04-14-2021, 03:58 PM
There is some good and unusually balanced discussion about Luka going on in this thread. We all love him so much it's kind of difficult to bring up even minor criticisms around here for fear of striking the wrong chord.
Nevertheless, I think both @"F Gump" and @"Kammrath" make valid points. Luka does need to get better about his conditioning. Luka does need to do (even) better on the floor, understanding that he's the leader of the team and the wins or losses are going to rest ultimately on his shoulders. Luka does need to learn to keep the refs out of his thinking during play, and not to hang his head after missing a shot, letting his man beat him back down the floor.
All of those things are true, imho, and it's STILL clear that he's a special, once-in-a-generation talent.
Here's the thing that I don't think people are fully understanding: HE IS 22. I've been writing over and over for like a year that all of this contention talk and all of these super high expectations are premature. Luka is putting up top 5 numbers because he's phenomenal and because he landed on a team fully willing to go all in on building around him. But, in the last five minutes of a close, meaningful game, he's not a top 5 player yet. It couldn't be more clear, imo. He's a 22 year old kid. I mean, at this point, he's almost a lock to literally throw the ball directly to a defender a couple of times per game. He's still dribbling into triple teams down the stretch. He's amazing, so it works sometimes, but this notion that he ALWAYS makes the right play rings false.
Between now and say age 26 (?), my dude is going to improve. A LOT. Most of that improvement is going to happen between the ears, and I don't think it's selling his current level short to say so. It's AMAZING that he's this effective at this age, and pulling a team from where the Mavs were in 2018 up to where they are now is no small thing. But, getting from where they are now to where the top 4-5 teams are is probably even more difficult, and it's not ONLY about adding other talented players to the roster.
I've said it before, but I really feel this way: it's like we're waiting in line at six flags. A little patience is all we need.
Nevertheless, I think both @"F Gump" and @"Kammrath" make valid points. Luka does need to get better about his conditioning. Luka does need to do (even) better on the floor, understanding that he's the leader of the team and the wins or losses are going to rest ultimately on his shoulders. Luka does need to learn to keep the refs out of his thinking during play, and not to hang his head after missing a shot, letting his man beat him back down the floor.
All of those things are true, imho, and it's STILL clear that he's a special, once-in-a-generation talent.
Here's the thing that I don't think people are fully understanding: HE IS 22. I've been writing over and over for like a year that all of this contention talk and all of these super high expectations are premature. Luka is putting up top 5 numbers because he's phenomenal and because he landed on a team fully willing to go all in on building around him. But, in the last five minutes of a close, meaningful game, he's not a top 5 player yet. It couldn't be more clear, imo. He's a 22 year old kid. I mean, at this point, he's almost a lock to literally throw the ball directly to a defender a couple of times per game. He's still dribbling into triple teams down the stretch. He's amazing, so it works sometimes, but this notion that he ALWAYS makes the right play rings false.
Between now and say age 26 (?), my dude is going to improve. A LOT. Most of that improvement is going to happen between the ears, and I don't think it's selling his current level short to say so. It's AMAZING that he's this effective at this age, and pulling a team from where the Mavs were in 2018 up to where they are now is no small thing. But, getting from where they are now to where the top 4-5 teams are is probably even more difficult, and it's not ONLY about adding other talented players to the roster.
I've said it before, but I really feel this way: it's like we're waiting in line at six flags. A little patience is all we need.