It’s fun to place Dončić’s nightmare night in historical context. Only one other time in NBA history has an NBA player made two or fewer of nine free-throw attempts while also turning the ball over nine times. The silver lining for Luka, I suppose, is the other player on this terrible list is one Moses Malone, from November of 1983. Of course, Malone didn’t also attempt seven three-pointers and miss six of them. That combination—nine turnovers, 2-of-9 or worse on freebies, 1-of-7 or worse on threes—has never happened before. In fact, the list of players in NBA history who have had at least 7 turnovers, and made 15 percent or fewer of at least five three-point attempts, and made 15 percent or fewer of any number of free-throw attempts, is very small, and very grim. Let’s do it with bullets:
J.R. Smith (of course)
Stephen Jackson (of course)
Chuck Person
Luka Dončić
But it’s even worse! The other three players on that list attempted four combined free throws. Poor Dončić missed twice as many freebies as those other fellows even attempted. Tonight was also just the fifth time in NBA history that a player has made five or fewer of at least 18 shot attempts, while also turning the ball over at least nine times. That list includes Bernard King, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, and Victor Oladipo, but it’s still real bad! It would probably overstate the comprehensive hideousness of his performance to say that Dončić just had the worst single night in NBA regular-season history—looking at you, Mike Mitchell—but it was very, very ugly. Frustrating enough that Dončić may have punched the hell out of something metal while walking to the postgame locker room:
What is smallball? I play basketball. I'm not a regular big man. I can switch from the center to the guards. The game is evolving. I'd be dominAyton if the WNBA would let me in. - Ayton
It would probably overstate the comprehensive hideousness of his performance to say that Dončić just had the worst single night in NBA regular-season history
I didn't realize that Luka may have hurt himself. I hope that isn't the case. Before finding that out, I would have said that Luka was purposely trolling the rest of the rookie class, saying he can be historically bad right now and for the rest of the season and he's still going to win ROY.
"When we all think alike, nobody is thinking" - Walter Lippmann "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them." ~ Frederick Douglass
I don't have any reason to throw shade his way, he will be a top player regardless but I am happy that Ayton basically since getting to mark LeBron seems to be understanding the energy level required nightly and is playing well
Luka had one of the worst statistical games I've ever seen tonight: 5-18 FG, 1-9 FT, 12 points, 9 TOs. Woof.
And 1-7 from three.
The dude is way overhyped.
You can't be serious.
I don't know why Dallas even played him when he reportedly felt a "pop" in his knee the other day.
I've been saying it all season. He's not bad, just not as great as people are hyping him up to be. People are comparing him to Magic and LeBron.
If everyone stays healthy, I think he'll end up as either the second or third best player from the 2018 draft class. A good player, but not an all-time great.
"I'm a Deandre Ayton guy."--Al McCoy, September 21, 2022.
Luka had one of the worst statistical games I've ever seen tonight: 5-18 FG, 1-9 FT, 12 points, 9 TOs. Woof.
And 1-7 from three.
The dude is way overhyped.
You can't be serious.
I don't know why Dallas even played him when he reportedly felt a "pop" in his knee the other day.
I've been saying it all season. He's not bad, just not as great as people are hyping him up to be. People are comparing him to Magic and LeBron.
If everyone stays healthy, I think he'll end up as either the second or third best player from the 2018 draft class. A good player, but not an all-time great.
That's because he's getting triple-doubles as a 20 year old rookie. He also has shooting range 3 to 4 feet beyond the three point line.
If he stays healthy, he's going to the Hall of Fame.
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But is shooting from 3 or 4 feet behind the 3-point line really smart?
Statistically, he's not head and shoulders above the other rookies this year, people just drool over the highlight plays he makes from time to time.
We haven't seen any transcendant players yet from last year's draft.
Author of The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts
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But is shooting from 3 or 4 feet behind the 3-point line really smart?
Statistically, he's not head and shoulders above the other rookies this year, people just drool over the highlight plays he makes from time to time.
We haven't seen any transcendant players yet from last year's draft.
It's not about whether it's smart or not if he takes them. The point is that he can reliably make them when left open and defenses have to respect that, which spaces the floor for his teammates to get better shots.
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People have their minds made up to not like Doncic. Pre-draft it was that he was fat, slow, unathletic and his Euroleague accomplishments don't count because the Euroleague isn't good.
He shows up in the NBA, drops triple doubles, scores at a high level, rebounds better than anyone could have imagined, all as a freaking teenager. And still it isn't good enough.
People have their minds made up to not like Doncic. Pre-draft it was that he was fat, slow, unathletic and his Euroleague accomplishments don't count because the Euroleague isn't good.
He shows up in the NBA, drops triple doubles, scores at a high level, rebounds better than anyone could have imagined, all as a freaking teenager. And still it isn't good enough.
It’s hard for people to admit they might be wrong. Doncic is very good, he’s doing things that no teenagers ever do in the nba. Lebron James being the lone exception.
I think some of the concerns were fair. It’s hard to continue knocking him though. He’s been a fantastic player and looks pretty soundly like the best player in the draft so far.
I went back and forth on Ayton and Doncic...ultimately settling on Ayton as who I’d pick. I had some concerns about both. Doncic has essentially erased those concerns. Ayton hasn’t yet. Hopefully he will in time.
Also doncic has been overhyped. He’s the best player from this draft, but some in the media make him out to be far and away better than anyone else. I think some of the doncic hate is just push back on the overhyping.
I remember twitter going crazy one night because he hit a step back 3. Admittedly it was a very tough shot and it showed how skilled doncic is. I then checked the box score and saw that he went something like 2/13 and 1/7 from 3 and just had to laugh.
It’s a pretty normal thing to do, but it’s just like how many on here point out every mistake josh Jackson makes. It’s human nature, if you like something/someone, you look for the good and highlight it. Same if you don’t like something, you look for the bad and highlight that.