Luka Doncic is the Western Conference’s “most dangerous player.”
Luka Doncic is the “most dangerous player” in the Western Conference, according to Kendrick Perkins. He made them on Monday’s “First Take” segment on ESPN.
“I feel like Luka is the most dangerous player in the Western Conference,” Perkins said. “…I think when you look at what Luka has been doing and what Kyrie has been doing. One could argue that they have been the most lethal duo in the game…When I look at the Western Conference, no teams wants to face that duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. Because both of those games are capable of having an explosive game on any night.”
There’s no doubt that Doncic is among the best offensive players in the league. However, his defense has been an issue throughout his career.
There are more complete players in the West. For instance, Kawhi Leonard can play both defense and offense as a first option and is a respectable point-of-attack option.
Despite his obvious defensive shortcomings, Doncic is increasingly regarded as one of the league’s top players. To put everything in perspective, there’s also his lack of postseason success.
Since joining the NBA, Doncic has only attended one conference finals. The Dallas Mavericks did not make it to the playoffs the previous season.
Doncic also operates in a heliocentric basketball system. Outside of a rim-running big man, Dallas is finding it difficult to pair him with other stars. He consumes too much of his team’s offensive touches, which limits other players’ effectiveness around him.
In terms of statistics and highlights, Doncic is one of the greatest players in the world. But to call him the main star of the Western Conference until he accomplishes several deep postseason runs while inspiring his teammates is false.