Charlotte Hornets: Unofficial 2018 NBA draft big board
By Noah Elmore
2. Luka Doncic – PG/SG, Slovenia
Real Madrid’s resident youngster is a candidate for the number one pick in 2018. And after the dominant showing he put on in EuroBasket 2017, he deserves the hype. Doncic assisted Goran Dragic en route to Slovenia’s gold medal in the recent tournament. His posted stats of 14.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 3.6 APG doesn’t do justice to the impact he had.
Doncic has been praised for his elite playmaking skills, outstanding transition play, smooth stroke, and solid frame. He also has been playing in EuroLeague for years, facing top-notch talent. The Slovene is one of the most promising young players in the world.
The only knock on Doncic comes from his lack of elite athleticism, meaning he may struggle to guard prospects like Dennis Smith Jr. However, with a heady player like Doncic, NBA teams should not let this be a prohibitive factor: he’s the real deal.
Doncic would function excellently as a secondary ballhandler alongside Kemba Walker or Nicolas Batum. He’d be a lethal scorer, especially as defenses focus on Walker. Finally, Doncic would excel in the Steve Clifford system that requires players to be thinkers, not followers.