South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Ahead of schedule
Dragic didn’t expect Mavs’ Doncic to have raised his game so much in 2nd season
The talent comes as no surprise to Goran Dragic, but it is the timing that has been so impressive.
Having witnessed the growth of Luka Doncic as a teammate on the Slovenian national team, Dragic said the second-year Dallas Mavericks guard is doing everything he expected in the NBA, just on an expedited timetable.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Dragic said of his compatriot in advance of the Miami Heat’s Saturday night game against the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
“I was expecting that, but maybe not so quick. You know what I mean? Maybe in the third, fourth year, but this is amazing.
“I mean, he’s putting up numbers next to [Michael] Jordan [and] Oscar Robertson. Those are Hall of Famers, some of the best players in NBA history. So we’re really lucky to have him as a Slovenian player to be in the NBA. He’s doing a tremendous job.”
Having roomed with Doncic with the national team during Doncic’s formative years, Dragic said this is not your typical 20-year-old.
Last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year was named NBA Player of the Month for November, with a league-leading eight triple-doubles this season. He went into the weekend riding a streak of 20 straight games with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists, the longest such streak since the ABA/NBA merger (1976-77), surpassing streaks of players such as Jordan, Robertson, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook.
“You can see he doesn’t feel pressure,” said Dragic, who remains sidelined with a strained right groin and did not travel with the Heat for this threegame trip that continues in Memphis and Philadelphia.
“To him, it is a game. That’s
why he’s so successful. He’s just playing, enjoying, doing his thing.
“When he was 17, 18, he played already in the EuroLeague and he was the MVP over there. And I know how tough it is. It’s different basketball, but I know how tough it is.
“There’s no three seconds; everybody is in the paint. It’s tough to make a decision. He’s such a good player that he can do anything.”
For years, Dragic, even with his international success, has called the NBA game more conducive to his game. He said the same has proved to be the case with Doncic.
“It’s a little bit easier to play,” Dragic said. “I mean, the guys are more athletic, but you have more room.”
The two relished the competition against each other last season, but this season now will be reduced to a single matchup on Feb.
28 at AmericanAirlines Arena, provided both are healthy.
That means no embrace or jersey exchange this time, as there was last season.
But having shared in the
2017 EuroBasket championship, which sparked a national celebration, Dragic,
33, said the two stay close during the offseason, respecting the limitations of the regular season.
“This summer we did,” Dragic said. “But now it’s just a crazy season, a lot of games. The last thing was preseason, when we texted.
“I don’t want to bother him. But every time we see each other, we talk.”
Bam fan
Their builds and appearances are similar, and Lakers center Dwight Howard
Goran Dragic remains sidelined for the Heat, but he is not without plenty of thoughts regarding how well fellow Slovenian Luka Doncic is playing in his second NBA season.
took the comparison to Heat center Bam Adebayo a bit further after Friday’s game in Miami.
“He’s playing great,” Howard said. “He made a move tonight and he said, ‘I
stole that from you. You did that a lot in Orlando.’ They say we look alike and are built alike.
“He’s making some great moves. I’m really happy for his success. I think he’s doing
an amazing job for this team. He’s one of the biggest reasons they have the record they have. From the moment he came in the league to now, I’ve seen a lot of growth in his game.”