TORONTO — “The thing about Luka,” Wesley Matthews says, stretched out in a courtside seat at Scotiabank Arena, ice bags strapped around his knees, “and what makes him different — and special — is the fact that he’s been a professional already.”
Luka Doncic is not your typical rookie.
You can tell as much after watching him play for just a few possessions, and it’s the first thing his veteran teammates will tell you about the 19-year-old prodigy from Slovenia.
“I didn’t know anything about him,” says Matthews, a 10-year veteran who will make his 218th start for the Mavericks when they tip off against the Toronto Raptors on Friday. “I saw highlights, but you can’t judge anything by that because by definition they’re supposed to make everybody look spectacular. But since Day 1 I’ve been impressed.”
Who hasn’t been?
Just barely over a week into his career, there’s already a consensus that Doncic has an undeniable “it” factor. Whether it’s the smile and obvious enthusiasm he exhibits while on the court — whether it’s an early-season shootaround or a championship game — or his already-elite playmaking abilities as a six-foot-eight ballhandler, your eyes are drawn to the rookie whenever he’s on the floor.
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Doncic came into the NBA with both no hype and all the hype. Most people, like Matthews, hadn’t seen him play a full game prior to the draft and yet it was hard not to be enticed by his resume, which is unlike any first-year player who has stepped onto an NBA floor.
Euroleague champion starring for Real Madrid. MVP of both the regular season and Euroleague Final Four. FIBA Eurobasket gold medallist. He’s a legitimate teen sensation, like basketball’s answer to Justin Bieber, only with way more upside.
“He’s just different,” says J.J. Barea, who is in his 13th season. “He knows his stuff.”
The early returns have been extremely promising and only confirm that Doncic is way ahead of the curve for a player who’s only played four games in the NBA — the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year this season, and on track to be one of the league’s next marquee stars.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle hasn’t hesitated to throw his star rookie into the deep end. Doncic has played a team-high 34.5 minutes per game thus far, and is second to Matthews in both scoring (19 points per game) and field-goal attempts (16 per game) by just a fraction.
Having played professional basketball — and in a featured role — for Real Madrid since the age of 16, Doncic’s experience has certainly helped ease his transition. Playing under an elite basketball mind like Carlisle and on this particular Mavericks team, the NBA’s third-oldest roster, has helped, too. It’s why the draft-night trade that sent Doncic, the third-overall pick, from the Atlanta Hawks to Dallas, was a dream scenario for both sides.
At Friday’s practice, Doncic, who teammates say is already overcoming a language barrier given nobody else on the team speaks Slovenian, was vocal and didn’t hesitate to interject with questions or feedback.
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“Unlike most young guys he isn’t afraid to ask a question if he doesn’t understand something. Which is huge,” says Matthews, “because we all need to be on the same page with terminologies, and philosophies and schemes. He does ask questions, and as vets we try to get to him even before he has to ask.”
Matthews gazes onto the floor, where Doncic is wrapping up a high-post shooting drill, effortlessly swishing jumpers and nailing bank shots that would make veteran teammate Dirk Nowitzki proud. All of the other Mavs have already left the court, but Doncic makes a pit stop.
Doncic is heaving shots from half court as Matthews speaks, ear-to-ear smile plastered across his face. Right on cue, a shot misses and grazes the front mesh. Unsure if it went in or not, Doncic throws his arms in the air like a fan who’s just won a car at halftime.
Y'all saw that go in right?
Tipoff from the 6 tonight at 6:30! #MFFL pic.twitter.com/jXPzZOsJya
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) October 26, 2018
“He’s a kid on a team with veterans, and it’s good to have that, for both of us. He loves the game of basketball, he’s got a joyful spirit about him when he plays. It’s great to be around,” says Matthews.
There’s a different energy around the Mavericks this season. The team has added DeAndre Jordan to the roster and with last year’s lottery pick – Dennis Smith Jr. – progressing, and now Doncic in the fold, the team is poised to return to playoff contention after a brief rebuilding phase.
When asked if things feel different this season in Dallas, Barea doesn’t hesitate. “No question,” he says. “Luka alone brings a ton of energy to the games with his passing and scoring, and having a bigger guy like him pushing the ball.”
“There’s a lot more excitement, for sure,” says Matthews. “Drafting Luka, there’s definitely been a buzz.”
“He knows what’s going on,” says centre Salah Merji, who also made the transition from Real Madrid to the NBA and has taken Doncic under his wing. “He’s smart. He’s a big guard, sees the floor very well, and he makes great passes which is good for big men like us. He’ll throw crazy passes that nobody expects.”
The Mavs have already played two nationally televised games, with Doncic’s Canadian debut just hours away. As fans in North America become closer in tune to his electric, flashy game, Doncic is poised to become appointment viewing. And, as he’s proven every step of the way until now, Doncic is more than willing to live up to the hype.
“What I like about him is that as much as he can shine in practice,” says Barea, “when the lights are on he brings it even more.”
