Introduction to Luka Doncic
If you want to beat Slovenia, task number one is to stop Luka Doncic. Germany, which will face them in the quarter-finals of Eurobasket, knows exactly the threat that the star poses. "You can’t stop him. You have to find ways to beat the team," said German Point Guard Maodo Lo before the game. "We will see how much we can restrict him. We will have a few ideas," added interim head coach Alan Ibrahimagic. "But we don’t play against Luka Doncic, we play against Slovenia."
Luka Doncic’s Performance
The NBA playmaker is the heart and soul of Slovenia. In their round of 16 victory over Italy, he had 42 points and 10 rebounds. The 26-year-old has achieved top ten numbers during the tournament, with an average of 34 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 3.2 steals per game.
NBA Rookie of the Year
Luka Doncic comes naturally to his basketball talent – his father, Sasa Doncic, was also a professional player who represented Slovenia. In 2018, Doncic pulled over the pond to join the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. In his debut season, he scored an average of 21.2 points, seven rebounds, and six templates per game – and received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Career Statistics
In his 450 NBA games of the regular season, Doncic achieved an average of 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. He has reached a triple double over 80 times, which most NBA players only achieve in a whole career a few times, if at all.
Offensive and Defensive Skills
Doncic is known for his skills with the ball, his long-term shootout, and his ability to outsmart several opponents when he drives to the basket. Only his free throwing percentage of rooms for improvements remains offensive. However, his defensive game is a different story. Here he was criticized because he did not come back enough on the pitch to defend his own basket – something that led to a discussion about his fitness.
Controversial Trade with the Lakers
In February of this year, the Mavericks shocked the NBA fans by sending Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade with three teams. It seemed that the Dallas management was not only defensively dissatisfied with Doncic’s work, but that his deal had expired, and they had to avoid signing him for a "supermax" contract that would have cost them a whopping $345 million by 2030.
Renewed Motivation
Since then, the Slovenian has been resigned with his new situation and signed a new three-year contract for $165 million with the Lakers. "I’m just very happy to be here," said Doncic after signing. "This is the Lakers organization – one of the best teams in history." His renewed motivation caused him to work hard to improve his fitness and sportiness in summer.
Upcoming Game Against Germany
At the moment, however, it is the Slovenian National Basketball team that benefits from his improved fitness to win a second European Championship after lifting the trophy in 2017. First, they have to come past Germany, and Doncic does not take the quarter-finals easy on Wednesday evening. "They play incredible," he said. "We actually have to play a perfect game to beat it." The Germans believe that they have a good chance – even against a perfect Doncic. "No matter how excellent he is: he can’t beat a team alone," said German coach Ibrahimagic.
