles for alot of step back threes and that wont get it done come playoff time. Greek on the other hand is limited offensively and we've seen him get walled up and not be as dominant offensively. I just think greeks impact defensively will always be way bigger than lukas and that will be the deciding factor. We'll see though. It will be fun watching it play out. Luka is definitely the more entertaining player to watch.

[Phoenix]

Guys are spamming high P&Rs and putting up insane numbers on bad teams, that's not really as impressive as the stat-sheet might indicate. Young would put up these numbers but the Hawks' offense very often collapsed in 2nd halves.



Granted but it's still an era built for perimeter players to put up some eye-popping numbers. I mean Lebron isn't in his peak and 25/11/8 is better than what he was doing in Miami. Westbrook making the triple D passe over 3 years. Giannis with peak Shaq numbers in 32 minutes a night. Harden 32/9/7 the last 5 years. Nobody even cares when he drops 50. Numbers are meaning less and less. I just want to see Luka validate his greatness in the playoffs. We hold all greats to that standard.

[Bronbron23]

Granted but it's still an era built for perimeter players to put up some eye-popping numbers. I mean Lebron isn't in his peak and 25/11/8 is better than what he was doing in Miami. Westbrook making the triple D passe over 3 years. Giannis with peak Shaq numbers in 32 minutes a night. Harden 32/9/7 the last 5 years. Nobody even cares when he drops 50. Numbers are meaning less and less. I just want to see Luka validate his greatness in the playoffs. We hold all greats to that standard.

I could see luka being similar to harden come playoff time. Often he'll be very good but ultimately he rely on spamming to many threes alot of them being step backs which just arnt reliable in big moments when your fatigued due to the more physical nature of the playoffs.

[Phoenix]

I could see luka being similar to harden come playoff time. Often he'll be very good but ultimately he rely on spamming to many threes alot of them being step backs which just arnt reliable in big moments when your fatigued due to the more physical nature of the playoffs.

Luka isn't that reliant on the three ( 3 makes on 32%) compared to all the other guys who score at that level or more( exception Giannis who is a freak). I'm more curious to see how he handles the physicality more than anything. If Harden has a bad night from 3 he can make it up at the line, but the refs pocket the whistle on some of the stuff he'd get calls for during the season.

[Bronbron23]

Luka isn't that reliant on the three ( 3 makes on 32%) compared to all the other guys who score at that level or more( exception Giannis who is a freak). I'm more curious to see how he handles the physicality more than anything. If Harden has a bad night from 3 he can make it up at the line, but the refs pocket the whistle on some of the stuff he'd get calls for during the season.

Half of his shots are 3's so id say he fairly reliant apon it. Im assuming he'll rely apon it even more come playoff time when the game slows down a bit and becomes more physical. The wide open lanes hes enjoyed in the regular season wont be as available and with a limited offensive game he'll most likely settle for alot of step backs.

[Phoenix]

Half of his shots are 3's so id say he fairly reliant apon it. Im assuming he'll rely apon it even more come playoff time when the game slows down a bit and becomes more physical. The wide open lanes hes enjoyed in the regular season wont be as available and with a limited offensive game he'll most likely settle for alot of step backs.

He hits them at a low percentage though, and 3 a night isn't high volume by 2020 standards. If he took like 7 a game and makes 2 that's not going to dramatically lower his point production. Frankly if he could get his free throws up to 80%+ he'd be dropping 30 a night anyway without needing to take 10 3's a night. Of course this is the regular season. Which is why I say I need to see him in the playoffs. What I don't see from him( compared to Harden) is using the rules to draw fouls that aren't as likely to get called. That's why Harden every year has 'some' kind of drop-off from season to playoffs. Luka kind of reminds me of Pierce in some ways, he's not beating you with blinding speed or athleticism. He's crafty with the dribble and footwork, and generally has a high offensive IQ for getting to his spots.

[Bronbron23]

He hits them at a low percentage though, and 3 a night isn't high volume by 2020 standards. If he took like 7 a game and makes 2 that's not going to dramatically lower his point production. Frankly if he could get his free throws up to 80%+ he'd be dropping 30 a night anyway without needing to take 10 3's a night. Of course this is the regular season. Which is why I say I need to see him in the playoffs. What I don't see from him( compared to Harden) is using the rules to draw fouls that aren't as likely to get called. That's why Harden every year has 'some' kind of drop-off from season to playoffs. Luka kind of reminds me of Pierce in some ways, he's not beating you with blinding speed or athleticism. He's crafty with the dribble and footwork, and generally has a high offensive IQ for getting to his spots.

Hes definitely crafty and he definitely dosnt rely on the refs as much as harden althoug harden only shoots a few more a game. Come playoff time harden shoots about 4 foul shots less so thats definitely has somethig to do with it. The bigger issue though is his three point efficiency. In 3 of the last 4 playoffs he shot under 30% from 3 even though during the regular season hes in between 350 and 380. Thats a pretty big difference. That may be the case with luka because hes already pretty bad. I cant see it getting much worse. I could just see him shooting a few more.

And he does rely on alot of 2's which sounds good but hus 2's are mostly layups and alot of them are the result of regular season wide open play. Once those lanes clog come playoff time i just think he'll struggle a little more to get to th hole and with a lack of post and mid range he'll have to rely more on the outside shot.

And im not talking anything drastic. It could just be a difference of 3 or 4 points a game and 20-40% less efficiency. Dosnt seem like much but that can make all the difference in a tight playoff game. Especially when you dont offer much on the other end

[Phoenix]

What often happens is the efficiency will drop more than PPG. For the season Luke is a 58% TS scorer, doing 29 a game. He may drop the same but on 54%, his field goal percentage is likely to dip. We'll see.... the physicality of the playoffs I can definitely see being an adjustment but that's where the cream rises.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

Luka ball clearly works, Mavs already the highest offensive rating for a team in NBA history.

[CTbasketball92]

I joke about lukas fat potential but i do actually like him and think he'll be a top 3 player for the rest of the decade. I just dont ever see him being better than greek. The small margin he'll be better offensively wont make up for disparity on the other end.


I would agree, but I think Luka's offensive ceiling is considerably higher than Giannis'. Giannis simply isn't a great playmaker nor a dynamic scorer. Luka has a sixth sense for scoring and playmaking seamlessly in a manner similar to LeBron, Magic, Bird and MJ. He's also a much more creative offensive player. He's a far better passer. These are the traits that make LeBron better than Giannis to this day even though he's no longer in his physical prime. Bball IQ and the ability to get your own shot at any time makes a big difference. So if Giannis can't do that it's a wash, or Luka will simply be a better player in my eyes.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

I would agree, but I think Luka's offensive ceiling is considerably higher than Giannis'. Giannis simply isn't a great playmaker nor a dynamic scorer. Luka has a sixth sense for scoring and playmaking seamlessly in a manner similar to LeBron, Magic, Bird and MJ. He's also a much more creative offensive player. He's a far better passer. These are the traits that make LeBron better than Giannis to this day even though he's no longer in his physical prime. Bball IQ and the ability to get your own shot at any time makes a big difference. So if Giannis can't do that it's a wash, or Luka will simply be a better player in my eyes.

Ya and Luka doesn't rely on athleticism like Giannis, thus making him much more likely to have an extended prime.

[DoctorP]

Luka and Giannis are def the next in line after Bron and expected to be the faces of the league when he retires. You also have Zion, KAT, Trae...
Curry and Durant... this is their time.

[Bronbron23]

I would agree, but I think Luka's offensive ceiling is considerably higher than Giannis'. Giannis simply isn't a great playmaker nor a dynamic scorer. Luka has a sixth sense for scoring and playmaking seamlessly in a manner similar to LeBron, Magic, Bird and MJ. He's also a much more creative offensive player. He's a far better passer. These are the traits that make LeBron better than Giannis to this day even though he's no longer in his physical prime. Bball IQ and the ability to get your own shot at any time makes a big difference. So if Giannis can't do that it's a wash, or Luka will simply be a better player in my eyes.

Thats interesting because i actually think greek has a higher ceiling. In my eyes luka is pretty much maxed out skill wise and greek has lots of room for improvement. I agree hes a much more natural scorer and passer, i jusr wonder if the egde he has in that area outweighs the edge greek has defensively.

In general the guy whos close to as good offensively but significantly better defensively usually has the edge but we'll have to wait and see it play out

[Bronbron23]

Ya and Luka doesn't rely on athleticism like Giannis, thus making him much more likely to have an extended prime.

I dont know. Luka definitely relies on athleticism less but he also has a body type thats more likely to put on weight as he gets older. I half joke about luka and his weight but he definitely has fat potential. Greek on the other hand looks like he coukd stay this lean for the next 15 years.

[HBK_Kliq_2]

I dont know. Luka definitely relies on athleticism less but he also has a body type thats more likely to put on weight as he gets older. I half joke about luka and his weight but he definitely has fat potential. Greek on the other hand looks like he coukd stay this lean for the next 15 years.

Luka can be a little flabby and still be a great player because he doesn't rely on athleticism though.

Giannis has to stay very athletic because he depends on it to be a great player.

[FireDavidKahn]

One of the funniest things ever was that for those who followed Luka closely overseas could foresee that he was ready from day 1 and would be great. No one could have predicted this but he was always going to end up as elite.

[StrongLurk]

Luka has Lebron-type playoff potential, but he could also be like Harden and have high variance to his play game to game because of his playstyle.

[NBAGOAT]

Thats interesting because i actually think greek has a higher ceiling. In my eyes luka is pretty much maxed out skill wise and greek has lots of room for improvement. I agree hes a much more natural scorer and passer, i jusr wonder if the egde he has in that area outweighs the edge greek has defensively.

In general the guy whos close to as good offensively but significantly better defensively usually has the edge but we'll have to wait and see it play out

Luka has room to get better from 3 which will elevate his efficiency greatly. I don’t think he’ll ever be as good as hardenn but he won’t be at 33% forever. Can add small things like more of a high post face up game so his game is more diverse. Has the passing already to play from there

[SATAN]

It's so obvious he desperately wanted to average a triple double, which I find pathetic tbh. Mavs seemed to play just as well without Luka. It's gonna take a couple more years before we can evaluate his worth properly.

[ralph_i_el]

It's so obvious he desperately wanted to average a triple double, which I find pathetic tbh. Mavs seemed to play just as well without Luka. It's gonna take a couple more years before we can evaluate his worth properly.

I don't know about all that. It looked to me like he was trying to win games early so he could sit out the 4th.

[Bronbron23]

Luka has room to get better from 3 which will elevate his efficiency greatly. I don’t think he’ll ever be as good as hardenn but he won’t be at 33% forever. Can add small things like more of a high post face up game so his game is more diverse. Has the passing already to play from there

Yeah he'll definitely get better from 3. Theres definitely room to grow in other areas like mid and post as you say im just not sure he'll ever work on it. It seems thats a lost skill these days because the rules and style of play makes it easier to get all the way to the hole. Everything is either 3's or at rim. Theres no need to use anything else until late in the playoffs when the game and the way the refs call shit is much harder.

[CTbasketball92]

Thats interesting because i actually think greek has a higher ceiling. In my eyes luka is pretty much maxed out skill wise and greek has lots of room for improvement. I agree hes a much more natural scorer and passer, i jusr wonder if the egde he has in that area outweighs the edge greek has defensively.

In general the guy whos close to as good offensively but significantly better defensively usually has the edge but we'll have to wait and see it play out


Yeah the gap on defense is huge. I guess for me the "close to as good on offense" idea hinges upon how dynamic Giannis can become in the playoffs. Luka's style of play strikes me as more resilient than Giannis'. now, Giannis is a great athlete and he's huge so there's no stopping him from getting 25-28 ppg on good efficiency, but if he can't take over like Kawhi and LeBron do every playoffs to me he's just another Harden. We haven't seen Luka in the playoffs at all, but he reminds me of Jokic, who just had an incredible run last year. It's the sixth sense and ability to make every shot and playmake in myriad ways. I don't see that for Giannis *at all* so to me he doesn't project to be as great a offensive player down the line. People make the comparison between young Giannis and LeBron, but lebron was a much better ballhandler and leagues better as a passer in addition to being a much better, more diversified shot-maker and knowing when and where to pass. Giannis' weakness can be mitigated by having an elite offensive guard to destroy halfcourt defenses. But idk, if you can't beat a team at the end of a game largely by controlling it I don;t know.

[Bronbron23]

Yeah the gap on defense is huge. I guess for me the "close to as good on offense" idea hinges upon how dynamic Giannis can become in the playoffs. Luka's style of play strikes me as more resilient than Giannis'. now, Giannis is a great athlete and he's huge so there's no stopping him from getting 25-28 ppg on good efficiency, but if he can't take over like Kawhi and LeBron do every playoffs to me he's just another Harden. We haven't seen Luka in the playoffs at all, but he reminds me of Jokic, who just had an incredible run last year. It's the sixth sense and ability to make every shot and playmake in myriad ways. I don't see that for Giannis *at all* so to me he doesn't project to be as great a offensive player down the line. People make the comparison between young Giannis and LeBron, but lebron was a much better ballhandler and leagues better as a passer in addition to being a much better, more diversified shot-maker and knowing when and where to pass. Giannis' weakness can be mitigated by having an elite offensive guard to destroy halfcourt defenses. But idk, if you can't beat a team at the end of a game largely by controlling it I don;t know.

Yeah i definitely dont think greek has ever been as good as bron although he may end up crushing all of brons stats other than passing which by bron stans standards would mean hes better. As far as greek and luka id agree with most of what you said. Luka is definitely way more skilled. Still have to see him in playoffs though. His love for step back threes makes me wonder. I also think greek is so long and athletic that he dosnt have to be as skilled. If he can just get any kind of half decent mid-range and post game he'll be unstoppable. There were flashes of it this year and i believe its something he'll continue to work on and improve. Have to wait and see i guess. Either way id say those 2 will be the best players in the league for the next decade or so. Jayson tatum may sneak in there also depending on how he develops. Sometimes he looks scary good and other times just like a regular all star. If he can impose himself on the game more consistently he could be a problem.

[DoctorP]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZiakBvL5y4