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Old 02-28-2020, 08:29 PM   #20
Underdog
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SMC0007 View Post
But by definition, who has improved more?
How 'finished product' Luka Doncic has improved more than any 2018 draftee
https://theathletic.com/1639718/2020...-2018-draftee/

Quote:
Heading into the 2018 draft, there were three near-universal beliefs about Doncic. It’s not as easy to find people who will say these things today, but go back to June 2018, give everybody truth serum, and three consistent thoughts would emerge, even from his biggest fans:
  • He was one of the most talented players in the draft
  • He was likely to be the player who did the most right away and would be a favorite for Rookie of the Year
  • He might not improve a ton from there, as he was the closest thing to a finished product of the players in the draft
Well, two out of the three ain’t bad.

Doncic, indeed, proved to be the most talented player from that draft and was a runaway choice for Rookie of the Year in the 2018-19 season.

But we might have missed the boat on that third item. Again, if we use our truth serum, the median expectation for Doncic was that he would have been a Gordon Hayward-ish level good player almost immediately – certainly by this second year if not in his first – but that further gains into the superstar stratosphere might be tough to achieve due to his lack of elite athleticism, questionable conditioning and shaky left hand.

Welp.

Doncic has not only improved since he got to the league, but also he’s arguably improved more than any other player in that draft. The result has been an MVP-caliber season that probably won’t actually net him the award (thanks, Giannis) but nonetheless has established Doncic as a top-5 player in the league at the ripe old age of 20.
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